Priority control with concurrent switching of priorities of vector processors, for plural priority circuits for memory modules shared by the vector processors

An integrated circuit including a conflict arbitration scheme, comprising:

• a plurality of request input means each for accepting requests inputted from outside of the integrated circuit;
• a plurality of request queues provided in one-to-one correspondence to said plurality of request input means for holding temporarily requests received by corresponding ones of said plurality of request input means;
• a plurality of priority switching signal input means provided in one-to-one correspondence to said plurality of request input means for receiving priority switching signals relevant to a corresponding one of said plurality of request input means;
• a plurality of priority circuits each for selecting a number of requests which is smaller in number than a total number of said request input means from said inputted requests, each priority circuit outputting requests selected thereby to outside of the integrated circuit;
• a plurality of priority store means each provided in one of said plurality of priority circuits for storing priority information concerning priority of said plurality of request input means;
• priority control means for switching the priority information stored in said plurality of priority store means so that priority of one of the plurality of request input means corresponding to one of said plurality of priority signal input means to which a priority switching signal is inputted is changed in accordance with said inputted priority switch signal;
• a plurality of request decoding means each provided in correspondence to one of said plurality of request queues, each request decoding means decoding requests held in a corresponding one of said request queues, separating a priority switching signal merged to one of the held requests, and providing said separated priority switching signal to said plurality of priority circuits when said separated priority switching signal commands change of priorities of said plurality of request input means;
• and
• a plurality of priority control means provided in one-to-one correspondence to said plurality of priority circuits, each for switching the priority information stored in one of said plurality of store means provided in correspondence to a corresponding one of the plurality of said priority circuits, in accordance with said separated priority switching signal so as to switch priorities of the plurality of request input means corresponding to one of the plurality of request queues, which issued the separated priority switching signal.

A request selecting circuit, comprising:

• a plurality of requesters each for outputting a plurality of requests sequentially;
• means for holding priority information concerning priorities of said plurality of requesters;
• a selector circuit for selecting one of plural requests issued by said plurality of requesters in accordance with the priority information;
• a counter circuit for counting a total number of access requests issued by said requesters;
• and
• a switching circuit for changing the priority information held by said hold means in dependence on the counted total number of requests issued by each of said requesters, so as to change priorities of said requesters relative to one another in dependence on total numbers of requests issued by said requesters, respectively, wherein said switching circuit comprises a circuit for changing the priority information so as to switch a priority of each requester whenever the counted total number of requests issued by said each requester has reached a predetermined number.

A request selecting circuit, comprising:

• a plurality of requesters each for outputting a plurality of requests sequentially;
• means for holding priority information concerning priorities of said plurality of requesters;
• a selector circuit for selecting one of plural requests issued from said plurality of requesters in accordance with the priority information;
• a counter circuit for counting a total number of access requests issued by said requesters;
• and
• a switching circuit for changing the priority information in dependence on the counted total number of requests issued by each of said requesters and selected by said selector circuit, so as to change priority of said requester relative to other requesters in dependence on the counted total number of requests, wherein said switching circuit comprises a circuit for changing the priority information so as to chance the priority of each requester relative to the other requesters every time the counted total number of requests issued by each of said requesters and selected by said selector circuit has reached a predetermined number.

A request selecting circuit, comprising:

• a plurality of requesters each for outputting a plurality of requests sequentially;
• means for holding priority information concerning priorities of said plurality of requesters;
• a selector circuit for selecting one of plural requests issued from said plural requesters in accordance with the priority information;
• a counter circuit for counting a total number of access requests issued by said requesters;
• a plurality of signal output means provided in one-to-one correspondence to said requesters, for outputting priority switching signals at timings determined in accordance with the counted total numbers of requests issued by corresponding ones of said requesters;
• a plurality of signal delay means provided in one-to-one correspondence to said plurality of signal output means, for delaying for a predetermined time priority switch signals output from corresponding ones of said plurality of signal output means;
• and
• a priority information switching circuit responsive to a priority switching signal output from one of said plurality of signal delay means, for changing the priority information so that the priority of one of said requesters corresponding to said one signal output means is changed relative to other requesters,
• wherein each signal output means includes means for outputting a priority switch signal whenever the counted total number of requests issued from one of said requesters corresponding to said signal output means has reached a predetermined number.

A request selecting circuit, comprising:

• a plurality of requesters each for outputting a plurality of requests sequentially;
• means for holding priority information concerning priorities of said plurality of requests;
• a selector circuit for selecting one of plural requests issued from said plural requesters in accordance with the priority information;
• a counter circuit for counting a total number of access requests issued by said requesters;
• a plurality of request output means provided in one-to-one correspondence to said requesters, for outputting priority switching requests at timings determined in accordance with the counted total number of requests issued by corresponding ones of said requesters;
• and
• a priority information switching circuit responsive to selection of a priority switching request output from one of said plurality of request output means, for changing the priority information so that priority of one of said requesters including said one request output means is changed relative to other requesters, wherein each request output means includes means for outputting a priority switch request whenever the counted total number of requests issued from one of said requesters including said request output means has reached a predetermined number.

A request selecting circuit, comprising:

• a plurality of requesters each for generating a plurality of requests by grouping said requests into a plurality of sets each having a predetermined number of requests;
• a counter circuit for counting a total number of access requests issued by said requesters;
• a plurality of selector circuits each provided in correspondence to one of a plurality of processing circuits for processing particular types of requests, each selector circuit selecting one request from a plurality of requests output by said plural requesters and supplying said selected request to a corresponding one of the processing circuits, respectively;
• priority information hold means for holding priority information concerning priorities of said plurality of requesters as priority information common to said selector circuits and to be supplied to said selector circuits;
• and
• a priority information switching circuit for changing the priority information so that whenever a counted total number of requests equal in number to said predetermined number has been output from one of said plurality of requesters, the priority of said one requester is changed.