High performance communication controller for processing high speed data streams wherein execution of a task can be skipped if it involves fetching information from external memory bank

A method for handling transactions of data streams, the data streams being comprised of frames, wherein a transaction of a frame is handled by the execution of a task, wherein executing a task involves fetching information from an external unit, the method comprises of the following steps:

• checking if there is a need to handle a transaction;
• executing a task, if there is a need to handle a transaction, until the task ends or until the execution of the task involves fetching information from an external unit;
• jumping to step of checking if there is a need to handle a transaction, if the task ended;
• and
• else, initiating a process of fetching the information from the external unit, stopping the execution of the task that involved fetching information from an external unit and jumping to step of checking if there is a need to handle a transaction.

A method for operating a communication controller for receiving, transmitting and processing high speed data streams, the data streams are comprised of frames, the communication controller coupled to a plurality of communication channels and to an external units, the communication controller having a first processor for controlling data stream transactions;

• wherein the first processor controls a transaction of a frame by executing a task;
• a second processor for handling high level management and communication protocol functions;
• a first external bus, coupled to the first processor and the second processor, for coupling the first processor and the second processor to external units;
• a second external bus, coupled to the first processor and the second processor, for coupling the first processor and the second processor to external units;
• and a scheduler, coupled to first processor, for sensing if there is a need to execute a task, and for selecting which task to execute;
• the method comprising of the following steps:
• checking if there is a need to handle a transaction;
• executing a task, if there is a need to handle a transaction, until the task ends or until the execution of the task involves fetching information from an external unit;
• jumping to step of checking if there is a need to handle a transaction, if the task ended;
• and
• else, initiating a process of fetching the information from the external unit, stopping the execution of the task that involved fetching information from an external unit and jumping to step of checking if there is a need to handle a transaction.