Patent ID: 7013358
Filing Date: 2006-03-14
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method of signaling serialized interrupts within a PCI-Express environment, the method comprising the steps of: providing a PCI environment interfaced with a PCI-Express environment; providing a PCI to PCI-Express bridge device; communicatively linking the PCI and PCI-Express environments to the PCI to PCI-Express bridge device; providing a translation function within the PCI to PCI-Express bridge device; communicatively linking the PCI and PCI-Express environments to the translation function; signaling a serialized interrupt from the PCI environment; utilizing the translation function to generate a message signaled interrupt within the PCI-Express environment based on the serialized interrupt; and a plurality of data storage elements within the PCI to PCI-Express bridge device communicatively interfaced with the translation function, wherein the data storage elements comprise data registers each having a plurality of data fields, and wherein the step of signaling a serialized interrupt further comprises the bridge device receiving an interrupt signal via its communicative link with the PCI environment and updating a field corresponding to the interrupt signal within a first data register.