In a data processing system having a processor, a DMA controller, a peripheral, and a memory, a method includes initiating a DMA transfer between the peripheral and the memory, wherein the DMA transfer comprises N subsets of data to be transferred between the peripheral and the memory, N having a value of two or more; asserting, by the peripheral, an event status indicator each time an event is completed by the peripheral; in response to each assertion of the event status indicator, the peripheral, based on a data request enable signal from the DMA controller, performing one of asserting a data request signal provided to the DMA controller or providing an interrupt request to the processor; and in response to each assertion of the data request signal, the DMA controller initiating transfer of a next subset of data of the N subsets of data between the memory and the peripheral.