Mehrfacharbitrierungsschema

A multiple round-robin arbitration scheme for a shared bus system (10) that ensures forward progress by each component utilizing the shared bus (12). In the shared bus system, component modules (16, 18, 20, 22) arbitrate for control of the bus (12) for one or more cycles, and send transactions on the bus (12) during cycles in which they control the bus. The transactions are divided into a set of transaction classes. Certain classes of transactions cannot be issued during certain bus cycles. In certain other cycles, transactions of any class may be issued. The multiple round-robin arbitration scheme ensures forward progress by ensuring that each module seeking to issue a transaction of a given class obtains control of the bus (12) during a cycle when transactions of that class can be issued.