Shared access control device for integrated system with multiple functional units accessing external structures over multiple data buses

A multi-path access control device allowing simultaneous accessing of multiple external devices to be coupled thereto by multiple functional units coupled to said multi-path access control device, said multi-path access control device comprising:

• multiple bus ports coupled to multiple data buses, each bus port receiving requests from a different data bus, and wherein said multiple functional units are coupled to said multiple data buses for sending requests thereon for access to said multiple external devices;
• a non-blocking crossbar switch coupled to said multiple bus ports for receiving and controlling forwarding of requests from said multiple functional units;
• multiple external device ports coupled to said non-blocking crossbar switch for receiving requests forwarded by said non-blocking crossbar switch from said multiple functional units, wherein multiple requests at said multiple bus ports directed to different external devices can be simultaneously forwarded by said non-blocking crossbar switch through different external device ports of said multiple external device ports for simultaneous accessing of said different external devices pursuant to said multiple requests;
• wherein said multiple external devices comprise multiple memory devices, each memory device being coupled to a different external device port of said multiple external device ports, and wherein said multi-path access control device comprises a shared, multi-path memory control device;
• wherein said multiple functional units, said multiple data buses, and said multi-path access control device comprise on-chip structures of an integrated system;
• and
• wherein said integrated system comprises an MPEG decoder system, and wherein said multiple functional units comprise a transport unit, a microprocessor, a video decoder and an audio decoder, and wherein said multiple memory devices comprise DRAM and SDRAM coupled to said external device ports.

A multi-path access control device allowing simultaneous accessing of multiple external devices to be coupled thereto by multiple functional units coupled to said multi-path access control device, said multi-path access control device comprising:

• multiple bus ports coupled to multiple data buses, each bus port receiving requests from a different data bus, and wherein said multiple functional units are coupled to said multiple data buses for sending requests thereon for access to said multiple external devices;
• a non-blocking crossbar switch coupled to said multiple bus ports for receiving and controlling forwarding of requests from said multiple functional units;
• and
• multiple external device ports coupled to said non-blocking crossbar switch for receiving requests forwarded by said non-blocking crossbar switch from said multiple functional units, wherein multiple requests at said multiple bus ports directed to different external devices can be simultaneously forwarded by said non-blocking crossbar switch through different external device ports of said multiple external device ports for simultaneous accessing of said different external devices pursuant to said multiple requests;
• and
• wherein each data bus of said multiple data buses comprises an associated read bus and write bus, and wherein a read request on one read bus and a write request on its associated write bus can simultaneously access through said non-blocking crossbar switch different external devices of said multiple external devices.

An integrated system comprising:

• multiple data buses;
• multiple functional units coupled to said multiple data buses for sending requests thereon to access external devices to be coupled to the integrated system, wherein at least one data bus of said multiple data buses has at least two functional units of said multiple functional units coupled thereto;
• and
• a shared, multi-path access control device comprising:
• (i) multiple bus ports coupled to said multiple data buses for receiving requests therefrom to access said external devices,
• (ii) a non-blocking crossbar switch coupled to said multiple bus ports for receiving and controlling forwarding of requests received at said multiple bus ports, and
• (iii) multiple external device ports coupled to said non-blocking crossbar switch for receiving requests forwarded by said non-blocking crossbar switch from said multiple functional units, each external device port to be coupled to a different external device, wherein multiple requests at said multiple bus ports directed to different external devices can be simultaneously forwarded by said non-blocking crossbar switch to different external device ports of said multiple external device ports for simultaneous accessing of said different external devices.

An integrated system comprising:

• multiple data buses;
• multiple functional units coupled to said multiple data buses for sending requests thereon to access external devices to be coupled to the integrated system;
• and
• a shared, multi-path access control device comprising:
• (i) multiple bus ports coupled to said multiple data buses for receiving requests therefrom to access said external devices,
• (ii) a non-blocking crossbar switch coupled to said multiple bus ports for receiving and controlling forwarding of requests received at said multiple bus ports, and
• (iii) multiple external device ports coupled to said non-blocking crossbar switch for receiving requests forwarded by said non-blocking crossbar switch from said multiple functional units, each external device port to be coupled to a different external device, wherein multiple requests at said multiple bus ports directed to different external devices can be simultaneously forwarded by said non-blocking crossbar switch to different external device ports of said multiple external device ports for simultaneous accessing of said different external devices;
• and
• wherein at least some data buses of said multiple data buses comprise a read bus and a write bus, and wherein a read request on one read bus and a write request on its associated write bus can simultaneously access through said non-blocking crossbar switch different external devices of said multiple external devices.

An integrated system comprising:

• multiple data buses;
• multiple functional units coupled to said multiple data buses for sending requests thereon to access external devices to be coupled to the integrated system;
• and
• a shared, multi-path access control device comprising:
• (i) multiple bus ports coupled to said multiple data buses for receiving requests therefrom to access said external devices,
• (ii) a non-blocking crossbar switch coupled to said multiple bus ports for receiving and controlling forwarding of requests received at said multiple bus ports, and
• (iii) multiple external device ports coupled to said non-blocking crossbar switch for receiving requests forwarded by said non-blocking crossbar switch from said multiple functional units, each external device port to be coupled to a different external device, wherein multiple requests at said multiple bus ports directed to different external devices can be simultaneously forwarded by said non-blocking crossbar switch to different external device ports of said multiple external device ports for simultaneous accessing of said different external devices;
• wherein said external devices comprise multiple memory devices, and wherein said multi-path access control device comprises a shared, multi-path memory control device for coordinating same cycle access to said multiple memory devices by multiple requests received at said multiple bus ports;
• and
• wherein said integrated system comprises an MPEG decoder system, and wherein said multiple memory devices comprise off-chip memory devices, said off-chip memory devices including DRAM and SDRAM.