Plural memory access address generation employing guide table entries forming linked list

摘要

A data processing device includes a memory, a control circuit, a guide table and an address generating circuit. The control circuit receives a packet transfer request and packet transfer parameters. The packet transfer parameters include a start address, dimension values defining a block of addresses, guide table having guide table entries and a table pointer. Each guide table entry has an address value. The table pointer initially points to a first guide table entry in the guide table. The address generating circuit forms a set of a block of addresses for memory access corresponding to each guide table entry, having a start address from a predetermined combination of the start address and the address value of the guide table entry. The block of addresses are formed from the dimension values. Following the memory accesses, the address generating circuit updates the table pointer to point to a next entry in the guide table. The address generating circuit may add the address value to the prior block starting address or add the guide table value to the starting address. The memory access may be a memory read from the block of addresses or a memory write to the block of addresses.