An Efficient Implementation Method of Arbiter for the ML-AHB Busmatrix

摘要

The multi-layer AHB busmatrix (ML-AHB busmatrix) proposed by ARM is a highly efficient on chip bus that allows parallel access paths between multiple masters and slaves in a system. In this paper, we present one way to improve the arbiter implementation of the ML-AHB busmatrix. We employ the masking mechanism which does not impose any restrictions on arbitration scheme. Therefore, the proposed scheme is applied to the implementation of bus-matrixes to support the transaction based arbitrations as well as the transfer based arbitrations. In addition, we could not only enhance the throughput of bus system but also reduce the total area, clock period and power consumption. Experimental results show that the throughput of our busmatrix based on the transfer based fixed priority (round robin) arbitration scheme is increased by 41% (18%) compared with that of the equivalent busmatrix of ARM. Moreover, we could reduce the total area, clock period and power consumption by 22%, 28% and 19% (12%, 15% and 13%) respectively, compared with the busmatrix employing the transfer based fixed priority (round robin) arbitration scheme of ARM.