US Patent 7478186 Interrupt coalescer for DMA channel

A DMA interrupt coalescer processes interrupts received from a DMA channel of a DMA controller by transmitting an interrupt request to an interrupt controller if a coalescing condition is satisfied after receiving one or more delayable interrupts, or transmitting the interrupt request regardless of the satisfaction of the coalescing condition if a non-delayable interrupt is received. The coalescing condition is satisfied if a non-zero period of time has transpired since a first of the one or more delayable interrupts was received, or if a number of the one or more delayable interrupts received exceeds a programmed value.