Method and apparatus to support multiple memory banks with a memory block

A network processor unit, comprising:

• a memory controller system, including
• a memory command storage module to store commands for a plurality of memory banks, the memory command storage module including a plurality of locations each having a command storage field and a next location field;
• and
• a plurality of control mechanisms coupled to the memory command storage module, each of the plurality of control mechanisms corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of memory banks, each of the control mechanisms including a first pointer and a second pointer, wherein the first pointer, second pointer, and next location field provide a link list of commands for a given one of the plurality of memory banks.

A network forwarding device, comprising:

• at least one line card to forward data to ports of a switching fabric;
• the at least one line card including a network processor unit having multi-threaded processing elements configured to execute microcode, the network processor unit, including:
• a memory controller system, having
• a memory command storage module to store commands for a plurality of memory banks, the memory command storage module including a plurality of locations each having a command storage field and a next location field;
• and
• a plurality of control mechanisms coupled to the memory command storage module, each of the plurality of control mechanisms corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of memory banks, each of the control mechanisms including a first pointer and a second pointer, wherein the first pointer, second pointer, and next location field provide a link list of commands for a given one of the plurality of memory banks.

A method of storing commands for a plurality of memory banks in a command storage module, comprising:

• receiving a first command for a first one of the plurality of memory banks;
• storing the first command in a command field of a first location in the memory command storage module;
• updating a tail pointer of a head pointer/tail pointer pair to a next available location in the memory command storage module, the head pointer/tail pointer pair corresponding to the first one of the plurality of memory banks;
• and
• storing a pointer to the next available location in a next location field of the first location of the memory command storage module, wherein the head pointer, tail pointer and the next location field provide a link list of commands for the first one of the plurality of memory banks.