Patent ID: 7899937

Claim:
A data communications adapter apparatus for coupling a host computer to a computer network employing communications media, the data communications adapter comprising: ethernet control circuitry; a host interface configured to exchange data with said host computer; a transceiver coupled to receive and transmit data over the media; data transmit control circuitry responsive to said ethernet control circuitry and coupled to said transceiver, to said transmit data buffer, and to said host interface, for generating a packet transmit signal causing said transceiver to begin transmitting data from said transmit data buffer over said communications media; a receive data buffer coupled to said host interface; and data receive control circuitry responsive to said ethernet control circuitry and coupled to said transceiver, to said receive data buffer, and to said host interface, for storing data received by said transceiver in said receive data buffer, and for generating a receive interrupt signalling to said host computer that data has been received by said transceiver, wherein said data receive control circuitry is operative to generate a said receive interrupt once said transceiver has received over said communications media a predetermined number of bytes of a data packet less than all of said data packet wherein said ethernet control circuitry, said host interface circuitry, and said data receive control circuitry, said data transmit control circuitry, said receive data buffer and said transmit data buffer are all contained in a single Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC).