The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 15, 1984
Filed:
Oct. 13, 1981
Barry J Flahive, Westford, MA (US);
John J Grady, III, Woburn, MA (US);
Peter J Rado, Acton, MA (US);
Digital Equipment Corporation, Maynard, MA (US);
Abstract
An arbitration network for use in a data multiprocessing system that includes a functional unit, such as a memory module, that is shared by several requestor devices, such as data processors, wherein access is granted to the shared functional unit through a common data bus on a rotating priority basis and wherein the arbitration cycle of the functional unit for determining priorities of the requestor devices is performed near the end of each operational cycle of the functional unit so that the next requestor device initiates its operational cycle immediately succeeding a current operational cycle then transacting thereby to minimize idle bus periods which would otherwise occur during arbitration cycle sequencing. When the bus is idle and only one request for access is made, the arbitration network foregoes the complete arbitration cycle and issues the grant to the requesting device thereby providing an earlier initiation of the data transfer cycle of the functional unit.