Patent ID: 7379422

Claim:
A method of transmitting data, comprising the steps of: (a) receiving the data at a first circuit from a source in a first protocol; (b) storing the data in a receive buffer of the first circuit while the receive buffer is less than full and overflowing the data from the first circuit to a second circuit while the receive buffer is full, wherein the overflowing bypasses the receive buffer and transfers the data to a memory of the second circuit such that the memory and the receive buffer operate as a single FIFO with the memory forming a logical extension of the receive buffer; (c) converting the data between the first protocol and a second protocol in the first circuit; (d) transmitting the data in the second protocol from the first circuit to of the second circuit; (e) generating a first PAUSE frame in the second circuit when the memory fills to a programmable threshold, wherein the programmable threshold depends upon both (i) a first storage capacity of the receive buffer and (ii) a second storage capacity of the memory; and (f) transmitting the first PAUSE frame.