Patent ID: 7233604

Claim:
A time division media access controller for use with a multi-port data switch, comprising: a time division receive engine configured to accept data from a plurality of data ports; a time division transmit engine configured to provide data through a plurality of data ports; a receive state table coupled to said time division receive engine; a transmit state table coupled to said time division transmit engine; and a time division arbiter, coupled to said time division receive and transmit engines, configured to control states of said time division receive and transmit engines based on throughput requirements of said data, said time division arbiter further comprising a timer that initiates, as a function of a setting or an expiration of said timer for an allotted time, said allotted time comprising a plurality of clock cycles, a save of a state of a data port of said plurality of data ports at at least one of said receive state table and said transmit state table.