Patent ID: 6237069
Filing Date: 2001-05-22
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
An apparatus for transferring a block of data between a first storage area in a first format and a second storage area in a second format, wherein said first format consists of a plurality of w.sub.1 -bit wide words and said second format consists of a plurality of w.sub.2 -bit wide words, where w.sub.1 >w.sub.2, said apparatus comprising:a plurality of working registers, each working register having a word width of at least w.sub.2 bits;a data routing circuit coupled to said first storage area, said second storage area and said working registers to route said block of data therebetween; anda control circuit coupled to said first storage area, said second storage area, said working registers and said data routing circuit to control said transfer of said block of data between said first and second storage areas;wherein, when transferring said block of data from said first storage area to said second storage area, said data routing circuit and said control circuit are jointly configured to:concurrently transfer a first portion of a first word from said first storage area to a first location in said second storage area and a second portion of said first word from said first storage area to a first working register; andtransfer both a portion of a second word from said first storage area and the contents of a portion of said first working register to a second location in said second storage area; andwherein, when transferring said block of data from said second storage area to said first storage area, said data routing circuit and said control circuit are jointly configured to transfer the contents of both a second working register and a portion of a third working register to a location in said first storage area.