An interface in which packets are received having a plurality of variant formats, and transferred to a host system, comprising:</claim-text> a first port on which incoming data is received at a data transfer rate; a buffer, coupled to the first port, ng received packets; a second port, coupled with the buffer, through which transfer of packets to the host is executed; a packet filter, coupled to the first port, which identifies packets being stored in the buffer having one of the plurality of variant formats; first logic coupled with the buffer and the second port, to transfer packets from the buffer to the second port; and second logic coupled with the buffer, and responsive to the packet filter to read and process data in the identified packets from the buffer, and to produce a data value dependent on contents of the packet prior to transfer of the identified packets to the second port by the first logic. view more

A method of controlling communication of data from a host system to a network transceiver coupled to a carrier sense, multiple access with collision detection (CSMA/CD) computer network, comprising: transferring data of a frame from the host system to a buffer memory; monitoring the transfer of the data of the frame to the buffer memory to make a threshold determination on an amount of data of the frame transferred to the buffer memory; and initiating CSMA/CD transmission of the frame of data in the buffer memory to the network transceiver in response to the threshold determination prior to transfer of all the data of the frame from the host system to the buffer memory. view more

A method for transmitting a frame of data from a host system through a network interface device to a network, comprising: executing a frame transfer task initiated in the host system to transfer a frame to a buffer memory in the network interface device; making a threshold determination based on a comparison of a count of data transferred into the buffer memory with a threshold value; executing a frame transmission task in the network interface device to initiate transmission of the frame from the buffer memory to the network in response to the threshold determination before the frame is completely transferred to the buffer memory; posting status information for use by the host system as feedback for the threshold value; and altering the threshold value based on the status information. view more

An apparatus for controlling communication between a host system and a network transceiver coupled with a network, comprising: a buffer memory; host interface means, having an interface to the host system, for transferring data between the host system and the buffer memory; means, coupled with the buffer memory and including a host system alterable threshold store for storing a threshold value, for monitoring the transferring of data of a frame to the buffer memory to make a threshold determination of an amount of data of the frame transferred to the buffer memory; and means, responsive to the threshold determination of the means for monitoring, for initiating transmission of the frame, prior to transfer of all the data of the frame to the buffer memory from the host computer; network interface means, having an interface to the network transceiver and responsive to the means for initiating, for transferring data between the buffer memory and the network transceiver for transmission; and control means, coupled with the network interface means, for posting status information for use by the host system, as feedback for optimizing the threshold value. view more

A network interface adapter for a carrier sense, multiple access network with collision detection (CSMA/CD), comprising: buffer memory which stores data of frames composed by a host computer for transmission on the network; data transfer circuitry, having a host system interface, for transferring data of frames to the buffer memory; logic, coupled to the buffer memory, which monitors the transferring of data of a frame to the buffer memory to make a threshold determination of an amount of data of the frame transferred to the buffer memory; a medium access controller for the CSMA/CD network coupled to the buffer memory for managing transmission of frames of data from the buffer memory to the network; and logic, responsive to the threshold determination of the logic which monitors the transferring of data to the buffer memory, which initiates transmission of the frame from the buffer memory to the medium access controller prior to transfer of all of the data of the frame to the buffer memory, including logic which initiates transmission of the frame when no complete frame of data is present in the buffer memory. view more

An apparatus for transferring a data frame between a network transceiver, coupled with a network, and a host system which includes a host processor and host memory, the apparatus generating an indication signal to the host processor responsive to the transfer of the data frame, with the host processor responding to the indication signal after a period of time, comprising: a buffer memory for storing the data frame; network interface logic for transferring the data frame between the network transceiver and the buffer memory; host interface logic for transferring the data frame between the host system and the buffer memory; threshold logic for allowing the period of time for the host processor to respond to the indication signal to occur during the transferring of the data frame, wherein the threshold logic includes, a counter, coupled to the buffer memory, for counting the amount of data transferred to or from the buffer memory; an alterable storage location containing a threshold value; and means for comparing the counter to the threshold value in the alterable storage location and generating an indication signal to the host processor responsive to a comparison of the counter and the alterable storage location. view more