System for transmitting data packets between computers via an IEEE-1394 network medium

• US 6,496,509 B1
• Filed: 08/03/1998
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
• Inventors: Fant, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): JONES, PRENELL P
• Application Number:
  US09/127,846
• Time in Patent Office: 1,597 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/400, 370/466-469, 370/470, 370/464, 375/229-231, 375/222-225, 375/357, 375/211, 375/220, 375/101-104, 375/200, 710/128, 710/100, 710/112, 710/328, 709/200, 709/230, 709/239, 709/221, 709/250, 709/220, 709/328, 713/200, 713/300
• US Class Current: 370/400
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/168 specially adapted for link layer protocols, e.g. asynchronous transfer mode [ATM], synchronous optical network [SONET] or point-to-point protocol [PPP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/323 in the physical layer [OSI layer 1]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/324 in the data link layer [OSI layer 2], e.g. HDLC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A network architecture uses an IEEE 1394-compliant network medium to connect computers using network-based software, such as Windows NDIS, Novell IPX, or TCP/IP. Each network includes a high-speed local area network driver that translates function calls from network/layer routines received across in application programming interface to a command set compliant with IEEE 1394. Hence, the computer network can be established using an IEEE 1394-compliant medium, providing a high-speed network have data rates above 200 MB/s.

Claims

1. A local area network comprising:

an IEEE 1394-compliant medium; and

at least two computers, each computer comprising;

(a) network software executable by the corresponding computer for controlling communication between the at least two computers according to a prescribed data network protocol; and

(b) an IEEE 1394-compliant network interface for establishing the communication between the at least two computers via the IEEE 1394-compliant medium, the network interface exchanging messages between the corresponding network software according to the prescribed data network protocol, wherein

the network software is compliant with the upper layer protocols of existing network architecture systems based on the International Standards Originzation (ISO) Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model, and

the network interface includes a data link driver configured for converting the media access control function call received across the application programming interface from the prescribed data network protocol into an IEEE 1394-compliant function call.

13. The local area network of claim 1, wherein the network interface outputs data packets according to a selected one of an asynchronous data transfer protocol and an isochronous data transfer protocol based on the messages from the corresponding network software.

2. A local area network comprising:

an IEEE 1394-compliant medium; and

at least two computers, each computer comprising;

(a) network software executable by the corresponding computer for controlling communication between the at least two computers according to a prescribed data network protocol; and

(b) an IEEE 1394-compliant network interface for establishing the communication between the at least two computers via the IEEE 1394-compliant medium, the network interface exchanging messages between the corresponding network software according to the prescribed data network protocol, wherein

the network software includes a media access control driver configured for sending a media access control function call to a media access controller across an application programming interface according to the prescribed data network protocol.

3. The local area network of claim 2, wherein the network interface includes a data link driver configured for converting the media access control function call received across the application programming interface from the prescribed data network protocol into an IEEE 1394-compliant function call.

4. The local area network of claim 3, wherein the network interface further includes an IEEE-1394 compliant transaction layer for executing the IEEE-1394 compliant function call, the transaction layer supplying a response to the data link driver based on execution of the IEEE-1394 compliant function call.

5. The local area network of claim 4, wherein the network interface further comprises a serial bus management for managing serial communications on the medium based on execution by the transaction layer of the IEEE 1394-compliant function call.

6. The local area network of claim 5, wherein the network interface sends and receives data packets via the medium at a data rate of about 200 MB/s.

7. The local area network of claim 5, wherein the network interface further comprises a link layer, controlled by the serial bus management, for detecting a presence of a valid link on the network medium.

8. The local area network of claim 4, wherein the transaction layer generates one of a read request, a write request, and a lock request for the other computer based on execution of the IEEE-1394 compliant function call.

9. The local area network of claim 4, wherein the transaction layer selectively generates a response to one of a read request, a write request, and a lock request received from the other computer based on execution of the IEEE-1394 function call.

