Systems including packet interfaces, and packet-DMA (Direct Memory Access) circuits for splitting and merging packet streams

摘要

An integrated circuit includes receive circuits for receiving packets, transmit circuits for transmitting packets, a packet DMA circuit for communicating packets to and from a memory controller, and a switch for selectively coupling the receive circuits to transmit circuits. The integrated circuit may flexibly merge and split the packet streams to provide for various packet processing/packet routing functions to be applied to different packets within the packet streams. An apparatus may include two or more of the integrated circuits, which may communicate packets between respective receive and transmit circuits.