Event driven interface having a dynamically reconfigurable counter for

Abstract

A hardwired, dynamically reconfigurable counter array counts occurrences of different traffic events having different rates of occurrences monitored on a high speed data network by an Event Driven Interface (EDI). The array includes a plurality of 'N' bit counters, where 'N' is a binary multiple. The counters are arranged in an array of size 'm,n', where 'm' is the number of rows and 'n' is the number of columns in the array. A signal input is provided to each counter as a first input, each signal being definitive of a specific traffic event occurring on the high speed network. Each counter is connected to the adjacent counter in the column through a multi-terminal logic element, each logic element in a column receives the output of a counter as a first input and provides an output to the succeeding counter as a second input. A counter logic switch responsive to an input signal generates a counter logic vector as an output. The vector comprises a plurality of outputs, each output being provided to a different row of the array as a second input to each logic element. Means are provided for changing the signal inputs and/or the counter logic vector to configure or reconfigure the counters in the array to individual or group counters of the same or different sizes. The counter sizes are selected to match the counting requirements of different traffic events being monitored on the network by the EDI.