Via Technologies, Inc.

Tai-Cheng Chen

Kuo-Ching Chen

Chih-Hsien Weng

Ming-Yih Duh

Li-Hsiang Wang

Teng-sheng Yu

Zuo-Jun Shih

The invention provides a method improving flexibility of at least one direct memory access (DMA) channel. The at least one DMA channel is used by a plurality of DMA engines of a first device to direct data transmission between the plurality of DMA engines of the first device and a second device. An explanatory embodiment of the method comprises: allowing any of a plurality of DMA engines to use any of the at least one DMA channels, and enabling some of the plurality of DMA engines to share a target channel if some of the plurality of DMA engines simultaneously compete for the target channel, one of the at least one DMA channel.

Method for improving flexibility of arbitration of direct memory access (DMA) engines requesting access to shared DMA channels

A packet receiving-transmitting method is provided for use on a packet-switching network, such as Ethernet, for the purpose of handling packets more efficiently than the prior art. By this method, each received packet is stored in a packet buffer of a fixed size and associated with just one descriptor. Based on a threshold logical segmentation size determined by the network protocol, each packet buffer is partitioned into a plurality of segments, each having an ending point linked to an Early Receive/Transmit interrupt signal with the ending point of the packet buffer being linked to an OK interrupt signal. In response to each Early Receive/Transmit interrupt signal, the packet data stored are retrieved and forwarded; and in response to the OK interrupt signal, all the remaining packet data in the packet buffer are retrieved and forwarded. After this a write-back operation is performed on the associated descriptor so as to reset the descriptor to unused status. This method can help allow the memory allocation to each received packet to be more efficient. Moreover, it can help reduce the total number of required interrupts during the receiving-transmitting operation for each received packet, and also can help reduce the total number of descriptor write-back operations for each received packet. This method is therefore significantly more advantageous in terms of system performance than the prior art.

Packet receiving method on a network with parallel and multiplexing capability

A method for solving a mismatched negotiation result between an auto-negotiation mode and an enforce mode in an Ethernet. The method is applied to a local device with an auto-negotiation mode, the local device is connected to a remote device, and the local device has a plurality of registers including at least an auto-negotiation advertisement register (ANAR) for recording information advertised to the remote device by the local device, and an auto-negotiation link partner ability register (ANLPAR) for recording an ability of the remote device. First, turn on the auto-negotiation mode. The contents of the ANAR register are set according to a transmission mode enforced by a user when the remote device is in the auto-negotiation mode, and then the auto-negotiation mode is restarted. Next, the contents of the ANAR and the ANLPAR registers are determined whether they are matched. If the contents of the ANAR and the ANLPAR registers are matched, then the local and the remote devices are normally connected; otherwise, the local and the remote devices are disconnected.

Method for solving a mismatched negotiation problem between an auto-negotiation mode and an enforce mode

A method of remote booting of a client computer in a LAN. The client computer downloads the drivers and the operating systems needed from the server through a coupled PCI network interface card. The driver is provided with a detecting program. When the client computer downloads and executes the first operating system, a hardware interrupt signal is cleared and the booting procedures can be completed successfully.

Method of remote booting of a client computer in a LAN

A method of detecting peripheral components for a computer system to effectively start a driver of the peripheral component connected to the bus. By scanning all the buses orderly to detect the peripheral components connected to the buses, the peripheral components can be effectively used. The method can further be applied for the peripheral components connected to the PCI uses, the hierarchy structure formed by the PCI to PCI bridge to start the drivers of the peripheral components.

Growing community of inventors

Taipei, Taiwan

Tai-Cheng Chen