Distributed direct memory access for systems on chip
First Claim
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1. An apparatus comprising:
- a system on a chip includinga buffer memory;
a system bus coupled to the buffer memory;
a plurality of bus arbitrators coupled to the system bus; and
a plurality of functional modules coupled to the plurality of bus arbitrators,each of the plurality of functional modules includinga direct memory access (DMA) controller to couple to a bus arbitrator of the plurality of bus arbitrators, the DMA controller to provide direct memory access to the buffer memory, anda processor coupled to the DMA controller;
wherein each bus arbitrator is coupled between a direct memory access controller and the system bus to provide access to the system bus for the direct memory access controller.
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Abstract
A distributed direct memory access (DMA) method, apparatus, and system is provided within a system on chip (SOC). DMA controller units are distributed to various functional modules desiring direct memory access. The functional modules interface to a systems bus over which the direct memory access occurs. A global buffer memory, to which the direct memory access is desired, is coupled to the system bus. Bus arbitrators are utilized to arbitrate which functional modules have access to the system bus to perform the direct memory access. Once a functional module is selected by the bus arbitrator to have access to the system bus, it can establish a DMA routine with the global buffer memory.
105 Citations
30 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
a system on a chip including a buffer memory; a system bus coupled to the buffer memory; a plurality of bus arbitrators coupled to the system bus; and a plurality of functional modules coupled to the plurality of bus arbitrators, each of the plurality of functional modules including a direct memory access (DMA) controller to couple to a bus arbitrator of the plurality of bus arbitrators, the DMA controller to provide direct memory access to the buffer memory, and a processor coupled to the DMA controller; wherein each bus arbitrator is coupled between a direct memory access controller and the system bus to provide access to the system bus for the direct memory access controller. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of distributed direct memory access to a global buffer memory, the method comprising:
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providing a plurality of functional units each having a direct memory access controller and a processor coupled to the direct memory access controller; requesting access to a system bus by at least one of the plurality of functional units to directly memory access the global buffer memory; arbitrating access to the system bus by the at least one of the plurality of functional units using a plurality of bus arbitrators; gaining access to the system bus by the at least one of the plurality of functional units; establishing a direct memory access connection by the at least one of the plurality of functional units with the global buffer memory; and reading data from or writing data into memory locations in the global buffer memory by the at least one of the plurality of functional units; wherein each bus arbitrator is coupled between a direct memory access controller and the system bus to provide access to the system bus for the direct memory access controller. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A distributed direct memory access control system comprising:
an integrated circuit chip having a global memory; and a plurality of direct memory access controllers distributed in functional blocks of a system on the integrated circuit chip and coupled to the global memory through a system bus, the plurality of direct memory access controllers to control direct memory access of the functional blocks of the system on the integrated circuit chip to the global memory, wherein each of the functional blocks include a processor coupled to the direct memory access controller; a plurality of bus arbitrators, wherein each bus arbitrator is coupled between a direct memory access controller and the system bus to provide access to the system bus for the direct memory access controller. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
Specification