Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for generating a ratioed clock signal. A first clock signal having a first frequency is output. At least one gating signal indicating ratio is output. In response to the first clock signal and the gating signal, a second clock signal is output. The second clock signal has a frequency that is substantially related to the first frequency by the ratio.

Abstract: A thresholding mechanism and method for performance monitoring of memory array access distribution times is disclosed. A data request signal sent to the memory hierarchy activates a first counter, having a first count value. A clock coupled to the first counter increments the first count value with each clock cycle, while also decrementing a decrementer having a predetermined threshold value. The first counter is deactivated by a completion signal when the data request is completed. A second counter having a second count value is incremented when the first count value is greater than the threshold value by the time the data request is complete.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided in a microprocessor bus interface to eliminate the turnabout in those cases where the same slave is involved in consecutive read data bus tenures or where the same master and slave are involved in consecutive write data bus tenures. A new optional signal is added to the bus interface, called pre-last transfer acknowledge. The signal is asserted by the slave one cycle before the last transfer acknowledge signal is asserted. The signal is intended to be received by the system's bus arbiter. If the current data tenure and the next data tenure are both read operations directed to the same slave (such as the memory controller) or both write operations from the same master to the same slave, then the arbiter may grant the data bus to the master of the next data tenure the cycle following the assertion of the pre-last transfer acknowledge indicator.