Communications adapter for processing ATM and ISDN data

• US 6,178,180 B1
• Filed: 11/26/1997
• Issued: 01/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Graves, Kevin Lee, Sinibaldi, John Claude, Eng, Robert Chih-Tsin, Parikh, Himanshu Chandrakant
• Primary Examiner(s): NGO, RICKY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US08/979,531
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: 370/403, 370/466, 370/467, 370/395, 370/401, 370/524, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/465, 710/260, 709/249, 709/250
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5616 Terminal equipment, e.g. codecs, synch.
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5663 Support of N-ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0435 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13003 Constructional details of switching devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13036 Serial/parallel conversion, parallel bit transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13058 Interrupt request
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13107 Control equipment for a part of the connection, distributed control, co-processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13202 Network termination [NT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13213 Counting, timing circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1329 Asynchronous transfer mode, ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13299 Bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13396 Signaling in general, in-band signalling

Abstract

A communications adapter card provides an interface for a TI or E1 transmission line and a signal processing circuit which can be programmed to process receive and transmit data in either an ISDN or an ATM format. Preferably, two such interfaces and two such signal processing circuits are provided on the card, so that a single adapter card can be used for attachment to both an ISDN network and to an ATM network. Each signal processing circuit includes a pair of DSPs, each of which has a two port buffer extending to a parallel bus. All such DSPs are connected to a data bus. The DSPs in each signal processing circuit execute programs to operate in either an ATM mode or an ISDN mode.

Claims

1. A communications adapter, wherein said communications adapter comprises:

a first connector for electrically connecting a first transmission line;

a first network interface extending into said communications adapter from said first connector,

a data bus and;

first signal processing means electrically connecting said data bus with said first network interface,

said first signal processing means is operable in an ISDN mode, converting encoded data from said data bus for transmission in an ISDN format from said communications adapter through said first connector and converting data received by said communications adapter through said first connector in said ISDN format into an encoded format for transmission from said first signal processing means along said data bus,

said first signal processing means is additionally operable in an ATM mode, converting encoded data from said data bus for transmission in an ATM format from said communications adapter through said first connector and converting data received by said communications adapter through said first connector in said ATM format into an encoded format for transmission from said first signal processing means along said data bus,

said first signal processing means is programmably configurable for operation in said ISDN mode and in said ATM mode,

said first signal processing means includes;

first and second digital signal processors;

a first parallel bus;

a first serial to parallel interface connecting said first parallel data bus with said first network interface, wherein said first serial to parallel interface converts parallel data from said first parallel data bus into serial data driving said first network interface, and wherein said first serial to parallel interface converts serial data from said first network interface into parallel data driving said first parallel bus;

a first buffer extending between said first digital signal processor and said first parallel data bus, wherein data is written to said first buffer and read therefrom by said first digital signal processor and by said first parallel bus; and

a second buffer extending between said second digital signal processor and said first parallel data bus, wherein data is written to said second buffer and read therefrom by said second digital signal processor and by said first data bus,

said first and second digital signal processors are each executing a program controlling operation thereof in said ISDN mode,

said first digital signal processor converts data moving along a first plurality of ISDN channels through said first connector,

said second digital signal processor converts data moving along a second plurality of ISDN channels through said first connector,

data received by said communications adapter through said first connector is simultaneously written to said first and second buffers by said first parallel bus,

data to be transmitted from said communications adapter along said first plurality of ISDN channels is written to said first buffer by said first digital signal processor, and

data to be transmitted from said communications adapter along said second plurality of ISDN channels is written to said second buffer by said second digital signal processor.

2. A communications adapter, wherein said communications adapter comprises:

a first connector for electrically connecting a first transmission line;

a first network interface extending into said communications adapter from said first connector,

a data bus;

first signal processing means electrically connecting said data bus with said first network interface;

an external bus interface; and

a switch connecting operating in a first mode connecting said first signal processing means with said first network interface, in a second mode connecting said first signal processing means with said external bus interface, and in a third mode connecting said first network interface with said external bus interface,

a second connector for electrically connecting a second transmission line;

a second network interface extending into said communications adapter from said second connector; and

second signal processing means electrically connecting said data bus with said second network interface,

said first signal processing means is operable in an ISDN mode, converting encoded data from said data bus for transmission in an ISDN format from said communications adapter through said first connector and converting data received by said communications adapter through said first connector in said ISDN format into an encoded format for transmission from said first signal processing means along said data bus,

