A method for transmitting a frame of data from a host system through a network interface device to a network, comprising: executing a frame transfer task initiated in the host system to transfer a frame to a buffer memory in the network interface device; and executing a frame transmission task in the network interface device to initiate transmission of the frame from the buffer memory to the network in parallel with the frame transfer task before the frame is completely transferred to the buffer memory. view more

The method as in claim 1, including making a threshold determination based on a comparison of a count of data transferred into the buffer memory with a threshold value.

A method of transmitting frames of data from a host computer to a communications medium in a computer network, comprising: transferring data of a frame from the host computer to a buffer memory; monitoring the transfer of the data of the frame to the buffer memory to make a threshold determination of whether a threshold amount of data of the frame has been transferred to the buffer memory; and initiating transmission of the frame of data from the buffer memory to the communications medium in response to the threshold determination prior to transfer of all the data of the frame from the host computer to the buffer memory. view more

The method as in claim 9, wherein the threshold amount is dynamically programmable by the host computer.

A method of controlling communication of data from a host system to a network transceiver coupled to a carrier sense, multiple access with collision detection (CSMA/CD) computer network, comprising: transferring data of a frame from the host system to a buffer memory; monitoring the transfer of the data of the frame to the buffer memory to make a threshold determination on an amount of data of the frame transferred to the buffer memory; and initiating CSMA/CD transmission of the frame of data in the buffer memory to the network transceiver in response to the threshold determination prior to transfer of all the data of the frame from the host system to the buffer memory. view more

The method as in claim 28, wherein the threshold determination is based on a comparison of the amount of data transferred into the buffer memory with a threshold value, the threshold value being dynamically programmable by the host system.

An apparatus for managing an indication signal supplied by a source of indication signals to present an interrupt signal to a host, comprising: a first mask logic for receiving the indication signal and which selectively masks at least a portion of the indication signal to output an indication value; a first memory location, coupled to the first mask logic, for storing the indication value; a second mask logic, coupled to the first memory location, for receiving the indication value from said first memory location and which selectively masks at least a portion of the indication value to output an interrupt value; a second memory location, coupled to the second mask logic, for storing the interrupt value; and interrupt means, coupled to the second memory location and responsive to the interrupt value from said second memory location, for generating the interrupt signal to the host. view more

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a first mask, coupled to the first mask logic, wherein the first mask logic is responsive to the first mask, and includes a first mask memory location, coupled to the host, the first mask memory location responsive to a write by the host for storing the first mask. view more

A method of managing indication signals by a host processor, the indication signals generated from a network adapter in response to data transfer events occurring at the network adapter, comprising: providing the indication signals along a portion of a data path between the network adapter and the host processor; selectively masking at least a subset of the indication signals at a first mask, the first mask having a first mask pattern, to output a set of first masked signals; at a first time, said host processor reading said set of first masked signals; selectively masking at least a subset of the first masked signals at a second mask, the second mask having a second mask pattern, to output a set of second masked signals; and at a second time, presenting a host interrupt signal to the host processor in response to the second masked signals. view more

The method of claim 25, wherein the step of storing comprises: storing the set of first masked signals at a first memory location; and storing the set of second masked signals at a second memory location.

For a system transmitting frames of data across a communications medium; an apparatus comprising: buffer memory for storing data of frames composed by the host computer for transmission on the communications medium; means, having a host system interface, for transferring data of frames to the buffer memory; means, coupled with the buffer memory, for monitoring the transferring of data of a frame to the buffer memory to make a threshold determination of an amount of data of the frame transferred to the buffer memory; means, responsive to the threshold determination of the means for monitoring, for initiating transmission of the frame prior to transfer of all the data of the frame to the buffer memory from the host computer; transmit logic, responsive to the means for initiating transmission, for retrieving data from the buffer memory and supplying retrieved data for transmission on the communications medium; and underrun control logic, which detects a condition in which the means for transferring falls behind the transmit logic, and supplies a bad frame signal to the communications medium in response to the underrun condition. view more

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for monitoring includes a threshold store alterable by the system for storing a threshold value, and logic responsive to the threshold value for making the threshold determination.

A network interface adapter for a carrier sense, multiple access network with collision detection (CSMA/CD), comprising: buffer memory which stores data of frames composed by a host computer for transmission on the network; data transfer circuitry, having a host system interface, for transferring data of frames to the buffer memory; logic, coupled to the buffer memory, which monitors the transferring of data of a frame to the buffer memory to make a threshold determination of an amount of data of the frame transferred to the buffer memory; a medium access controller for the CSMA/CD network coupled to the buffer memory for managing transmission of frames of data from the buffer memory to the network; and logic, responsive to the threshold determination of the logic which monitors the transferring of data to the buffer memory, which initiates transmission of the frame from the buffer memory to the medium access controller prior to transfer of all of the data of the frame to the buffer memory, including logic which initiates transmission of the frame when no complete frame of data is present in the buffer memory. view more

The adapter of claim 21, wherein the threshold logic includes an alterable threshold store which stores the threshold value, and logic responsive to the threshold value for making the threshold determination.