Device which uses NOP command to share memory bus
AssigneeVIA Technologies, Inc.
InventorNai-Shung Chang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device which uses an NOP command to share a memory bus. The device includes a chipset, wherein a peripheral control circuit and a memory control circuit are integrated into the chipset. The peripheral control circuit and the memory control circuit share a plurality of pins in the chipset. A memory bus is connected to the chipset by the pins in the chipset. A peripheral device receives data sent from the peripheral control circuit through the memory bus. A drive circuit is connected to the memory bus. A main memory is connected to the memory bus.
Claims17
A device which shares a memory bus by using an NOP command comprising:
- a chipset, wherein a peripheral control circuit and a memory control circuit are integrated into the chipset, and the peripheral control circuit and the memory control circuit share a plurality of pins in the chipset;
- a memory bus connected to the pins in the chipset;
- a peripheral device which receives first data sent from the peripheral circuit;
- a drive circuit connected to the memory bus, wherein the drive circuit drives the peripheral device;
- and
- a main memory, which stores a program and second data used by a microprocessor connected to the memory bus, wherein the drive circuit catches the NOP command and drives the peripheral device when the drive circuit detects an NOP command pass though the memory bus, and the memory control circuit sends other commands to the main memory through the memory bus when the microprocessor accesses the second data stored in the main memory, and the drive circuit continuously detects the commands passing through the memory bus.
A method of sharing a memory bus between a memory and a peripheral
- device comprising the steps of:
- continuously detecting commands through the memory bus during normal memory operations;
- sending a NOP command onto the memory bus to utilize a peripheral device;
- and sending data to the peripheral device when detecting an NOP command.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.