Protocol Translation In A Serial Buffer

• US 20090228621A1
• Filed: 03/06/2008
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Integrated Device Technology Incorporated (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Integrated Device Technology Incorporated (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Wang, Chi-Lie, Mo, Jason Z.
• Granted Patent: US 8,312,190 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/71
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/387 for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters for incompatible systems, open system

Abstract

A serial buffer includes a first port configured to operate in accordance with a first serial protocol and a second port configured to operate in accordance with a second serial protocol. A first translation circuit of the serial buffer allows packets received on the first port to be translated to the second serial protocol, and then transferred to the second port. A second translation circuit of the serial buffer allows packets received on the second port to be translated to the first serial protocol, and then transferred to the first port. Translations may be performed in response to information included in the headers of the received packets, including source ID values, destination ID values and/or case number values.

Claims

1. A serial buffer comprising:

a first port configured to operate in accordance with a first serial protocol;

a second port configured to operate in accordance with a second serial protocol, different than the first serial protocol; and

a first translation circuit configured to translate packets received by the first port from a first format consistent with the first serial protocol to a second format consistent with the second serial protocol.

2. The serial buffer of claim 1, further comprising a second translation circuit configured to translate packets received by the second port from a third format consistent with the second serial protocol to a fourth format consistent with the first serial protocol.

3. The serial buffer of claim 2, wherein the first format is identical to the fourth format, and the second format is identical to the third format.

4. The serial buffer of claim 1, wherein the first serial protocol comprises a serial rapid IO (sRIO) protocol, and the second serial protocol comprises a Lite-weight protocol.

5. The serial buffer of claim 1, further comprising one or more queues, wherein the first translation circuit is configured to translate packets received by the first port, thereby creating translated packets, and then write the translated packets to the one or more queues.

6. The serial buffer of claim 1, further comprising one or more queues, wherein the first translation circuit is configured to translate packets previously written to the one or more queues.

7. The serial buffer of claim 1, wherein the first translation circuit comprises:

a plurality of case selection registers, each configured to store a corresponding source identification value and a corresponding case number value; and

means for retrieving the case number value from a case selection register if a source identification value present in a packet received by the first port matches the source identification value stored in the case selection register.

8. The serial buffer of claim 7, wherein the first translation circuit is configured to construct a packet that includes the retrieved case number value.

9. The serial buffer of claim 1, wherein the first translation circuit comprises:

a plurality of case scenario registers, each configured to store a corresponding set of predetermined header information consistent with the second serial protocol;

selection logic configured to enable access to the case scenario registers in either a first mode or a second mode; and

means for retrieving the predetermined header information from a case scenario register specified by a case number value present in a packet received from the first port in the first mode; and

means for retrieving the predetermined header information from a case scenario register specified by a destination identification value present in a packet received from the first port in the second mode.

10. The serial buffer of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of queues configured to store packets received from the first port, wherein the destination identification value identifies one of the plurality of queues.

11. The serial buffer of claim 9, wherein the first translation circuit is configured to construct a packet that includes the retrieved predetermined header information.

12. The serial buffer of claim 9, wherein the first translation circuit further comprises means for segmenting packets received from the first port if the packets received from the first port are not aligned in a manner consistent with the second serial protocol.

13. A method of operating a serial buffer comprising:

receiving packets having a first format defined by a first serial protocol on a first port of the serial buffer;

translating the packets received on the first port to a second format consistent with a second serial protocol; and

then

transmitting the packets translated to the second format to a second port of the serial buffer.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving packets having a third format defined by the second serial protocol on the second port of the serial buffer;

translating the packets received on the second port to a fourth format consistent with the first serial protocol; and

then

transmitting the packets translated to the fourth format to the first port of the serial buffer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first format is identical to the fourth format, and the second format is identical to the third format.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the first serial protocol comprises a serial rapid IO (sRIO) protocol, and the second serial protocol comprises a Lite-weight protocol.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising translating the packets in response to information included within the packets.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the information included within the packets comprises a source identification value that identifies a source of each packet.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the information included within the packets comprises a destination identification value that identifies a destination of each packet.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the information included within the packets comprises a case number value that is independently assigned to each packet.