Switching ethernet controller

Abstract

An Ethernet controller, for use within an Ethernet network of other Ethernet controller connected together by a bus, is provided. The Ethernet controller includes a plurality of ports including at least one bus port associated with ports connected to other switching Ethernet controllers, a hash table for storing addresses of ports within the Ethernet network, a hash table address control, a storage buffer including a multiplicity of contiguous buffers in which to temporarily store said packet, an empty list including a multiplicity of single bit buffers, a packet storage manager, a packet transfer manager and a write-only bus communication unit. The hash table address control hashes the address of a packet to initial hash table location values, changes the hash table location values by a fixed jump amount if the address values stored in the initial hash table location do not match the received address, and provides at least an output port number of the port associated with the received address. The packet storage manager associates the state of the bit of a single bit buffer with the empty or full state of an associated contiguous buffer and generates the address of a contiguous buffer. The packet transfer manager directs the temporarily stored packet to the port determined by said hash table control unit. The write-only bus communication unit is activated by the packet transfer manager, for transferring the packet out of the bus port by utilizing the bus for write only operations.