Method and system for sending ATM cells to an ATM network from a host

An interface for connection to a host which sends ATM cells from the host to an ATM network comprising;

• a transfer controller which produces read requests to the host for transferring a partial packet comprising a plurality of cells from the host with each read request;
• a transfer memory mechanism which stores the plurality of cells transferred from the host until the cells are sent to the ATM network, the transfer memory mechanism includes a transfer shared memory pool in which send local buffers are defined to store corresponding pluralities of cells transferred from the host, each send local buffer stores a predetermined number of cells transferred from the host, each send local buffer is associated with a connection which is associated with a rate, wherein there is at least one send local buffer for every active connection the host has with the ATM network, wherein active connections the host has with the ATM network that have a higher rate have more send local buffers than connections the host has with the ATM network that have a lower rate;
• and
• a bus which is adapted to connect to the host on which the plurality of cells are transferred from the host to the transfer memory mechanism.

A method for sending ATM cells over an ATM network comprising the steps of:

• sending a read request from an interface to a host for a partial packet having a plurality of cells;
• transferring the plurality of cells from the host to the interface;
• storing the plurality of cells in corresponding send local buffers, which store a predetermined number of cells, of a transfer shared memory pool of a transfer memory mechanism in the interface, each send local buffer is associated with a connection which is associated with a rate, wherein there is at least one send local buffer for every active connection the host has with the ATM network, wherein active connections the host has with the ATM network that have a higher rate have more send local buffers than connections the host has with the ATM network that have a lower rate;
• and
• sending the cells from the transfer memory mechanism interface to the ATM network as ATM cells.