Systems and Methods for Arbitrating Traffic in a Bus

An apparatus comprising:

• a first interface configured to receive requests corresponding to a given type of request from a first source and a second source;
• a plurality of buffers configured to store the requests;
• a second interface configured to receive messages from an arbiter;
• and
• control logic configured to:
• in response to a determination that a group of two or more buffers store types of requests with an ordering dependence between them:
• determine merged attributes of the two or more buffers within the group;
• and
• use the merged attributes when selecting requests of a type not being blocked.

A method comprising:

• receiving, via a first interface, requests corresponding to a given type of request from a first source and a second source;
• storing the requests in one or more buffers of a plurality of buffers;
• a second interface configured to receive messages from an arbiter;
• and
• control logic configured to:
• in response to determining a group of two or more buffers store types of requests with an ordering dependence between them:
• determining merged attributes of the two or more buffers within the group;
• and
• using the merged attributes when selecting requests of a type not being blocked.

A system comprising:

• a first arbiter configured to receive requests corresponding to a given type of request from a first source and a second source;
• and
• a second arbiter configured to convey messages to the first arbiter;
• wherein in response to determining a group of two or more buffers store types of requests with an ordering dependence between them, the first arbiter is configured to:
• determine merged attributes of the two or more buffers within the group;
• and
• use the merged attributes when selecting requests of a type not blocked by the second arbiter.