Patent ID: 6424655
Filing Date: 2002-07-23
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
A method for biasing each of a plurality of requesters for participation in arbitration for data communication access to a shared resource, said method comprising the steps of:providing each of the plurality of requesters with a bias value, with each bias value having a value between 0 and 2N, with N being a predetermined integer; forming a binary bias vector, having N binary digits, for each of said plurality of requesters, with said binary bias vector encoding said bias value provided for a corresponding requester, with each binary bias vector having a most significant bit position being a highest order bit position of the binary bias vector and with said binary bias vectors encoded so that a selected binary digit indicates a desired access to said shared resource; forming a transposed table of binary bias vectors in the form of a matrix having columns numbered according to said plurality of requestors, with each column holding the binary bias vector for the corresponding column; receiving a request vector identifying which of said requestors have requests pending during an arbitration cycle; forcing all binary bias vectors for requesters not having requests pending to a value of zero; incrementing a count value to select rows of said transposed table; mapping said count value to preferably access rows holding most significant bits of said binary bias vectors; and sequentially granting access to said shared resource to requesters having said selected binary digit in an accessed row.