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:
Aug. 14, 2001
Filed:
Oct. 27, 1998
James Duda, Waltham, MA (US);
Other;
Abstract
A direct memory access controller is provided which utilizes a single dedicated controller to control all or substantially all memory accesses in a computer system, both memory-to-memory accesses within the system and transfers between system memory and various system peripherals. At least portions of the controller are time shared by various channels, each channel performing data transfers in a selected direction between a system memory component and a second component which may be a peripheral, another memory component or the like. An arbiter is provided as part of the controller for determining the channel using shared resources at any given time. Where one of the peripherals is a variable length packetized data source, multiple subchannels may be provided for transfers of data for such source into system memory, each such subehannel being for transfers to buffers of different size. Efficient memory utilization is achieved by determining the size of an incoming variable length packet and having the transfer performed through the channel servicing the smallest available buffer in which incoming variable length packetized data will fit.