摘要:
A direct memory access (DMA) support mechanism is provided for use in a computer system which comprises (i) a central processing unit (CPU) connected to system memory by a first system bus, and a second system bus connected to the CPU; (ii) a host bridge connecting the second system bus to a peripheral bus; (iii) an input/output (I/O) bridge connecting the peripheral bus to a standard I/O bus, the standard I/O bus having a plurality of standard I/O devices attached thereto; and (v) arbitration logic which functions in an arbitration mode for arbitrating between the plurality of standard I/O devices competing for access to the standard I/O bus, and in a grant mode wherein a selected standard I/O device is granted access to the standard I/O bus. The DMA support mechanism comprises a direct memory access (DMA) controller for performing DMA cycles on behalf of the selected standard I/O device, and direct memory access (DMA) support logic for enabling the DMA cycles to be performed over the peripheral bus. The DMA support logic includes sideband signals directly connecting the DMA controller with the I/O bridge, the sideband signals including information identifying the bus size of the selected I/O device for which the DMA controller is performing the DMA cycles.
摘要:
An arbitration mechanism is provided for use in a computer system which comprises (i) a central processing unit (CPU); (ii) a first system bus which connects the CPU to system memory so that the CPU can read data from, and write data to, the system memory; (iii) a second system bus connected to the CPU; (iv) a host bridge connecting the second system bus to a peripheral bus, the peripheral bus having at least one peripheral device attached thereto; and (v) an input/output (I/O) bridge connecting the peripheral bus to a standard I/O bus, the standard I/O bus having a plurality of standard I/O devices attached thereto. The arbitration mechanism comprises (i) a first level of logic for arbitrating between the plurality of standard I/O devices, wherein one standard I/O device is selected from a plurality of the standard I/O devices competing for access to the standard I/O bus, and (ii) a second level of logic for arbitrating between the selected standard I/O device, the CPU and the at least one peripheral device, wherein one of the selected standard I/O device, the CPU and the at least one peripheral device is selected to access the peripheral bus. The arbitration mechanism includes sideband signals which connect the first and second levels of arbitration logic and include arbitration identification information corresponding to the selected standard I/O device.
摘要:
A DMA controller with error circuitry which detects DMA error conditions is disclosed. The error circuitry causes the DMA controller to perform completion tasks before terminating a DMA transfer, advantageously providing a DMA controller which may exit gracefully upon detection of an error condition with the potential of error recovery.
摘要:
A DMA controller is provided for transferring data between source and destination devices over an I/O bus. The DMA control circuit includes a bus interface unit for providing a bus size information at the beginning of each consecutive bus cycle and a look ahead responsive to the bus size information for providing a bus size control signal. A DMA control circuit responsive to the bus size control signal controls the bus width during contiguous transfer cycles. By dynamically adjusting the DMA control circuit, back to back data reads and writes may occur with no wait states inserted for generating the terminal count information.
摘要:
A device and method for power management of direct memory access ("DMA") slaves through DMA traps. The device comprises a plurality of registers coupled with conventional logic in order to generate a control signal for disabling direct memory access transfer requests for a powered-off DMA slave until the slave is re-powered. The method for managing power comprises steps of unmasking bits in a register containing information regarding which DMA slaves have been powered-off. Next, the DMA Controller consults a power management macro ("PMM") to determine whether a DMA transfer request involves a powered-off DMA slave. If not, the DMA transfer continues. However, if the DMA transfer does involve a powered-off DMA slave, then a main software application in operation is temporarily halted and the PMM generates a SMI signal and outputs the SMI signal to the central processing unit ("CPU") while keeping the disable control signal asserted, which effectively disables the DMA channel. The SMI signal invokes a software service routine which re-powers the powered-off DMA slave so that the main software application can continue.
摘要:
An information handling systems capable of transferring data among various system resource devices such as input/output (I/O) devices and a system memory includes a first bus coupled to the system memory, a second bus coupled to the system resource devices, and a bus interface unit (BIU) coupled between the first bus and the second bus. Each of the system resource devices is capable of controlling the second bus after arbitrating therefor. The BIU includes a buffer for temporary storage of data being transferred between the first bus and the second bus, and control logic for generating a lock control signal, after one of the system resource devices has gained control of the second bus by arbitration, to gain control of the first bus to prevent other system resource devices from accessing the first bus. The control signal is dynamically generated by the BIU based on programmable conditions relating to the data transfer, thus optimizing data transfers between the first bus and the second bus. The control signal may act as an override to the normal memory controller arbitration scheme to prioritize access of the system resource devices to the system memory.
摘要:
A computer system is provided comprising system memory and a memory controller for controlling access to system memory, a central processing unit electrically connected with the memory controller, and a bus interface unit electrically connected to the memory controller by a system bus and electrically connected to a plurality of input/output devices by an input/output bus. The bus interface unit is able to sense when said one of said input/output devices has completed a read or write operation over said input/output bus, and includes a buffer circuit wherein read and write data transferred between the system bus and the input/output bus via the bus interface unit is temporarily stored during the transfer. Arbitration control logic resides in said bus interface unit and interacts with a central arbitration controller which resides on the system bus. The central arbitration controller responds to the arbitration control logic to simultaneously perform (i) arbitration cycles wherein the central arbitration controller arbitrates between the plurality of input/output devices and the central processing unit to determine which of the input/output devices or the central processing unit should be granted control of the input/output bus and (ii) grant cycles wherein the central arbitration controller grants control of the input/output bus and extends control of the system bus to one of the input/output devices or the central processing unit.
摘要:
A direct memory access (DMA) controller for exchanging data information between a system memory and an input/output (I/O) device in an initial data exchange mode and an alternate data exchange mode includes a register for exchanging the data information during both modes and a residual data register for storing residual data information in the register upon commencement of the alternate data exchange mode and for providing the residual data information when the initial data exchange mode is restarted.
摘要:
An arbiter with an arbitration hold feature is provided which makes it possible to begin an arbitration cycle while information is still being transferred via a bus because the arbiter does not reallocate the bus until the present transfer is complete, as indicated by the arbitration hold feature. Accordingly, arbitration can essentially be overlapped with transfer of information over the bus, thus increasing the amount of information which can be transferred in a given interval of time.
摘要:
An information processing system, comprising a central processing unit (CPU); a first system bus which connects the CPU to system memory so that the CPU can read data from, and write data to, the system memory; a second system bus connected to the CPU; a host bridge connecting the second system bus to a peripheral bus having at least one peripheral device attached thereto, the host bridge including register space for storing information related to transactions occurring over the peripheral bus; and error capture logic incorporated into the host bridge. The error capture logic monitors the transactions occurring over the peripheral bus, detects parity errors occurring during any of the transactions, and generates an interrupt routine over the second system bus to the CPU. The CPU reads the register space and performs necessary recovery operations.