Apparatus and method for arbitrating heterogeneous agents in on-chip busses
US7428607B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 8, 2006 |
| Grant date | Sep 23, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 17, 2026 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F13/362
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus for supporting heterogeneous agents in on-chip busses. In one embodiment, the method includes the detection of a bus arbitration event between at least a first bus agent and a second bus agent. In one embodiment, a bus arbitration event is detected when at least the first bus agent and the second bus agent assert their respective bus request signals in a single clock cycle. Once a bus arbitration event is detected, bus ownership may be granted to both the first bus agent and the second bus agent, when the first bus agent and the second bus agent have different grant-to-valid latencies. In the embodiment, heterogeneous bus agents may coexist on a bus without requiring wasted or unused bus cycles following establishment of bus ownership. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.