A system for providing deterministic performance from a non-deterministic device comprises one or more nodes that perform isochronous and/or non-isochronous data transfer operations onto an input/output bus of an electronic device. A bandwidth manager preferably programs a deterministic interface with a maximum data value that is selected to prevent non-isochronous conflicts for control of the input/output bus to thereby permit successfully execution of deterministically-scheduled isochronous data transfers. The deterministic interface preferably may interrupt a non-isochronous data transfer operation whenever a data-unit total from transferred data equals the corresponding programmed maximum data value. An interrupted node may then attempt to complete the non-isochronous data transfer operation in subsequent isochronous cycles.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is related to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/383,490, entitled "System And Method For Effectively Performing Isochronous Data Transfers," filed on Aug. 26, 1999, which is hereby incorporated by reference. These related applications are commonly assigned.
An apparatus for limiting a data transfer bandwidth through handshake suppression is configured to generate a first reset signal, generate a second reset signal a predetermined number of clock cycles after generating the first reset signal, generate a handshake count representing a number of receptions, between the first reset signal and the second reset signal, of a first Ready to Send ("RTS") handshake signal and a first Ready to Receive ("RTR") handshake signal, and disable a second RTR handshake signal and the first RTS handshake signal based on a comparison of the handshake count and a maximum value.
A system and method for effectively implementing isochronous processor cache comprises a memory device for storing high-priority isochronous information, an isochronous cache coupled to the memory device for locally caching the isochronous information from the memory device, and a processor device for accessing and utilizing the isochronous information that is stored in the isochronous cache. The isochronous cache is reserved for storing the isochronous information, and may be reconfigured into a selectable number of cache channels of varying size that each corresponds to an associated isochronous process.