10. The local area network of claim 2, wherein the media access control driver is an NDIS driver.

11. The local area network of claim 2, wherein the media access control driver is a Novell IPX driver.

12. The local area network of claim 2, wherein the media access control driver is a TCP/IP based driver.

14. A method for transmitting packet data between a first computer and a second computer, the method comprising:

in the first computer;

sending a transmit request for a transmit packet from a network layer controller according to a prescribed media access controller protocol;

translating the transmit request from the media access controller protocol for a selected one of an asynchronous data transfer protocol and an isochronous data transfer protocol; and

outputting the transmit data onto a network medium to the second computer based on the selected one data transfer protocol.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

in the second computer;

receiving the transmit packet from the network medium; and

selectively outputting a second transmit data in response to the received transmit packet.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the selectively outputting step includes outputting an acknowledgement frame as the second transmit data to the first computer.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the selectively outputting step includes outputting a frame of data, from an addressed location specified by the received transmit packet, as the second transmit data to the first computer.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the outputting step includes outputting the transmit data as one of a read request, a write request, and a lock request.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the outputting step includes outputting the transmit data according to IEEE 1394 protocol.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the sending step includes sending the transmit request according to one of Microsoft NDIS protocol, Novell IPX protocol, and TCP/IP protocol.

21. A computer readable medium bearing instructions for outputting transmit data, the instructions arranged, when executed, to cause at least one processor in a first computer to perform the steps of:

receiving a transmit request for transmit data from a network layer controller executed by the processor and according to a prescribed media access controller protocol;

translating the transmit request for a selected one of an asynchronous data transfer protocol and an isochronous data transfer protocol; and

outputting the transmit data onto a network medium to the second computer based on the selected one data transfer protocol.

22. The medium of claim 21, wherein the outputting step includes outputting the transmit data as one of a read request, a write request, and a lock request.

23. The medium of claim 21, wherein the outputting step includes outputting the transmit data according to IEEE 1394 protocol.

24. The medium of claim 23, wherein the sending step includes sending the transmit request according to one of Microsoft NDIS protocol, Novell IPX protocol, and TCP/IP protocol.

25. A local area network comprising:

a network medium; and

at least two computers, each computer comprising;

(a) network software executable by the corresponding computer for controlling communication between the at least two computers according to a prescribed data network protocol; and

(b) a network interface for establishing the communication between the at least two computers via the medium according to a selected one of an asynchronous data transfer protocol and an isochronous data transfer protocol, the network interface exchanging messages between the corresponding network software according to the prescribed data network protocol, wherein

the network software is compliant with the upper layer protocols of existing network architecture systems based on the International Standards Originzation (ISO) Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model, and

the network interface includes a data link driver configured for converting the media access control function call received across the application programming interface from the prescribed data network protocol into an IEEE 1394-compliant function call.

26. A local area network comprising:

a network medium; and

at least two computers, each computer comprising;

(a) network software executable by the corresponding computer for controlling communication between the at least two computers according to a prescribed data network protocol; and

(b) a network interface for establishing the communication between the at least two computers via the medium according to a selected one of an asynchronous data transfer protocol and an isochronous data transfer protocol, the network interface exchanging messages between the corresponding network software according to the prescribed data network protocol, wherein

the network interface establishes the communication according to IEEE 1394 protocol, and

the network software includes a media access control driver configured for sending a media access control function call to a media access controller across an application programming interface according to the prescribed data network protocol.

27. The local area network of claim 26, wherein the network interface includes a data link driver configured for converting the media access control function call received across the application programming interface from the prescribed data network protocol into an IEEE 1394-compliant function call.

28. The local area network of claim 27, wherein the network interface further includes an IEEE-1394 compliant transaction layer for executing the IEEE-1394 compliant function call, the transaction layer supplying a response to the data link driver based on execution of the IEEE-1394 compliant function call.

29. The local area network of claim 28, wherein the network interface further comprises a serial bus management for managing serial communications on the medium based on execution by the transaction layer of the IEEE 1394-compliant function call.

30. The local area network of claim 29, herein the network interface sends and receives data packets via the medium at a data rate of about 200 MB/s.

31. The local area network of claim 29, wherein the network interface further comprises a link layer, controlled by the serial bus management, for detecting a presence of a valid link on the network medium.

32. The local area network of claim 28, wherein the transaction layer generates one of a read request, a write request, and a lock request for the other computer based on execution of the IEEE-1394 compliant function call.

33. The local area network of claim 28, wherein the transaction layer selectively generates a response to one of a read request, a write request, and a lock request received from the other computer based on execution of the IEEE-1394 function call.

34. The local area network of claim 26, wherein the media access control driver is an NDIS driver.

35. The local area network of claim 26, wherein the media access control driver is a Novell IPX driver.

36. The local area network of claim 26, wherein the media access control driver is a TCP/IP based driver.