Arbitrating circuitry and method
AssigneeArm Limited
InventorsAndrew David Tune, Peter Andrew Riocreux, Alessandro Grande
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Arbitrating circuitry arbitrates between a plurality of inputs and a selection of at least one of said plurality of inputs. The arbitrating circuitry includes an array of interconnected arbiter devices operating with respect to a set of Q inputs. The array comprises M sub-levels with at least a first sub-level having T arbiter devices each operating with respect to U inputs, where Q=UM and Q=TU. For each sub-level other than a first sub-level, each arbiter device in a sub-level receives as input requests signals indicating an arbitration outcome for two or more arbiter devices in a preceding sub-level and arbitrates between those input requests.
Claims13
Arbitrating circuitry for performing an arbitration between a plurality of inputs and a selection of at least one of said plurality of inputs, said arbitrating circuitry comprising:
- an array of interconnected arbiter devices, the array of arbiter devices operating with respect to a set of Q inputs;
- and
- in which the array of interconnected arbiter devices comprises M sub-levels, at least a first sub-level having T arbiter devices each operating with respect to U inputs, where Q=UM and Q=TU;
- in which, for each sub-level other than a first sub-level, each arbiter device in a sub-level is configured to receive as input requests signals indicating an arbitration outcome for two or more arbiter devices in a preceding sub-level, and to arbitrate between those input requests.
A method comprising:
- performing an arbitration between a plurality of inputs and a selection of at least one of said plurality of inputs, said performing step comprising:
- arbitrating using an array of interconnected arbiter devices, the array of arbiter devices operating with respect to a set of Q inputs, in which the array of interconnected arbiter devices comprises M sub-levels, at least a first sub-level having T arbiter devices each operating with respect to U inputs, where Q=UM and Q=TU;
- and
- for each sub-level other than a first sub-level, each arbiter device receiving as input requests signals indicating an arbitration outcome for two or more arbiter devices in a preceding sub-level, and arbitrating between those input requests.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.