Multi-port network interface device with shared processing resources

US7835380B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Broadcom Corporation · US

Inventors

• Eliezer Aloni · Kochav Yair Tzur Yigal, IL
• Kobby Carmona · Hod HaSharon, IL
• Shay Mizrachi · Hod HaSharon, IL
• Rafi Shalom · Givat Shmuel, IL
• Merav Sicron · Kfar Sava, IL
• Dov Hirshfeld · Givat Shmuel, IL
• Amit Oren · Los Altos Hills, US
• Caitlin Bestler · Laguna Hills, US
• Uri Tal · Ramat Gan, IL
• Steven B. Lindsay · Mission Viejo, US
• Kan (Frankie) Fan · Diamond Bar, US
• Hav Khauv · Irvine, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 3, 2006
• Grant date: Nov 16, 2010
• Expiry date: Aug 4, 2027

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04L12/413
• WIPO field: Digital communication
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A network interface device includes a bus interface that communicates over a bus with a host processor and memory, and a network interface, including at least first and second physical ports, which are coupled to send and receive data packets carrying data over a packet network. A protocol processor includes a single transmit processing pipeline and a single receive processing pipeline, which are coupled between the bus interface and the network interface so as to convey the data between both of the first and second physical ports of the network interface and the memory via the bus interface while performing protocol offload processing on the data packets.