Media access control transmitter and parallel network management system
First Claim
1. A transmit media access controller, comprising:
- a transmit interface unit configured to receive packet data, transfer control signals and control information from an upper layer, wherein the transmit interface unit is operable to substantially simultaneously receive the control information and the packet data;
a transmit controller for processing the packet data based on the control information received from the upper layer, the transmit controller being bi-directionally coupled to the transmit interface unit, wherein while the packet data is being processed, the transmit controller is operable to receive new control information from the transmit interface unit thereby altering at least part of the processing;
a transmit utilities block for monitoring and accounting processing events within the transmit controller;
a transmit cyclic redundancy check unit configured to receive packet data from the transmit interface unit, the transmit cyclic redundancy check unit being in communication with the transmit controller; and
an interface unit configured to receive packet data from the transmit cyclic redundancy check unit before being transmitted to a physical layer.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a transmit media access controller having a transmit interface unit configured to receive packet data, transfer control signals and control information from an upper layer. The transmit media access controller also includes a transmit controller for processing the packet data based on the control information received from the upper layer. The transmit control block is bi-directionally coupled to the transmit interface unit. While the packet data is being processed, new control information may be received by the in communication with the transmit controller. The transmit media access controller further includes an interface unit configured to receive packet data from the transmit cyclic redundancy check unit before being transmitted to a physical layer.
208 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A transmit media access controller, comprising:
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a transmit interface unit configured to receive packet data, transfer control signals and control information from an upper layer, wherein the transmit interface unit is operable to substantially simultaneously receive the control information and the packet data; a transmit controller for processing the packet data based on the control information received from the upper layer, the transmit controller being bi-directionally coupled to the transmit interface unit, wherein while the packet data is being processed, the transmit controller is operable to receive new control information from the transmit interface unit thereby altering at least part of the processing; a transmit utilities block for monitoring and accounting processing events within the transmit controller; a transmit cyclic redundancy check unit configured to receive packet data from the transmit interface unit, the transmit cyclic redundancy check unit being in communication with the transmit controller; and an interface unit configured to receive packet data from the transmit cyclic redundancy check unit before being transmitted to a physical layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. In a media access controller configured to communicate with an upper layer and a lower physical layer, the media access controller including a transmit controller for receiving and processing transmit data requests from the upper layer and outputting received data to the physical layer, a method comprising:
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receiving data from the upper layer and processing the received data through the transmit controller, the processing being performed in accordance with a setting of a plurality of control registers associated with the transmit controller; receiving a control signal for modifying at least one of the plurality of control registers while the data is being processed by the transmit controller from the upper layer; altering the processing of data being processed within the transmit controller based on the modification of the at least one of the plurality of control registers associated with the transmit controller; and outputting the processed data. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A transmit media access controller, comprising:
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a transmit interface unit configured to receive packet data, transfer control signals and control information from an upper layer; a transit control block containing state machines for processing the packet data based on the control information received from the upper layer, the transmit control block being bidirectionally coupled to the transmit interface unit; a transmit utilities block for monitoring and accounting processing events within the transmit control block; a transmit cyclic redundancy check unit configured to receive packet data from the transmit interface unit, and the transmit control block being in communication with the transmit cyclic redundancy check unit; and a transmit fiber channel and gigabit media independent interface unit configured to receive packet data from the transmit cyclic redundancy check unit before being transmitted to a physical medium. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A controller for controlling the transfer of data between a physical layer and an upper layer, the controller comprising:
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a transmitter for transmitting data packets received from the upper layer to the physical layer, the transmitter being configured to selectively insert gaps between sequential data packets; and a defer period register that is configured to be selectively written into to indicate the duration of an inter-packet gap to be inserted as a gap between sequential packets of data being transferred to the physical layer, the defer period register being configurable while data packets are being processed by the transmitter to thereby alter the duration of an inter-packet gap. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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31. A media access controller for controlling the transfer of data between a physical layer and an upper layer, the media access controller comprising:
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a transmitter for transmitting data received from the upper layer to the physical layer; a retry-limit register that is configured to be selectively written into to program a number of times the media access controller attempts a transmit before aborting a data transmit between the upper layer and the physical layer, the retry-limit register being configurable while data is being processed by the transmitter to thereby alter the number of times the media access controller attempts a transmit before aborting a data transmit. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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33. A media access controller for controlling the transfer of data between a physical layer and an upper layer, the media access controller comprising:
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a transmitter for transmitting data received from the upper layer to the physical layer; a programmable minimum and maximum packet size register that is configured to be selectively written into to adjust a size of packet data that is being transmitted through the transmitter, the programmable minimum and maximum packet size register being configurable while packet data is being processed by the transmitter to thereby alter the size of the packet data.
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Specification