Reconfigurable fifo interface to support multiple channels in bundled agent configurations

Abstract

A reconfigurable register array structure allows an agent to transmit data from a single channel or in bundled form from multiple channels. The structure makes economical use of valuable chip space by reducing the size of the overall register array system. A coalescing prestage is used to collect data from single channels or from multiple channels and to multiplex the data, based on a priority scheme, to supply the data to a primary stage of first-in-first-out register arrays. The coalescing prestage may include one or more first registers, a delay register, multiplexers to select outputs of the first registers, and multiplexers to select outputs of the delay register. Alternatively, the coalescing prestage may include one or more register array structures, each such structure having independent write ports, one for each channel. Data coalesced in the coalescing prestage is provided to a primary stage. The primary stage may include one or more logical register arrays configured as one physical array. Separate write pointers may be used to ensure data from a particular channel is provided to the correct location in the physical array.