Patent ID: 8248945
Filing Date: 2012-08-21
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for managing a transmit buffer using per priority pause flow control, the method comprising: generating packet descriptors, by an Ethernet transceiver, identifying packets to be transmitted that are stored in memory; assigning a priority to each descriptor and associated packet; loading each descriptor into a descriptor queue having a queue priority associated with the descriptor priority; accessing a first descriptor, output from a selected first priority descriptor queue; fetching a first packet associated with the first descriptor, into a transmit buffer from the memory; subsequent to fetching the first packet, receiving a per priority flow control message pausing first priority queue packets; flushing the first packet from the transmit buffer; accessing a second descriptor, output from a selected second priority descriptor queue; fetching a second packet associated with the second descriptor, into the transmit buffer from the memory; and, transmitting the second packet from the transmit buffer.