Patent ID: 7386645

Claim:
An electronic system, comprising: a number N of functional modules, said number N of functional modules including a number P of initiator modules and a number Q of target modules, where N, P and Q are integer numbers such that 2≦P≦N and 1≦Q≦N; and an arbitration unit coupled to said N functional modules to, in response to a plurality of conflicting requests to access a common resource originating from a respective plurality of the initiator modules, grant an exclusive right of access to the resource to a defined one of said respective plurality of the initiator modules, wherein the arbitration unit is constructed to grant said exclusive right of access either via a first arbitration mechanism applied to said respective plurality of the initiator modules, or as a priority via a second arbitration mechanism applied only to members of a subset of said respective plurality of the initiator modules, the arbitration unit being constructed to receive, for each of the members, a privileged access signal linked to respective said each of the members and to said second arbitration mechanism.