Apparatus for multiple bus master engines to share the same request channel to a pipelined backbone

An apparatus comprising:

• a memory comprising a First-In-First-Out (FIFO) buffer, the FIFO buffer having a plurality of entry slots;
• a FIFO buffer write port to write a master identifier code into an empty slot of the FIFO buffer responsive to the apparatus receiving an unarbitrated grant request for communication to a backbone via a common request channel, the received grant request from one of a plurality of masters communicatively interfaced with the apparatus, and wherein each of the plurality of masters issue unarbitrated grant requests for communication to the backbone;
• a FIFO buffer read port to read the master identifier code from the FIFO buffer responsive to receiving a backbone grant;
• and
• active request queue logic to present the master identifier code to the agent bus interface to cause the agent bus interface to communicate, via the common request channel, a command and data to a backbone for processing.

A system comprising:

• a display;
• an agent bus interface;
• an active request queue communicatively interfaced with the agent bus interface, wherein the active request queue comprises:
• a memory comprising a First-In-First-Out (FIFO) buffer, the FIFO buffer having a plurality of entry slots;
• a FIFO buffer write port to write a master identifier code into an empty slot of the FIFO buffer responsive to the apparatus receiving an unarbitrated grant request for communication to a backbone via a common request channel, the received grant request from one of a plurality of masters communicatively interfaced with the apparatus, and wherein each of the plurality of masters issue unarbitrated grant requests for communication to the backbone;
• a FIFO buffer read port to read the master identifier code from the FIFO buffer responsive to receiving a backbone grant, and
• active request queue logic to present the master identifier code to the agent bus interface to cause the agent bus interface to communicate, via the common request channel, a command and data to a backbone for processing.