PACKET BUFFER MEMORY WITH INTEGRATED ALLOCATION/DE-ALLOCATION CIRCUIT

A buffer memory with a memory allocation and de-allocation circuit. The buffer memory has an address space divided into address blocks and a memory address space divided into memory blocks. The circuit, in response to an allocation request for an allocation of a certain size buffer, allocates sufficient address blocks and memory blocks for the buffer. The circuit, in response to a de-allocation request to de-allocate a certain size of memory, de-allocates whole unused address blocks and memory blocks.