Patent ID: 7730276

Claim:
A method of communicating data between nodes programmed into an integrated circuit (IC), the method comprising: dividing a cell buffer into memory columns, each column having a width of n bytes; wherein the cell buffer is comprised of dual-port memories; dividing each word of data received at each of a plurality of input ports into one or more n-byte units; striping the n-byte units into the memory columns, wherein the n-byte units are stored in different successive memory columns to limit read and write collision; wherein the striping is performed so that n-byte units of words received by any two or more of the input ports in a single cycle are stored in one row in respective memory columns in a single cycle, and wherein storage of each successive n-byte unit of words received by each of the input ports in the memory columns is shifted by one memory column with each successive cycle; wherein no two n-byte units from any one of the input ports are stored in consecutive rows in a memory column; and wherein the number of memory columns is an integral multiple of the number of input ports, and the striping includes storing in the single cycle a number of null bytes in the one row in columns other than the respective columns.