Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

A method and apparatus for facilitating the streaming of data over a system bus between a memory and a DMA device. This is accomplished by doing a speculative cache look-up, or snoop, on a next cache line during or immediately following the access of a current cache line. This is done for DMA transfers when the first DMA address is received, and before subsequent addresses are received. Thus, a determination of whether the cache line is in the cache can be done in advance, allowing the next cache line of data to stream over the bus to or from the cache without waiting for the next address from the system bus or requiring a rearbitration for the system bus.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim