AMBA modular memory controller

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of first controller circuits each configured to generate a plurality of control signals that control storage of data in a corresponding one of a plurality of peripheral devices;

a plurality of line buffer circuits each (i) connected to a different one of a plurality of first busses in a one-to-one relationship as a bus slave having a write data bus interface and a read data bus interface and (ii) configured to transfer said data bi-directionally between an accessed one of said first controller circuits and said respective first bus while access is granted;

a first arbiter circuit configured to arbitrate access to said first controller circuits by said line buffer circuits in response to a plurality of requests initiated by said line buffer circuits; and

a configuration circuit configured to receive configuration data from a second bus and send said configuration data directly to (i) said line buffer circuits, (ii) said first arbiter circuit and (iii) said first controller circuits.

2. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

at least one second controller circuit; and

a second arbiter circuit configured to arbitrate access to said second controller circuit by all of said line buffer circuits.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein at least two of said line buffer circuits are granted access to (i) at least one of said first controller circuits and (ii) said second controller circuit both concurrently and independently of each other.

4. The system according to claim 2 , wherein said second arbiter circuit cannot grant access to any of said first controller circuits.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein said second arbiter circuit is further configured to accept access requests from all of said line buffer circuits.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said first arbiter circuit has a programmable arbitration priority scheme.

7. A system comprising:

a plurality of controller circuits each configured to generate a plurality of control signals that control storage of data in a corresponding one of a plurality of peripheral devices;

a plurality of line buffer circuits each configured (i) to transfer said data bi-directionally between an accessed one of said controller circuits and one of a plurality of first busses and (ii) to operate as a bus slave having a write data bus interface and a read data bus interface, wherein each of said first busses comprises a multi-drop bus;

a plurality of arbiter circuits each configured to control access to a different subset of said controller circuits by all of said line buffer circuits in response to a plurality of requests initiated by said line buffer circuits; and

a configuration circuit configured to receive configuration data from a second bus and send said configuration data directly to at least one of said line buffer circuits, said configuration data programming said at least one line buffer circuit.

8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein at least two of said line buffer circuits access at least two of said controller circuits concurrently.

9. The system according to claim 7 , wherein access to at least two of said controller circuits is arbitrated by one of said arbiter circuits.

10. The system according to claim 7 , wherein said configuration circuit is further configured to send said configuration data to at least one of said arbiter circuits, said configuration data programming said at least one arbiter circuit.

11. The system according to claim 7 , wherein said configuration circuit is further configured to send said configuration data to at least one of said controller circuits, said configuration data programming said at least one controller circuit.

12. The system according to claim 7 , wherein each of said line buffer circuits (i) is connected to a different one of said first busses in a one-to-one relationship and (ii) transfers said data between said accessed one of said controller circuits and said respective first bus while access is granted.

13. The system according to claim 7 , wherein at least one of said arbiter circuits is further configured to grant access among a subset of said controller circuits, said subset comprising less than all of said controller circuits.

14. A method of accessing a plurality of first controller circuits, comprising the steps of:

(A) arbitrating access to said first controller circuits by a plurality of line buffer circuits using a first arbiter circuit in response to a plurality of requests initiated by said line buffer circuits, each of said line buffer circuits being connected to a different one of a plurality of first busses in a one-to-one relationship as a bus slave having a write data bus interface and a read data bus interface and each of said first controller circuit is configured to generate a plurality of control signals that control storing data in a corresponding one of a plurality of peripheral devices;

(B) transferring said data between an accessed one of said first controller circuits and said respective first bus through said line buffer circuits while access is granted, wherein said line buffer circuits are configured for bi-directional transfers between said first controller circuits and said first busses;

(C) receiving configuration data from a second bus; and

(d) transferring said configuration data directly to (i) said line buffer circuits, (ii) said first arbiter circuit and (iii) said first controller circuits.

15. The method according to claim 14 , further comprising the step of:

arbitrating access to at least one second controller circuit by all of said line buffer circuits using a second arbiter circuit.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein at least two of said line buffer circuits access (i) at least one of said first controller circuits and (ii) said second controller circuit both concurrently and independently of each other.

17. The method according to claim 15 , wherein said second arbiter circuit cannot grant access to any of said first controller circuits.

18. A system comprising:

a plurality of first controller circuits each configured to generate a plurality of control signals that control storage of data in a corresponding one of a plurality of peripheral devices;

a plurality of line buffer circuits each (i) connected to a different one of a plurality of first busses in a one-to-one relationship as a bus slave having a write data bus interface and a read data bus interface and (ii) configured to transfer said data bi-directionally between an accessed one of said first controller circuits and said respective first bus while access is granted;

a first arbiter circuit configured to arbitrate access to said first controller circuits by said line buffer circuits in response to a plurality of requests initiated by said line buffer circuits; and

a configuration circuit configured to receive configuration data from a second bus and send said configuration data directly to (i) said line buffer circuits, (ii) said first arbiter circuit and (iii) said first controller circuits.

19. A system comprising:

a plurality of controller circuits each configured to generate a plurality of control signals that control storage of data in a corresponding one of a plurality of peripheral devices;

a plurality of line buffer circuits each configured (i) to transfer said data bi-directionally between an accessed one of said controller circuits and one of a plurality of first busses and (ii) to operate as a bus slave having a write data bus interface and a read data bus interface, wherein each of said first busses comprises a multi-drop bus;

a plurality of arbiter circuits each configured to control access to a different subset of said controller circuits by all of said line buffer circuits in response to a plurality of requests initiated by said line buffer circuits; and

a configuration circuit configured to receive configuration data from a second bus and send said configuration data directly to at least one of said controller circuits, said configuration data programming said at least one controller circuit.

20. A method of accessing a plurality of first controller circuits, comprising the steps of:

(A) arbitrating access to said first controller circuits by a plurality of line buffer circuits using a first arbiter circuit in response to a plurality of requests initiated by said line buffer circuits, each of said line buffer circuits being connected to a different one of a plurality of first busses in a one-to-one relationship as a bus slave having a write data bus interface and a read data bus interface and each of said first controller circuit is configured to generate a plurality of control signals that control storing data in a corresponding one of a plurality of peripheral devices;

(B) transferring said data between an accessed one of said first controller circuits and said respective first bus through said line buffer circuits while access is granted, wherein said line buffer circuits are configured for bi-directional transfers between said first controller circuits and said first busses;

(C) receiving programming data from a second bus; and

(D) transferring said programming data directly to (i) said line buffer circuits, (ii) said first arbiter circuit and (iii) said first controller circuits.