Event scheduling for multi-port xDSL transceivers

• US 20050025120A1
• Filed: 06/18/2004
• Published: 02/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ikanos Communications Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ikanos Communications Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: O'Toole, Anthony J.P., Hashemi, Mark
• Application Number:
  US10/871,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20050025120A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/351
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0442 Exchange access circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13039 Asymmetrical two-way transmission, e.g. ADSL, HDSL
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13203 Exchange termination [ET]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13213 Counting, timing circuits

Abstract

A multi-port DSL system terminates a plurality of DSL channels that are multiplexed through a data path of a DSL transceiver. In one embodiment, data path events are generated based on the data transmission in each of the channels. When the data path becomes available to process a next data symbol, the data path processes a data symbol for the channel indicated by the data path events. Optionally, the data path may process a data symbol for a particular channel only if a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since a data symbol was processed for that data channel.

Claims

1. A multi-port DSL transceiver comprising:

a data path for processing data symbols for a plurality of data channels;

an event generator configured to generate data path events based on the status of the data transmission in each of the channels, each data path event identifying a channel for which a next data symbol is to be processed; and

a scheduler coupled to receive data path events from the event generator, the scheduler prioritizing the received data path events and, responsive to the data path becoming available to process a next data symbol, requesting that the data path process a data symbol for the channel indicated by the prioritized data path events.

2. The DSL transceiver of claim 1, further comprising:

a delay timer configured to track a time since a data symbol was processed for each data channel;

wherein the scheduler causes the data path to process a data symbol for a channel only if the delay timer indicates that a predetermined delay has elapsed since a data symbol was processed for that data channel.

3. The DSL transceiver of claim 1, wherein the event generator generates data path events at a predetermined time during the transmission of a symbol for each channel.

4. The DSL transceiver of claim 3, wherein the predetermined time is programmable.

5. The DSL transceiver of claim 1, wherein the scheduler prioritizes the received data path events by adding the events to an ordered list.

6. The DSL transceiver of claim 5, wherein the scheduler, responsive to the data path becoming available to process a next data symbol, requests processing of symbol for the channel associated with the next event in the ordered list.

7. The DSL transceiver of claim 2, wherein the delay timer comprises a plurality of countdown timers each associated with a channel, each countdown timer being initialized with the predetermined delay when a symbol for the associated channel is processed in the data path.

8. The DSL transceiver of claim 7, wherein whether the predetermined delay has elapsed for a particular data channel is determined according to the value of the countdown timer associated with the channel.

9. The DSL transceiver of claim 1, wherein the data path is a receive data path of the DSL transceiver.

10. The DSL transceiver of claim 1, wherein the data path is a transmit data path of the DSL transceiver.

11. A system for scheduling data symbols for a plurality of data channels to be processed through a data path of a DSL transceiver, the system comprising:

means for generating data path events for each data channel, a data path event indicating that a data symbol is to be processed by the data path of the DSL transceiver;

means for ordering the generated data path events; and

means, responsive to the data path of the DSL transceiver becoming available to process a data symbol, for requesting that the data path process a symbol for the channel corresponding to a next data path event in the ordered data path events.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for tracking a time since a data symbol was processed for each data channel, wherein the data path is requested to process a symbol for a channel only if a predetermined delay has elapsed since a data symbol was processed for that data channel.

13. A method for scheduling data symbols for a plurality of data channels to be processed through a data path of a DSL transceiver, the method comprising:

generating data path events for each data channel, a data path event indicating that a data symbol is to be processed by the data path of the DSL transceiver;

ordering the generated data path events; and

responsive to the data path of the DSL transceiver becoming available to process a data symbol, requesting that the data path process a symbol for the channel corresponding to a next data path event according to the ordering of the generated data path events.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

tracking a time since a data symbol was processed for each data channel; and

causing the data path to process a symbol for a channel only if a predetermined delay has elapsed since a data symbol was processed for that data channel.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein data path events are generated for each data channel at a predetermined time during the transmission of a symbol the channel.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein ordering the data path events comprises adding the data path events to a FIFO list.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein tracking a time since a data symbol was processed for each data channel comprises:

initializing a countdown timer associated with the channel with the predetermined delay when a symbol for the associated channel is processed in the data path, whether the predetermined delay has elapsed indicated by a value of the countdown timer.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the data path is a transmit data path of the DSL transceiver.