Patent attributes
Multiprocessor systems often share access to a centralized memory and experience conflicting access requests. An arbitration unit mediates priorities of requestor preferably ensuring both priority and fairness. In this invention upon an access conflict the arbitrator grants access to one requestor having the highest priority level and stalls other conflicting requestors. If plural requestors have the same priority level, the arbiter grants access to one and stalls the others. The arbiter then adjusts the priority levels of the requestors. The priority of the requestor granted access is decreased by the number of stalled requestors. The stalled requestors have their priority levels increased by one. The arbitration decision is thus based on the stall history and the caused stall history of each requestor.
