Patent · US Expired

Four-phase handshake arbitration

US6912609B2 · kind B2 · utility

3Cited by
5References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 24, 2002
Grant dateJun 28, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 9, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F13/37
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A four-phase arbitration system employs a master and a slave arbiter. The master arbiter operates to provide ownership of a bus to a first device if a second device, coupled to the slave arbiter is not conducting a transaction. If the second device desires use of the bus, the slave arbiter sends a request to the master arbiter, which asserts an acknowledge signal for as long as the first device has ownership of the bus, and at least as long as a timeout of the first device. The master arbiter de-asserts its acknowledge signal when the first device ceases ownership of the bus. The slave arbiter is responsive to the de-assertion of the acknowledge signal to assert bus ownership to the second device. When the second device transaction is completed, its request signal is de-asserted to the master arbiter, causing the master arbiter to re-assert the acknowledge signal. Failure to receive a de-asserted acknowledge signal causes the slave arbiter to move to the next state.

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