Abstract: A system includes a host debugger to carry out a debugging flow on a computing device and a debug controller to couple the host debugger to the computing device. The debug controller receives a bit stream from the host debugger, converts the incoming bit stream into a command according to a protocol, determines whether the command is a first-stage read command or a second-stage read command, and issues the first-stage read command to a data path of the computing device. If the command is a second-stage read command, the debug controller causes a reservation register of the debug controller to provide a data value or status indication to the host debugger through the interface. The reservation register contains read data returned by the first-stage read command and, in response to the second-stage read command, provides a status indication when the first-stage read command has not yet returned read data.

Abstract: A clock generator for generating a target clock with a frequency equal to the frequency of an input clock divided by a non-integer ratio is disclosed. The clock generator comprises a clock divider. The clock divider is configured to divide the input clock by a first dividing ratio during a first portion of a frame period to generate a first clock slower than the target clock, and divide the input clock by a second dividing ratio during a second portion of the frame period to generate a second clock faster than the target clock. A difference between the first dividing ratio and the second dividing ratio is 0.5 or 1. In some embodiments, the first dividing ratio and the second dividing ration are integers closest to the non-integer ratio.

Abstract: An interrupt request generating process can include determining a first interrupt triggering event has occurred after a predetermined period of time in which no interrupt triggering event occurred. In response to determining that the first interrupt triggering event has occurred, the interrupt request generating process may generate a first interrupt request without adding an intentional delay, and initiating a timer configured to expire after a predetermined time interval. When a second interrupt triggering event is determined to have occurred before the timer expires, a second interrupt request is delayed from being generated until the timer expires.

Abstract: An apparatus such as a system-on-a-chip includes memory that is distributed through multiple functional hardware circuits. Each functional hardware circuit includes memory, and each functional hardware circuit can be configured to have its memory used either by the respective functional hardware circuit or by the apparatus' master device (e.g., main processor). For those functional hardware circuits that are not needed for a given application, their memories can be repurposed for use by the master device. Related methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for generating interrupt requests, the method comprising: receiving, by a first circuit, an indication of an occurrence of an interrupt triggering event; determining whether a time difference between the occurrence of the interrupt triggering event and an occurrence of a last interrupt triggering event that preceded the occurrence of the interrupt triggering event exceeded a threshold; generating, by the first circuit, an interrupt request in response to the occurrence of the interrupt triggering event if the time difference exceeded the threshold; and delaying, for a predetermined delay period after a generation of a last interrupt request, a generating of the interrupt request that is responsive to the occurrence of the interrupt triggering event if the time difference is shorter than the threshold.

Abstract: A clock generator for generating a clock equivalent to a target clock which is an input clock divided by a non-integer ratio is disclosed. The clock generator comprises a clock divider configured to receive the input clock and divide the input clock with a reconfigurable dividing ratio; and a control circuit controlling operations of the clock divider to divide the input clock by a first dividing ratio to generate a first number of cycles of a first clock in a frame, and divide the input clock by a second dividing ratio to generate a second number of cycles of a second clock in the frame, wherein a difference between a period of the frame and a cumulative time of the first number of cycles of the first clock and the second number of cycles of the second clock is less than a threshold value.

Abstract: A method for calculating a plurality (M) of redundancy blocks for multiple (N) data blocks of a plurality (D) of words each, the method comprises: receiving the number (M) of redundancy blocks by a calculator that comprises multiple (R) calculation units; configuring the calculator according to M and R; concurrently calculating, if M equals R, by the multiple (R) calculation units of the calculator, R sets of parity vectors, each set includes a plurality (D) of parity vectors; and calculating the plurality (M) of the redundancy blocks based on the R sets of parity vectors.

Abstract: A method for calculating a plurality (M) of redundancy blocks for multiple (N) data blocks of a plurality (D) of words each, the method comprises: receiving the number (M) of redundancy blocks by a calculator that comprises multiple (R) calculation units; configuring the calculator according to M and R; concurrently calculating, if M equals R, by the multiple (R) calculation units of the calculator, R sets of parity vectors, each set includes a plurality (D) of parity vectors; and calculating the plurality (M) of the redundancy blocks based on the R sets of parity vectors.

