Abstract: Access to a bus is granted to one of a number of requesting communication circuits that each submitted a bus control request during a request period of an arbitration period in response to the entries in a priority table. If a requesting communication circuit has an identity and priority that match the identity and priority of a communication circuit stored in a row of the priority table that corresponds with the arbitration period, access to the bus is granted to the requesting communication circuit.

Abstract: The power required to search a content addressable memory (CAM) is substantially reduced by forming the CAM to have a number of CAM banks with a corresponding number of power switches that control power to the CAM banks, and then controlling the power to search the CAM banks one at a time.

Abstract: The power required to search a content addressable memory (CAM) is substantially reduced by forming the CAM to have a number of CAM banks with a corresponding number of power switches that control power to the CAM banks, and then controlling the power to search the CAM banks one at a time.

Abstract: Access to a bus is granted to one of a number of requesting communication circuits that each submitted a bus control request during a request period of an arbitration period in response to the entries in a priority table. If a requesting communication circuit has an identity and priority that match the identity and priority of a communication circuit stored in a row of the priority table that corresponds with the arbitration period, access to the bus is granted to the requesting communication circuit.

Abstract: A scrambling operation is used to space apart the grants that a communication circuit receives during a period of time, such as 512 arbitration periods. An operator can enter the number of arbitration periods that a communication circuit is to receive in blocks of sequential logical address ranges. The logical addresses are then changed to physical addresses that are spaced apart, thereby significantly reducing the buffering required by the communication circuit.

Abstract: Access to a bus is granted to one of a number of requesting communication circuits that each submitted a bus control request during a request period of an arbitration period in response to the entries in a priority table. If a requesting communication circuit has an identity and priority that match the identity and priority of a communication circuit stored in a row of the priority table that corresponds with the arbitration period, access to the bus is granted to the requesting communication circuit.

Abstract: Access to a bus is granted to one of a number of requesting communication circuits that each submitted a bus control request during a request period of an arbitration period in response to grant information which can be stored in a primary and a backup priority table. If a requesting communication circuit has an identity and priority that match the identity and priority of a communication circuit stored in a row of the primary or backup priority table that corresponds with the arbitration period, and the identities stored in the tables match only one requesting communication circuit, access to the bus is granted to the requesting communication circuit.