said first signal processing means is additionally operable in an ATM mode, converting encoded data from said data bus for transmission in an ATM format from said communications adapter through said first connector and converting data received by said communications adapter through said first connector in said ATM format into an encoded format for transmission from said first signal processing means along said data bus,

said second signal processing means is operable in an ISDN mode, converting encoded data from said data bus for transmission in an ISDN format from said communications adapter through said second connector and converting data received by said communications adapter through said second connector in said ISDN format into an encoded format for transmission from said second signal processing means along said data bus, and wherein said second signal processing means is additionally operable in an ATM mode, converting encoded data from said data bus for transmission in an ATM format from said communications adapter through said second connector and converting data received by said communications adapter through said second connector in said ATM format into an encoded format for transmission from said second signal processing means along said data bus,

said first signal processing means includes first and second digital signal processors, a first parallel bus, a first serial to parallel interface connecting said first parallel data bus with said first network interface, with said first serial to parallel interface converting parallel data from said first parallel data bus into serial data driving said first network interface, and with said first serial to parallel interface converting serial data from said first network interface into parallel data driving said first parallel bus, a first buffer extending between said first digital signal processor and said first parallel data bus, wherein data is written to said first buffer and read therefrom by said first digital signal processor and by said first parallel bus, and a second buffer extending between said second digital signal processor and said first parallel data bus, wherein data is written to said second buffer and read therefrom by said second digital signal processor and by said first data bus, and

said second signal processing means includes third and fourth digital signal processors, a second parallel bus, a second serial to parallel interface connecting said second parallel data bus with said second network interface, with said first serial to parallel interface converting parallel data from said second parallel data bus into serial data driving said second network interface, and with said second serial to parallel interface converting serial data from said second network interface into parallel data driving said second parallel bus, a third buffer extending between said third digital signal processor and said second parallel data bus, wherein data is written to said third buffer and read therefrom by said third digital signal processor and by said second parallel bus, and a fourth buffer extending between said fourth digital signal processor and said second parallel data bus, wherein data is written to said fourth buffer and read therefrom by said fourth digital signal processor and by said second data bus.

3. The communications adapter of claim 2, additionally comprising:

an external bus interface; and

a switch establishing a first path for data flow between said first signal processing means and said first network interface, a second path for data flow between said second signal processing means and said second network interface, a third data path for data flow between said first signal processing means aid said external bus interface, a fourth data path for data flow between said second signal processing means and said external bus interface, a fifth data path for data flow between said first network interface and said external bus interface, and a sixth data path for data flow between said second network interface and said external bus interface.

4. The communications adapter of claim 2, wherein

ISDN data is transmitted and received through said first connector, and

ATM data is transmitted and received through said second connector.

5. The communications adapter of claim 2, wherein said first and second signal processing means are independently programmably configurable for operation in said ISDN mode and in said ATM mode.

6. A communications adapter, wherein said communications adapter comprises:

a first connector for electrically connecting a first transmission line;

a first network interface extending into said communications adapter from said first connector,

a data bus;

first signal processing means electrically connecting said data bus with said first network interface;

an external bus interface; and

a switch connecting operating in a first mode connecting said first signal processing means with said first network interface, in a second mode connecting said first signal processing means with said external bus interface, and in a third mode connecting said first network interface with said external bus interface,

said first signal processing means is operable in an ISDN mode, converting encoded data from said data bus for transmission in an ISDN format from said communications adapter through said first connector and converting data received by said communications adapter through said first connector in said ISDN format into an encoded format for transmission from said first signal processing means along said data bus,

said first signal processing means is additionally operable in an ATM mode, converting encoded data from said data bus for transmission in an ATM format from said communications adapter through said first connector and converting data received by said communications adapter through said first connector in said ATM format into an encoded format for transmission from said first signal processing means along said data bus,

said first signal processing means includes first and second digital signal processors, a first parallel bus, a first serial to parallel interface connecting said first parallel data bus with said first network interface, with said first serial to parallel interface converting parallel data from said first parallel data bus into serial data driving said first network interface, and with said first serial to parallel interface converting serial data from said first network interface into parallel data driving said first parallel bus, a first buffer extending between said first digital signal processor and said first parallel data bus, wherein data is written to said first buffer and read therefrom by said first digital signal processor and by said first parallel bus, and a second buffer extending between said second digital signal processor and said first parallel data bus, wherein data is written to said second buffer and read therefrom by said second digital signal processor and by said first data bus.