IP Library Patent Application 11812701
Patent Application
App. No. 11/812,701

DMA transfer apparatus

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US None
App. No.
11/812,701
Abstract

A DMA transfer apparatus 101 is equipped with a DMA control block 102 and a FIFO-incorporated block 103 . The DMA control block 102 is connected, as a bus master, to a DMA bus capable of burst transfer and having a function of controlling a burst transfer by generating burst access for sending data consecutively a certain number of times while incrementing the address after sending a command. The FIFO-incorporated block 103 is connected the DMA bus as its slave and having a FIFO whose address is mapped to a continuous address space. An arrangement is provided so that a parameter dedicated to FIFO transfer can be set in an addressing mode setting register of a control register group of the DMA control block 102 , whereby a burst transfer to or from the FIFO whose address is mapped to the continuous address space is controlled.

Claims (18)

1 . A DMA transfer apparatus comprising:

a DMA control block connected, as a bus master, to a DMA bus capable of burst transfer and having a function of controlling a burst transfer by generating burst access for sending data consecutively a certain number of times while incrementing the address after sending a command; and

a FIFO-incorporated block connected the DMA bus as a slave thereof and having a FIFO whose address is mapped to a continuous address space.

2 . The DMA transfer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the FIFO-incorporated block comprising an address decoder for detecting, at a start of burst access, that an address at an end of a burst transfer will exceed the address space of the FIFO, and outputting an error notice.

3 . The DMA transfer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the DMA control block comprises:

a control register section in which a CPU sets transfer parameters;

a bus interface section capable of generating burst access via the DMA bus according to the parameters set in the control register section; and

an addressing mode in which addition to a transfer destination address or a transfer source address is performed during a burst transfer and subtraction into an address at a start of the burst transfer is performed automatically at an end of the burst transfer.

4 . The DMA transfer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the FIFO-incorporated block comprises:

a transmission FIFO for receiving and outputting data of plural stages;

an output interface section for taking data out of the transmission FIFO and outputting the data to the outside in a prescribed format; and

a burst length selection circuit for informing the DMA control block of a maximum burst length that does not cause a FIFO overflow on the basis of the number of stages of data stacked in the transmission FIFO and a usable burst length setting value table.

5 . The DMA transfer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the FIFO-incorporated block comprises:

a reception FIFO for receiving and outputting data of plural stages;

an input interface section for receiving data externally in a prescribed format and loading the data into the reception FIFO; and

a burst length selection circuit for informing the DMA control block of a maximum burst length that does not cause a FIFO underflow on the basis of the number of stages of data stacked in the reception FIFO and a usable burst length setting value table.

6 . The DMA transfer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the DMA control block comprises a burst length selection circuit capable of generating burst access of a burst length that is a plural number, for selecting, in each data transfer, access of a maximum burst length that does not cause a FIFO overflow or underflow on the basis of the number of stages of data stored in the FIFO and a usable burst length setting value table.

7 . A semiconductor integrated circuit incorporating the DMA transfer apparatus according to claim 1 .

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 20, 2008
From: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 021897/0534 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 9, 2008
From: SHIRASAKI, MOTOYASU; TSUKAMOTO, AKIHITO
To: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 020342/0998 →