Method for delivering packet boundary or other metadata to and from a device using direct memory controller
AssigneeXilinx, Inc.
InventorLaurent Stadler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An existing field of a descriptor is used to store metadata associated with a block of data to be transferred. The metadata is sent to a device using a special command when transferring the block of data from a memory to the device. The metadata is sent to the device using an existing bus. The metadata is sent to the device from the field of the descriptor. The metadata may carry packet boundary information, transmit status information, or receive status information.
Claims30
A method of sending metadata using a direct memory controller (DMA), comprising:
- using an existing field of a descriptor to store metadata associated with a block of data to be transferred;
- and
- sending the metadata to a device using a special command when transferring the block of data from a memory to the device, wherein the metadata is sent to the device using an existing bus, and wherein the metadata is sent from the field of the descriptor.
A computer readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions which are executable by a system, and which, when executed by the system, cause the system to:
- use an existing field of a descriptor to store metadata associated with a block of data to be transferred;
- and
- send the metadata to a device using a special command when transferring the block of data from a memory to the device, wherein the metadata is sent to the device using an existing bus, and wherein the metadata is sent from the field of the descriptor.
A system, comprising:
- a bus;
- a memory connected to the bus;
- a device connected to the bus;
- a direct memory controller (DMA) connected to the bus and configured to transfer a block of data between the device and the memory using the bus, the DMA configured to issue a special acknowledge command to the device to send or to receive metadata, the metadata providing information about the block of data to be transferred, wherein the metadata is stored in an existing field of a descriptor associated with the block of data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.