Patent ID: 6993612
Filing Date: 2006-01-31
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A bus arbitration method for a processor based system, the system comprising a link bus, said link bus comprising a link bus hub and a plurality of link bus segments, each link bus segment comprising a plurality of lines for communicating commands, addresses, data, and a line for bi-directionally communicating a single-bit link status signal, each link bus segment coupled to said link bus hub and one respective satellite device to form a point-to-point link between said link bus hub and respective satellite device, one of said respective satellite devices being a first device, a processor coupled to said hub device via a processor bus, and a memory device coupled to said link bus hub by a memory bus, said bi-directional line configured to carry arbitration requests bi-directionally between said first device and another respective satellite device, said method comprising the steps of: issuing, from one of the first device and the hub device, an arbitration request on a portion of said plurality of lines associated with said single-bit link status signal of the link bus; determining, at the first device and the hub device, whether control of the link bus can be transferred from a bus master to the device issuing the arbitration request; and if it is determined that control of the link bus can be transferred, transferring control of the link bus from the bus master to the device issuing the arbitration request, wherein control of the link bus is granted by the first device and the hub device.