摘要 |
A protocol for superimposing status information onto an arbitration scheme between a first bus agent and a second bus agent. One embodiment of the arbitration scheme uses a grant signal and a request signal to arbitrate for use of a bus. The second bus agent may request to use the bus by asserting a request signal, which is received by a bus arbitration circuit. The bus arbitration circuit may or may not reside within the first bus agent. The bus arbitration logic acknowledges the request by asserting a grant signal, which is received by the second bus agent. A specific relationship between an address phase and the arbitration signals allows the first bus agent to pass status information to the second bus agent via the grant signal. The specific relationship between an address phase and the arbitration signals is a condition that typically does not occur where the arbitration signals are used to arbitrate for use of the bus.
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