xDSL symbol processor and method of operating same
First Claim
1. A discrete multi-tone (DMT) symbol processor for use in a multi-port xDSL communications systems, the processor comprising:
- a first buffer stage for receiving a plurality of DMT symbols to be processed in accordance with a predetermined set of operations so as to extract a plurality of data streams for a plurality of corresponding communications ports;
a first set of hardware based execution units, each of said hardware based execution units being configured to perform a first group of physical layer and/or a transport convergence layer related operations as part of said predetermined set of operations; and
a second set of software based execution units, each of said software based execution units also being configured to perform a second group of physical layer and/or a transport converter layer operation as part of said predetermined set of operations;
said first set of hardware based execution units and said second set of software based execution units being interconnected so as to perform all of said predetermined set of operations for all of said plurality of corresponding communications ports;
wherein a plurality of symbols for a plurality of different communications ports are processed simultaneously within the DMT symbol processor.
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Abstract
A logical pipeline or logical hybrid pipeline is used for an xDSL communication system, and particularly for processing DMT symbols. This flexible arrangement permits easy and efficient sequencing of DMT symbols for transmit/receive tasks, and for multiple ports, since the pipeline resources can be shared or allocated as needed to support a particular data transmission. Each stage in the pipelines works on input data objects, and creates output data objects in the same format for use by other stages. The data objects are based on DMT symbols, so this facilitates intelligent control and sequencing of a DMT data transmission. The combination of the pipeline and the tailored data objects permits an implementation of a customized xDSL symbol processor.
52 Citations
63 Claims
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1. A discrete multi-tone (DMT) symbol processor for use in a multi-port xDSL communications systems, the processor comprising:
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a first buffer stage for receiving a plurality of DMT symbols to be processed in accordance with a predetermined set of operations so as to extract a plurality of data streams for a plurality of corresponding communications ports;
a first set of hardware based execution units, each of said hardware based execution units being configured to perform a first group of physical layer and/or a transport convergence layer related operations as part of said predetermined set of operations; and
a second set of software based execution units, each of said software based execution units also being configured to perform a second group of physical layer and/or a transport converter layer operation as part of said predetermined set of operations;
said first set of hardware based execution units and said second set of software based execution units being interconnected so as to perform all of said predetermined set of operations for all of said plurality of corresponding communications ports;
wherein a plurality of symbols for a plurality of different communications ports are processed simultaneously within the DMT symbol processor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A processing pipeline for processing a discrete multi-tone (DMT) based data transmission comprising:
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a first buffer for receiving DMT symbols associated with a communications transmission transporting a data stream, said communications transmission requiring a set of predefined signal processing operations to extract said data stream from said DMT symbols;
a plurality of interconnected pipeline stages, each of said pipeline stages being adapted for performing at least one processing operation associated with said set of predefined signal operations for the DMT symbol; and
a second buffer for receiving an output from said plurality of interconnected pipeline stages, said output corresponding to data in said data streams, and wherein at least one of said pipeline stages is implemented in hardware, and at least one other of said pipeline stages is implemented in software, and with results exchanged directly between such hardware and software pipeline stages in either direction such that a logical hybrid pipeline is effectuated for performing said set of predefined signal processing operations to extract said data stream. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A discrete multi-tone (DMT) instruction processor for processing a DMT based data transmission comprising:
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a first buffer for receiving DMT symbols associated with a communications transmission transporting a data stream, wherein a set of predefined signal processing operations are required extract said data stream from said DMT symbols;
a plurality of interconnected pipeline stages, each of said pipeline stages being adapted for executing a DMT related instruction, said DMT related instruction specifying a DMT related operation and at least one associated DMT related operand for processing a DMT symbol; and
a second buffer for receiving an output from said plurality of interconnected pipeline stages, said output corresponding to data in said data stream, and wherein at least one of said pipeline stages is implemented in hardware, and at least one other of said pipeline stages is implemented in software; and
further wherein said plurality of interconnected pipeline stages performs substantially all of said set of predefined signal processing operations to extract said data stream. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method of operating a discrete multi-tone (DMT) communications system having a plurality of communications ports, the method comprising the steps of:
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dividing a receive task and a transmit task for each port of the plurality of communications ports into a set of receive operations and transmit operations respectively;
using a shared processing pipeline to perform both said receive operations and transmit operations;
providing a first type of computing resource for said shared processing pipeline, such that each pipeline stage of said first type of computing resource can perform at least one of said receive operations or at least one of said transmit operations; and
providing a second type of computing resource for said shared processing pipeline, such that each pipeline stage of said second type of computing resource can perform at least one of said receive operations at and at least of said transmit operations, and wherein said shared processing pipeline is used for said receive task and said transmit task for each port of the plurality of communications ports. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method of operating a discrete multi-tone (DMT) symbol processor for use in a multi-port xDSL communications system, the method comprising the steps of:
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buffering a plurality of DMT symbols to be processed in accordance with a predetermined set of operations so as to extract a plurality of data streams for a plurality of corresponding communications ports;
configuring a first set of hardware based execution units to perform a first group of physical layer and/or a transport convergence layer related operations as part of said predetermined set of operations;
configuring a second set of software based execution units to perform a second group of physical layer and/or a transport convergence layer related operations as part of said predetermined set of operations;
exchanging computation results of said predetermined set of operations between said first set of hardware based execution units and said second set of software based execution units; and
simultaneously processing a plurality of symbols for a plurality of different communications ports within the DMT symbol processor, so that all of said predetermined set of operations for all of said plurality of corresponding communications ports are performed by said first set of hardware based execution units and said second set of software based execution units. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A method of operating a processing pipeline used for processing a discrete multi-tone (DMT) based data transmission the method comprising the steps of:
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buffering received DMT symbols associated with a communications transmission transporting a data stream, said communications transmission requiring a set of predefined signal processing operations to extract said data stream from said DMT symbols;
coupling a plurality of pipeline stages to perform said set of predefined signal processing operations, such that each of said pipeline stages is adapted for performing at least one processing operation associated with said set of predefined signal processing operations for the DMT symbol; and
buffering an output from said plurality of interconnected pipeline stages, said output corresponding to data in said data stream, and wherein at least one of said pipeline stages is implemented in hardware, and at least one other of said pipeline stages is implemented in software, such that a logical pipeline is effectuated for performing said set of predefined signal processing operations to extract said data stream. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A method of implementing a discrete multi-tone (DMT) instruction processor for processing a DMT based data transmission comprising the steps of:
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receiving DMT symbols associated with a communications transmission transporting a data stream, wherein a set of predefined signal processing operations are required to extract said data stream from said DMT symbols;
coupling a plurality of pipeline stages to perform said set of predefined signal processing operations, said pipeline stages being implemented in a combination to hardware and software;
executing a DMT related instruction within said plurality of pipeline stages, said DMT related instruction specifying a DMT related operation and at least one associated DMT related operand for processing a DMT symbol; and
receiving an output from said plurality of interconnected pipeline stages, said output corresponding to data in said data stream, and wherein said plurality of pipeline stages performs substantially all of said set of predefined signal processing operations to extract said data stream. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
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Specification