Abstract: A reception indicator is within a network peripheral that receives information packets for a host system from a communications network. The reception indicator of the present invention allows the network peripheral to operate in one of a plurality of modes. The reception indicator of the present invention asserts an interrupt signal at a respective optimum interrupt time for each of the modes. If the network peripheral is operating in a programmed I/O mode (i.e. a slave mode), a slave optimum interrupt time is determined. In this mode, a host processor unit within the host system reads portions of information packets from a readable data port in a host system interface. In this mode, an interrupt is asserted at the slave optimum interrupt time before a last byte of an information packet is expected to be received from the communications network. If the network peripheral is operating in a DMA (Direct Memory Access) mode, a DMA (Direct Memory Access) optimum interrupt time is determined.

Abstract: An apparatus and method minimizes processing resource of a host system during service of interrupts generated closely in time by at least one peripheral device. The present invention determines, before the end of a prior interrupt service routine for a prior interrupt, a predicted interrupt time point when a subsequent interrupt will be generated by the at least one peripheral device. The host system operates in a polling mode if the predicted interrupt time point is before a predetermined time period after the end of the prior interrupt service routine. Thus, the host system avoids the processing resources needed for context switching time when the subsequent interrupt is generated closely in time from the prior interrupt. The host system operates in an interrupt mode if the predicted interrupt time point is after the predetermined time period after the end of the prior interrupt service routine.