Patent ID: 6018803
Filing Date: 2000-01-25
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
An apparatus for detecting activity on a bus in a computer system, the apparatus comprising:an input to be coupled to the bus to detect bus events;a first circuit coupled to the input to determine a number of bus events during a first sample period, the first circuit to assert an activity signal if the number of bus events during the first sample period meets a first threshold value; anda second circuit coupled receive an activity signal from the the first circuit, the second circuit to count a number of times the activity signal is asserted during a second sample period, wherein the first sample period is a subset of the second sample period the second circuit to generate an activity event if the number of times the activity signal is asserted meets or exceeds a second threshold value, the second circuit to indicate bus inactivity if an activity event is not generated within an idle time period wherein the first and second sample periods are each a subset of the idle time period.