Abstract: A method for calculating a plurality (M) of redundancy blocks for multiple (N) data blocks of a plurality (D) of words each, the method comprises: receiving the number (M) of redundancy blocks by a calculator that comprises multiple (R) calculation units; configuring the calculator according to M and R; concurrently calculating, if M equals R, by the multiple (R) calculation units of the calculator, R sets of parity vectors, each set includes a plurality (D) of parity vectors; and calculating the plurality (M) of the redundancy blocks based on the R sets of parity vectors.

Abstract: A method for controlling data transfer in a serial-ATA system includes using serial-ATA Native Command Queuing (NCQ) to issue a queue of NCQ commands to at least two serial-ATA devices. The commands include a first plurality of commands for a first one of the devices and a second plurality of commands for a second one of the devices. Each of the commands includes a respective port address of one of the at least two devices and a first command identifier identifying a command for the one of the at least two devices. The method further includes receiving a first acknowledgement, which has a port address of a first target device and a second command identifier identifying a first outstanding command for the first target device. Each of the queues of commands is sent to the at least two serial-ATA devices prior to receiving the first acknowledgement.

Abstract: A method for generating interrupt requests, the method comprising: receiving, by a first circuit, an indication of an occurrence of an interrupt triggering event; determining whether a time difference between the occurrence of the interrupt triggering event and an occurrence of a last interrupt triggering event that preceded the occurrence of the interrupt triggering event exceeded a threshold; generating, by the first circuit, an interrupt request in response to the occurrence of the interrupt triggering event if the time difference exceeded the threshold; and delaying, for a predetermined delay period after a generation of a last interrupt request, a generating of the interrupt request that is responsive to the occurrence of the interrupt triggering event if the time difference is shorter than the threshold.

Abstract: A novel and useful virtual private network (VPN) mechanism and related security association processor for maintaining the necessary security related parameters to perform security functions such as encryption, decryption and authentication. A security association database (SAD) and related circuitry is adapted to provide the necessary parameters to implement the IPSec group of security specifications for encryption/decryption and authentication. Each security association (SA) entry in the database comprises all the parameters that are necessary to receive and transmit VPN packets according to the IPSec specification.

Abstract: A novel and useful virtual private network (VPN) mechanism and related security association processor for maintaining the necessary security related parameters to perform security functions such as encryption, decryption and authentication. A security association database (SAD) and related circuitry is adapted to provide the necessary parameters to implement the IPSec group of security specifications for encryption/decryption and authentication. Each security association (SA) entry in the database comprises all the parameters that are necessary to receive and transmit VPN packets according to the IPSec specification.

Abstract: An apparatus for and method of simultaneously searching an input character stream for the presence of multiple strings. The strings to be searched for are determined a priori, processed and stored in substring tables during a configuration phase. The strings to be searched for are divided into a plurality of two and three character substrings and stored in substring tables. A hash of each substring is calculated and stored in a hash table whose output is an index to a substring table. During searching, the content filter generates the hash of the input character stream and attempts to find a matching substring stored in the hash table. A string is declared found if all the substrings making up the string have been received in correct consecutive order.

Abstract: A memory system (3) for storing data messages communicated between a processor unit (13) and a communication module (11) comprises a memory array (4) having a plurality of memory buffers (B0-BM) for storing the data messages. First logic circuitry (28) generates a lock signal for a memory buffer which lock signal is valid when the processor trait (13) reads the first data word of the data message stored in the memory buffer whilst the memory buffer is not being accessed by the communication module (11). Module decode logic (22) coupled to receive the lock signal prevents the communication module (11) from writing a data message to a memory buffer when a valid lock signal has been generated for that memory buffer. The memory system (3) further comprises second logic circuitry (30) for providing a busy signal to the processor unit (13) when the processor unit reads the first data word from a memory buffer.