Patent ID: 6643263
Filing Date: 2003-11-04
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method for buffer overflow protection in a digital unit, said digital unit comprising a number of digital modules connected to a message buffer of a first-in-first-out type, able to store a first number x of messages from a first one of said digital modules, said method comprising the steps of:sending messages from said first digital module to said message buffer; receiving, in said message buffer, said messages; arranging, in said message buffer, said messages in consecutive order in a queue in; said message buffer; when a digital module addressed by the first message in said queue is ready for reception of a message, sending said first message from said message buffer to said addressed digital module; creating, in said first digital module, a pace message, addressed to said first digital module; sending said pace message from said first digital module to said message buffer when a pace criterion is fulfilled, said pace criterion being based on the number of sent messages nos since the last pace message was sent, whereby the number nos required to fulfill said pace criterion is considerably lower than x; receiving, in said first digital module, said pace messages from said message buffer; and halting the process of sending messages from said first digital module to said message buffer if a halt criterion is fulfilled, said halt criterion being based on the number of sent pace messages nps and the number of received pace messages npr, whereby a difference &Dgr;np between the number of sent pace messages nps and the number of received pace messages npr necessary to fulfill said halt criterion is larger than unity.