Device and method to minimize data latency and maximize data throughput using multiple data valid signals

A method of servicing data requests from a processor of a plurality of processors and an I/O interface having a plurality of I/O devices, comprising:

• receiving a read request from a processor of the plurality of processors or the I/O interface to access data;
• setting a first valid signal;
• retrieving data from memory in a first data format or a second data format;
• storing the data in a data buffer in a first data format or a second data format transmitting the data to the processor or the I/O interface requesting the data immediately after it is written to the data buffer when the first valid signal is set and the data is retrieved from memory in the first data format and stored in the data buffer in the first data format;
• setting a second valid signal when the storing of the data to the data buffer is completed;
• and
• transmitting the data to the processor or the I/O interface requesting the data if the data has not been previously transmitted when the second valid signal is set.

A method of servicing data requests from a processor of a plurality of processors and an I/O interface having a plurality of I/O devices, comprising:

• receiving a read request from a processor of the plurality of processors or the I/O interface to access data;
• setting a first valid signal;
• retrieving data from memory in a linear chunk order or a critical chunk order;
• merging or combining the data when the data is from more than one source;
• storing the data in a data buffer in the linear chunk order or the critical chunk order;
• transmitting the data to the processor or the I/O interface requesting the data immediately after it is written to the data buffer when the first valid signal is set and the data is retrieved from memory and stored in the data buffer in the same format, but not when the data is a result of a merge or combination from more than one source;
• entering a wait state in the data buffer when the data written to the data buffer is in the critical chunk order and the data is to be read from the data buffer is in the linear chunk order;
• setting a second valid signal when the storing of the data to the data buffer is completed;
• and
• transmitting the data to the processor or the I/O interface requesting the data if the data has not been previously transmitted and the second valid signal is set.