Patent ID: 6775727
Filing Date: 2004-08-10
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A system having an apparatus for controlling use of a communication bus, comprising:a plurality of communication bus masters, at least one of the plurality of communication bus masters being coupled to the communication bus for communicating information via the communication bus in burst cycles when made a bus master, and a bus arbiter coupled to the communication bus and in response to two of the plurality of communication bus masters wanting master control of the communication bus, the bus arbiter implementing an arbitration policy for selectively permitting sole access by one of the plurality of communication bus masters to the communication bus, the bus arbiter having user controlled circuitry for receiving control information that can reassign control of the communication bus at any time during a burst transfer of information by an existing one of the plurality of communication bus masters without waiting until an end of a presently existing burst communication on the communication bus to complete, the control information determining the arbitration policy based upon whether a type of burst transfer presently existing on the communication bus is a bounded burst or an unbounded burst.