Patent ID: 6430626
Filing Date: 2002-08-06
Classification: H04L,Y10S

Abstract:
A network switch, comprising:a plurality of first network ports that each receive and transmit network data according to a first network protocol; a data bus coupled to each of the plurality of first network ports; a plurality of second network ports that receive and transmit network data according to a second network protocol; a port interface coupled to the plurality of second network ports and to the data bus to transfer network data between the data bus and the plurality of second network ports; a switch manager coupled to the data bus that controls flow of network data on the plurality of first network ports and the plurality of second networks port via the data bus; a plurality of multiport devices, each for implementing a subset of said plurality of first network ports; the port interface operating in a similar manner as a multiport device to appear as another one of the plurality of multiport devices to the switch manager for the plurality of second network ports, wherein the port interface comprises: a second bus coupled to the plurality of second network ports; and a bridge device coupled between the data bus and the second bus to transfer network data therebetween; each of the plurality of second network ports operating as a bus master of the second bus by executing data read cycles, data write cycles and command request cycles on the second bus to request control lists; and the bridge device operating as a bus slave on the second bus to each of the plurality of second network ports, the bridge device comprising: a plurality of receive buffers, each corresponding to one of the plurality of second network ports; a plurality of transmit buffers, each corresponding to one of the plurality of second network ports; receive list buffer logic coupled to the second bus and including a receive control list memory, the receive list buffer logic providing a corresponding receive control list in response to a command request cycle executed on the second bus by a second network port requesting a receive control list; receive data buffer logic coupled to the second bus and to the plurality of receive buffers, the receive data buffer logic detecting a data write cycle executed on the second bus by a second network port and providing data from the second bus to a corresponding one of the plurality of receive buffers; transmit list buffer logic coupled to the second bus and including a transmit control list memory, the transmit list buffer logic providing a corresponding transmit control list in response to a command request cycle executed on the second bus by a second network port requesting a transmit control list; and transmit data buffer logic coupled to the second bus and to the plurality of transmit buffers, the transmit data buffer logic detecting a data read cycle executed on the second bus by a second network port and providing data from a corresponding one of the plurality of transmit buffers onto the second bus.