Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

A method for controlling data packet traffic flow over a bus interconnecting two or more nodes in a data communication system, each node having a unique address associated therewith and having a respective buffer memory for temporarily holding incoming data communicated thereto, each node further being capable of multicast sending of data packets over the bus to one or more nodes having respective addresses logically associated a unique address, the method comprising: checking current available buffer memory occupancy upon receipt of a data packet, the node being capable of outputting for transmission on the bus a first flow control indicator message when the data temporarily stored in the buffer memory is above a first buffer occupancy threshold associated with data of a first priority type, and a second flow control indicator message when the data temporarily stored in the buffer memory is above a second buffer occupancy threshold, the second buffer occupancy threshold being greater than the first occupancy threshold; implementing logical flow control to prevent transmission of data packet traffic of the first priority from one or more sending nodes to two or more receive nodes logically associated with the outputting node at the priority in response to receipt of the first flow control indicator message; and, implementing physical logical flow control to prevent transmission of data packet at any data traffic priority in response to receipt of the second flow control indicator message.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim