A method of implementing a multi-threaded device driver for a computer system is disclosed. A polling device driver is partitioned into a plurality of driver threads for controlling a device of a computer system. The device has a first device state of an unscouted state and a scouted state, and a second device state of an inactive state and an active state. A driver thread of the plurality of driver threads determines that the first device state of the device state is in the unscouted state, and changes the first state of the device to the scouted state. The driver thread further determines that the second device state of the device is in the inactive state and changes the second device state of the device to the active state. The driver thread executes an operation on the device during a pre-determined time slot configured for the driver thread.

Arbitrating among portions of multiple transactions and transmitting a winning portion over one of a multiplicity of virtual channels associated with an interconnect on a clock cycle-by-clock cycle basis. By repeatedly performing the above each clock cycle, winning portions are interleaved and transmitted over the multiplicity of virtual channels over multiple clock cycles respectively.

Arbitrating among portions of multiple transactions and transmitting a winning portion over one of a multiplicity of virtual channels associated with an interconnect on a clock cycle-by-clock cycle basis. By repeatedly performing the above each clock cycle, winning portions are interleaved and transmitted over the multiplicity of virtual channels over multiple clock cycles respectively.

Arbitrating among portions of multiple transactions and transmitting a winning portion over one of a multiplicity of virtual channels associated with an interconnect on a clock cycle-by-clock cycle basis. By repeatedly performing the above each clock cycle, winning portions are interleaved and transmitted over the multiplicity of virtual channels over multiple clock cycles respectively.

Arbitrating among portions of multiple transactions and transmitting a winning portion over one of a multiplicity of virtual channels associated with an interconnect on a clock cycle-by-clock cycle basis. By repeatedly performing the above each clock cycle, winning portions are interleaved and transmitted over the multiplicity of virtual channels over multiple clock cycles respectively.

A plurality of resource requesters may be configured to consume a resource to perform a task. Each of the plurality of resource requesters can be allocated a resource budget to consume the resource to perform the task. An arbiter can select one of the plurality of resource requesters to consume the resource based on an arbitration scheme. When a resource requester is selected, the amount of resource consumed by the resource requester can be deducted from its resource budget. When the resource requester is idle for a number of cycles when selected, the corresponding resource budget can be further reduced to account for the actual amount of resource consumed and wasted by the resource requester, which can provide fairness in resource consumption over few rounds of arbitration.

A plurality of resource requesters may be configured to consume a resource to perform a task. Each of the plurality of resource requesters can be allocated a resource budget to consume the resource to perform the task. An arbiter can select one of the plurality of resource requesters to consume the resource based on an arbitration scheme. When a resource requester is selected, the amount of resource consumed by the resource requester can be deducted from its resource budget. When the resource requester is idle for a number of cycles when selected, the corresponding resource budget can be further reduced to account for the actual amount of resource consumed and wasted by the resource requester, which can provide fairness in resource consumption over few rounds of arbitration.

Arbitration circuitry is provided for allocating up to M resources to N requesters, where M2. The arbitration circuitry comprises group allocation circuitry to control a group allocation in which the N requesters are allocated to M groups of requesters, with each requester allocated to one of the groups; and M arbiters each corresponding to a respective one of the M groups. Each arbiter selects a winning requester from the corresponding group, which is to be allocated a corresponding resource of the M resources. In response to a given requester being selected as the winning requester by the arbiter for a given group, the group allocation is changed so that in a subsequent arbitration cycle the given requester is in a different group to the given group.

Arbitration circuitry is provided for allocating up to M resources to N requesters, where M2. The arbitration circuitry comprises group allocation circuitry to control a group allocation in which the N requesters are allocated to M groups of requesters, with each requester allocated to one of the groups; and M arbiters each corresponding to a respective one of the M groups. Each arbiter selects a winning requester from the corresponding group, which is to be allocated a corresponding resource of the M resources. In response to a given requester being selected as the winning requester by the arbiter for a given group, the group allocation is changed so that in a subsequent arbitration cycle the given requester is in a different group to the given group.

An accessory device for an electronic protection relay comprising: a first communication port for communication with one or more electronic devices of the electronic protection relay or operatively connected with the electronic protection relay; a second communication port for communication with one or more computerized units through the Internet; a first processing means to manage the operation of the accessory device, the first processing means being operatively coupled with the first and second communication ports. The accessory device is configured to execute a data-gathering procedure (DGP), in which the accessory device polls one or more electronic devices, which are in communication with the accessory device through the first communication port, and receives grid data (D), which are related to the operation of an electric power distribution grid including the electronic protection relay, from the electronic devices in response to the polling. The accessory device is configured to execute a data-publishing procedure (DPP), in which the accessory device transmits the grid data (D) to a publishing computerized unit, which is in communication with the accessory device through the second communication port.