Multi-processor system including priority arbitrator for arbitrating request issued from processors

A multi-processor system comprising:

• a plurality of processors, a plurality of ports for outputting first requests from said processors, and a plurality of priority arbitrators for arbitrating the first requests from said processors for each of said plurality of ports,
• wherein each of said plurality of priority arbitrators includes:
• a fixed priority arbitrating circuit;
• a pending circuit for detecting, by comparing between an input and an output of said fixed priority arbitrating circuit, such second request which have not been selected by said fixed priority arbitrating circuit but have been suspended, and for holding said second requests;
• and
• a selector which selects either one of said second requests from said pending circuit and said first requests from said processors,
• wherein said fixed priority arbitrating circuit arbitrates to select one request from the output of said selector in accordance with a fixed priority order;
• wherein said selector accepts further requests from any of said processors when there is no request in said pending circuit,
• wherein said selector does not newly accept further requests from any of said processors when said second requests are held in said pending circuit, and
• wherein sets of requests are processed such that there is no delay between adjacent sets of requests.