Data communications device and associated method for arbitrating access using dynamically programmable arbitration scheme and limits on data transfers

摘要

Data communications device and method for arbitrating access to a system memory of the communications device via a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus in a network interface having a memory management unit for managing transmit data transfers from the system memory to a transmit buffer memory, and receive data transfers from a receive buffer memory to the system memory. The memory management unit includes an arbitration block having an arbiter state machine, which receives requests for access to the PCI bus in order to provide the transmission and reception of data, descriptors and status information. The arbiter state machine grants the PCI bus access to a request having a higher priority in accordance with a preset priority scheme. The memory management unit has a transmit transfer control register and a receive transfer control register containing programmable values that limit the maximum number of transmit data transfers and receive data transfers allowed within a single PCI bus mastership period. Also, the transmit and receive transfer control registers contain programmable values that limit the number of allowed transmit data transfers within a single PCI bus mastership period when a request for a receive data transfer is asserted, and limit the number of allowed receive data transfers in a PCI bus mastership period when a request for a transmit data transfer is active. The transfer control values in the transmit and receive transfer control registers are dynamically programmed by a host based on data traffic in the PCI bus. Also, the transmit and receive transfer control register values may be preprogrammed based on the network interface application, for example, whether the network interface is used in a network client or network file server.