Patent ID: 6868461

Claim:
A link layer contoller comprising: a network layer interface configured to exchange packets with a network layer system and transfer a status signal to the network layer system; a physical layer interface configured to exchange the packets with a physical layer system; a memory comprising a plurality of transmit buffers wherein each of the plurality of transmit buffers corresponds with a transmit channel of a plurality of transmit channels; and a memory controller configured to exchange the packets with network layer interface, exchange the packets with the memory, exchange the packets with the physical layer interface, determine available space in at least one of the plurality of transmit buffers, if occupancy on a first the transmit buffer corresponding with a first transmit channel exceeds a threshold, then prioritize the transmit channels to packets from the first transmit buffer corresponding with the first transit channel, and generate the status signal to control transfer of packets to prevent over-run in the plurality of transmit buffers.