Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus to expand an on chip FIFO into local memory

US6078565A · kind A · utility

23Cited by
5References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 20, 1997
Grant dateJun 20, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 20, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L2012/5681
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A relatively small FIFO queue is located on a semiconductor chip receiving and transmitting data in a computer system, typically a computer network. The FIFO queue has additional storage capability in the form of an expansion into the local memory of the computer system. The front and back ends of the FIFO, which are involved in receiving and transmitting data, are implemented on the chip. The FIFO expands into the space provided in the local memory only when the on-chip portion of the FIFO is full. The middle portion of the FIFO resides in expansion in the local memory. The local memory is accessed only in bursts of multiple credits, both for read transactions and for write transactions.

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