Data processing system having a serial data controller
First Claim
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1. An apparatus comprising:
- at least three serial devices;
a serial data controller comprising;
at least three serial ports, each serial device being coupled to one of the serial ports; and
a plurality of data paths including at least a first data path and a second data path, each data path having a first end portion coupled to one of the serial ports and a second end portion coupled to another one of the serial ports, a first one of the serial ports being coupled to a second one of the serial ports via the first data path and to a third one of the serial ports via the second data path; and
control circuitry for dynamically selecting one or more of the data paths for transmission of serial data from a transmitting serial device to a selected subset of the serial devices and not to a deselected subset of the serial devices, wherein the data remains in a serial format throughout the transmission from the transmitting serial device to the selected serial devices.
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Abstract
A data processing system (30) includes two processors (70, 80) and a serial data controller (36) for selectively multiplexing serial data signals between one or more of a plurality of serial data devices (40, 42, 44, 46, 74, 76, 82) The serial data controller (36) includes one or more host ports (50, 52, 54) and one or more peripheral ports (56, 58, 60, 62) coupled together through a switching matrix (64). A control circuit (66) and a plurality of control registers (68) are used to configure and control a serial data path created between two or more ports including clock and frame synchronization timing of the data path.
35 Citations
31 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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at least three serial devices;
a serial data controller comprising;
at least three serial ports, each serial device being coupled to one of the serial ports; and
a plurality of data paths including at least a first data path and a second data path, each data path having a first end portion coupled to one of the serial ports and a second end portion coupled to another one of the serial ports, a first one of the serial ports being coupled to a second one of the serial ports via the first data path and to a third one of the serial ports via the second data path; and
control circuitry for dynamically selecting one or more of the data paths for transmission of serial data from a transmitting serial device to a selected subset of the serial devices and not to a deselected subset of the serial devices, wherein the data remains in a serial format throughout the transmission from the transmitting serial device to the selected serial devices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. In a system including at least three serial devices and a serial data controller, each serial device being coupled to each other serial device via a corresponding data path of the serial data controller, a method for communicating serial data, the method comprising:
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dynamically selecting one or more of the data paths for transmission of serial data from a transmitting serial device to a selected subset of the serial devices; and
dynamically deselecting one or more of the data paths to prevent transmission of serial data from the transmitting serial device to a deselected subset of serial devices;
whereintransmitting the serial data from the transmitting device to the selected serial devices such that the serial data remains in a serial format throughout the transmission from the transmitting serial device to the selected serial devices. - View Dependent Claims (15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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16. An apparatus comprising:
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at least three serial devices, each of the serial devices configured to transmit serial data at a corresponding clock rate, wherein at least two of the serial devices are configured to transmit at different clock rates;
a serial data controller comprising;
at least three serial ports, each serial device being coupled to one of the serial ports; and
a plurality of data paths, each data path having a first end portion coupled to one of the serial ports and a second end portion coupled to another one of the serial ports, wherein serial data may be dynamically selectively transmitted from any of the serial devices to any other of the serial devices via a corresponding one of the data paths to the exclusion of deselected serial devices, wherein the data remains in a serial format throughout the transmission from the transmitting serial device to the receiving serial device.
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24. A special purpose audio information steering circuit comprising:
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a plurality of serial I/O ports, wherein each of the I/O ports is configured to couple to a corresponding serial device, and wherein each of the I/O ports is coupled to each of the other I/O ports via a point-to-point data path through which audio information may be transmitted from a first serial device to a second serial device; and
control circuitry for dynamically selecting one or more of the data paths for transmission of audio data from an I/O port receiving audio data to a selected subset of the I/O ports and not to a deselected subset of the I/O ports, wherein the audio data remains in a serial format throughout the transmission from the receiving I/O port to the selected I/O ports.
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25. A special purpose audio information steering circuit comprising:
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a plurality of serial ports, the plurality of serial ports including N host ports configured to receive data from multiple serial sources in a TDM network mode; and
M peripheral ports configured to receive data from a single selectable serial source;
a software configurable serial interface block coupled to each of the host ports and the peripheral ports, the interface block including M×
N data paths, each data path being coupled between a host and a peripheral; and
control registers for storing control information to dynamically select one or more of the data paths for transmission of audio data from a first selected subset of the serial ports to a second selected subset of the serial ports and not to a deselected subset of the serial ports, wherein the audio data remains in a serial format throughout the transmission from the first subset of serial ports to the second subset of serial ports. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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27. A method of processing serial data in a time-division-multiplexed network mode in a system comprising a plurality of serial data sources and a serial data controller coupled to each of the serial data sources, the method comprising at least one of the following steps:
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dynamically selecting at least one of the serial data sources for participation in a time division multiplexed network; and
dynamically deselecting at least one of the serial data sources from participation in the time-division-multiplexed network. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification