Method for communicating instructions and data between a processor and external devices
US7778271B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 19, 2005 |
| Grant date | Aug 17, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 9, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L49/901
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method for communicating instructions and data between a processor and external devices are provided. The method makes use of a channel interface as the primary mechanism for communicating between the processor and a memory flow controller. The channel interface provides channels for communicating with processor facilities, memory flow control facilities, machine state registers, and external processor interrupt facilities, for example. These channels may be designated as blocking or non-blocking. With blocking channels, when no data is available to be read from the corresponding registers, or there is no space available to write to the corresponding registers, the processor is placed in a low power “stall” state. The processor is automatically awakened, via communication across the blocking channel, when data becomes available or space is freed. Thus, the channels of the present invention permit the processor to stay in a low power state.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.