Z84C4310AEG

The Z84C4310AEG is an intelligent direct memory access (DMA) controller chip specialized for peripheral slaving. It is primarily used in applications such as image processing, graphics and 3D graphics rendering, video playback, and disk-based mass storage

Overview

The Z84C4310AEG is composed of two primary components: a Central Processing Unit (CPU) and a Peripheral Bus Control Unit. The CPU is the brains of the Z84C4310AEG and is responsible for controlling the flow of data and instructions to and from the peripheral buses. It also acts as an arbiter between the peripheral buses to route data traffic efficiently. The Peripheral Bus Control Unit consists of four independent DMA channels and enables smart routing of data between peripheral buses and main memory.

Features

• 4 independent DMA channels for peripheral slaving and intelligent routing
• Automated DMA channel arbitration
• High-speed reliable transfers
• High-speed memory-to-memory transfers
• Integrated memory controller with up to 256k of RAM
• Automatic and manual prioritization of DMA channels
• Programmable transfer blocks
• Support for up to 40-bit data transfers

Applications

The Z84C4310AEG is well suited for a wide range of applications in image processing, graphics and 3D graphics rendering, video playback, and disk-based mass storage solutions. It is particularly adept at handling tasks that require frequent data transfers between multiple peripheral components, such as in disk-based mass storage solutions.

Working Principle

The Z84C4310AEG has four independent DMA channels that are arranged into three levels – Priority, Normal, and Default. Priority channels receive higher priority access to the main memory and thus, are best suited for latency-sensitive tasks. Normal channels are used for general purpose data transfers, whereas Default channels are intended for low-bandwidth or low priority tasks.

When data is accessed, the Z84C4310AEG applies a series of rules to decide what channel will be used to initiate the request. A request is granted when all conditions are met, such as equal or higher channel priority and adequate resource availability.

Once a channel is granted, the data is transferred in a block-based fashion. This is done to maximize the utilization of bus cycles, as well as the efficiency of data transfers. After the transfer is complete, the Z84C4310AEG moves onto the next channel in the priority queue.

Conclusion

The Z84C4310AEG is an intelligent and high-performance direct memory access controller that is optimized for peripheral slaving. It features four independent DMA channels for intelligent data routing, arbitration for efficient transfers, and features such as support for up to 40-bit data transfers that enable it to handle the most demanding applications. It is ideally suited for applications in image processing, graphics and 3D graphics rendering, video playback, and disk-based mass storage solutions.