Input/output buffer managed by sorted breakpoint hardware/software

A method for managing a data buffer while processing a stream of data, comprising:

• defining the data buffer to be a portion of a memory within a data processing device by selecting a beginning address and an ending address of the data buffer;
• writing a portion of the stream of data into the data buffer;
• forming a sorted list of breakpoint addresses in a circularly sequential manner comprising at least the ending address so that a first breakpoint address in the sorted list is sequentially closest to an address maintained by a read pointer;
• sequentially reading individual data words from the data buffer for further processing by sequencing the read pointer to select the individual data words;
• determining if the read pointer is equal to the first breakpoint address each time an individual data word is read from the data buffer;
• and
• setting the read pointer to the beginning address when the read pointer equals the first breakpoint address if the first breakpoint address is the ending address.