Patent ID: 6985982

Claim:
A data transfer controller comprising: a request queue controller capable of receiving, prioritizing and dispatching data transfer requests each specifying a data source, a data destination and a data quantity to be transferred; a data transfer hub connected to the request queue controller for receiving dispatched data transfer requests; a plurality of data ports having an interior interface connected to the data transfer hub which is so configured as to be the same for each data port and an exterior interface configured for an external memory/device which, in operation, is connected to said data port, the interior interface and the exterior interface being connected for data transfer therebetween; at least one transfer requestor node connected to said request queue controller and capable of supplying a data transfer request to said request queue controller; wherein the data transfer hub being capable of controlling data transfers from a source data port corresponding to the data source to a destination data port corresponding to the data destination in quantities corresponding to the data quantities to be transferred under a currently executing data transfer request; and wherein at least one of said plurality of data ports consists of an active data port connected to said request queue controller capable of supplying a data transfer request to said request queue controller specifying a data source, a data destination and a data quantity to be transferred.