Patent · US Expired

Bus master capable of relinquishing bus on request and retrying bus cycle

US4602327A · kind A · utility

50Cited by
6References
1Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 28, 1983
Grant dateJul 22, 1986
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 28, 2003

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F13/364
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A bus master is provided with the capability to accept a data transfer task from a CPU, which includes the performance of a predetermined sequence of data transfer operations between memory and a selected peripheral controlled by a respective controller. During any one of the operations, the bus master may be requested to relinquish the bus so that a higher priority transfer may occur or a deadlock condition resolved. In response to such request, the bus master immediately terminates the current bus cycle, but remembers the state thereof at the time of relinquishment. After the high priority transfer is completed, the bus master may be allowed to rearbitrate for use of the bus. Upon again obtaining control of the bus, the bus master restarts the bus cycle which was prematurely terminated and continues the sequence of operations as if no relinquishment had occurred.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.