pipeHandler provides the implementationof pipes for "Software".

That is, a usercan write applications

that use pipes(functions write_uint32(char* , uint32_t),read_uint32(char*) etc.), link them withthe
pipeHandler .so, and run an application.The final link must include a link to thepthreads library,
because pipeHandler usesa mutex.

When an application is to be built withthis pipeHandler, it must use the followingfunctions, defined in
include/pipeHandler.h

void init_pipe_handler(); must be called to initialize the pipeHandler.

void close_pipe_handler(); must be called to close the pipeHandler.

uint32_t register_pipe(char* pipe_name, int pipe_depth, int pipe_width, int lifo_mode);

register a pipe with the pipeHandler. If lifo_mode=0, then the pipe is a FIFO, else it is a LIFO.

uint32_t read_from_pipe(char* pipe_name, int width, int number_of_words_requested, void*

burst_payload);

read number_of_words_requested from pipe pipe_name. The word-width is width, and the read
words are put into burst_payload. The function returns the number of words read back.

uint32_t write_to_pipe(char* pipe_name, int width, int number_of_words_requested, void*

burst_payload);

write number_of_words_requested from pipe pipe_name. The word-width is width, and the written
words are taken from burst_payload. The function returns the number of words successfully written
(note that the pipe has a depth-limit).

In pipeHandlerTest, there are a couple of illustrativeexamples.