Patent ID: 6400410
Filing Date: 2002-06-04
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A signal processing device comprisinga plurality of processing elements, inputs and outputs to and from the processing elements in the plurality, a switch-matrix coupled between the inputs and outputs and suitable for making two or more selectable connections between the inputs and outputs simultaneously for communication of signal streams between a set of processes executing in parallel on the processing elements, an arbiter for selecting the connections made by the switch-matrix, the arbiter making a respective allocation of inputs and outputs that are to be connected to each other in each of successive time-slots for communicating predetermined fractions of the signal streams, the arbiter fixing the respective allocations for said communication of signal streams between the set of processes for a plurality of time-slots in advance, characterized in that the arbiter is arranged to receive a request for making a further connection between a specified input and output for further communication between further processes during said plurality of time-slots and to select making said further connection in a time-slot in which said specified input and output are not used by the set of processes for communication of the signal streams for which the allocation is fixed in advance, wherein the arbiter further comprises a real-time arbiter and a non-real-time arbiter.