Abstract: Disclosed is an RS decoder controller and method, the system comprising a codeword length register to indicate a number of symbols in a number of RS codewords to be decoded by the RS decoder, a error correction capability configuration register to indicate a number of error symbols that are corrected by the RS decoder, and a modulation scheme associated register to indicate a modulation scheme associated employed to generate the RS codewords. The RS decoder controller further includes a number of state machines to control the operation of a Galois field computation unit in the RS decoder.

Abstract: Disclosed is a configurable Galois field computation system and method, the system comprising a read bus and a write bus with a memory coupled therebetween. In addition, a logical circuit is coupled between the read and write busses, the logical circuit having a number of data calculation configurations that are established to generate an n symbol codeword from a number of symbols in a syndrome array. The logical circuit is placed in the various data calculation configurations in order to perform the various operations involved with Reed-Solomon decoding.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an improved direct memory access controller, having built-in arbitration circuitry, whereby multiple, identical, DMA controllers may be cascaded within a computing system, without requiring additional (i.e., separate) arbitration circuitry. In accordance with one aspect of this invention, a DMA controller is provided having a first input for connection to a DMA Acknowledge signal, and a first output for connection to a DMA Request. A second output is also provided for carrying a signal that is representative of activity of the DMA controller. In this regard, the second output may be configured to output a signal in either an Enable state or Inhibit state. If the DMA controller is active (i.e., presently controlling the transfer update among memory devices), then the second output is placed in an Inhibit state. Otherwise, the second output is controlled to be in an Enabled state.