Patent ID: 8325194

Claim:
A method for flow control in a connection included within a control crossbar that routes control information generated by a control information generator within a parallel processing unit to a destination component within the parallel processing unit, the method comprising: determining the count of a destination data buffer counter included in a destination credit interface, which is coupled to the destination component, wherein the count of the destination data buffer counter reflects an amount of memory space available in a destination data buffer, which is included in the destination credit interface and configured for storing control information transmitted by the control information generator; determining the count of an internal buffer counter included in the destination credit interface, wherein the count of the internal buffer counter reflects an amount of memory space associated with the destination component and available for storing control information transmitted by the control information generator; determining that the counts of both the destination data buffer counter and the internal buffer counter are greater than zero; transmitting a credit to both a credit consumer and a destination counter included in source credit interface that is coupled to the control information generator; incrementing the counts of both a received credits counter included in the credit consumer and the destination counter; determining that the count of the received credits counter is greater than the count of a consumed credits counter, which is included in the credit consumer, and wherein the count of the consumed credits counter reflects the number of times control information has been transmitted from a source data buffer included in the source credit interface to the destination data buffer; and transmitting a packet of control information from the source data buffer to the destination data buffer.