Method for training a communication link between ports to correct for errors

• US 7,010,607 B1
• Filed: 09/14/2000
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: QNAP Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Bunton, William P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Marc D.
• Application Number:
  US09/661,214
• Time in Patent Office: 2,000 Days
• Field of Search: 710 60- 61, 707227-237, 709227-237, 709/248, 370/241, 370/242, 370/252, 370/465, 370/503
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2007 using redundant communication media
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/18 Automatic repetition systems, e.g. Van Duuren systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/24 Testing correct operation

Abstract

A technique for training links in a computing system is disclosed. In one aspect, the technique includes configuring a first receiver in a first port using a first training sequence or a second training sequence; transmitting the second training sequence from the first port indicating the first receiver is configured; and receiving a second training sequence transmitted by a second port at the first port, the second training sequence transmitted by the second port indicating that a second receiver in the second port is configured. In a second aspect, the technique includes locking a communication link; handshaking across the locked link to indicate readiness for data transmission; transmitting information after handshaking across the locked link. And, in a third aspect, the technique includes transmitting a first training sequence from a first port and a second port; and synchronizing the receipt of the first training sequence at the first and second ports; transmitting a second training sequence from the first and second ports upon the synchronized receipt of the first training sequence at the first and second ports; and receiving the second training sequence transmitted by the first and second ports and the second and first ports, respectively, in synchrony.

Claims

1. A method for training a communication link that includes a plurality of data lanes coupling first and second ports in a computing system, the communication link is trained in order to correct for errors including data inversion, lane skewing and lane order errors that may be caused by the communication link, the method comprising:

locking the communication link by transmitting a first link training sequence from the first and second ports and synchronizing the receipt of the first link training sequence at the first and second ports;

handshaking across the locked link to indicate readiness for data transmission by sending a first link training sequence that contains a lane identifier of at least one of the plurality of data lanes from the first port to the second port;

transmitting information after handshaking across the locked link; and

using the first link training sequence to correct for errors caused by the communication link.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein synchronizing the receipt of the first link training sequence includes at least one of:

synchronizing code group recognition; and

de-skewing multiple physical links.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the first link training sequence includes transmitting an 8b/10b special symbol followed by a repeated data symbol.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the 8b/10b special symbol is a K28.5, K28.1, or a K28.7 comma control symbol.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein transmitting a comma control symbol followed by a repeated data symbol comprises transmitting the following sequence:

K28.5 D10.2 D10.2 D10.2 D10.2 D10.2 D10.2 D10.2.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein transmitting the 8b/10b special symbol followed by a repeated data symbol includes transmitting the 8b/10b special symbol, followed by a lane identifying symbol, followed by the repeated data symbol.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein synchronizing the receipt of the first link training sequence includes:

capturing a comma control symbol from the first link training sequence transmitted by the second port in a queue associated with the first port;

clocking code groups from the first link training sequence transmitted by the second port into the first queue and bit groups from the first link training sequence transmitted by the first port into a queue associated with the second port until a comma control symbol from the first link training sequence transmitted by the first port is clocked into the queue associated with the second port; and

clearing the queues if a comma control symbol is not clocked into the queue associated with the second port from the first link training sequence transmitted by the first port within N/2 clock cycles, where N is the length of the first link training sequence.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein handshaking across the locked link includes transmitting a second link training sequence from the first and second ports upon the synchronized receipt of the first link training sequence at the first and second ports.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein transmitting the second link training sequence includes transmitting a comma control symbol followed by a repeated data symbol.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the comma control symbol is a K28.5, K28.1, or a K28.7 comma control symbol.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein transmitting the second link training sequence includes transmitting the following ordered set:

K28.5 D21.5 D21.5 D21.5 D21.5 D21.5 D21.5 D21.5.

12. A method for training a link between first and second ports in a computing system in order to correct for errors that may be caused by the links, the method comprising:

transmitting a first link training sequence of code groups from the first port and the second port, wherein the first port and the second port are configured to send and receive data on a plurality of data lanes, and the first link training sequence of code groups contains a lane identifier of at least one of the plurality of data lanes;

synchronizing the receipt of the first link training sequence at the first and second ports; and

transmitting a second link training sequence of code groups from the first and second ports upon the synchronized receipt of the first link training sequence at the first and second ports; and

receiving the second link training sequence transmitted by the first and second ports and the second and first ports, respectively, in synchrony.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein transmitting the first link training sequence includes transmitting a comma control symbol followed by a repeated data symbol.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the comma control symbol is a K28.5, K28.1, or a K28.7 comma control symbol.

15. The method of claim 13, transmitting a comma control symbol followed by a repeated data symbol comprises transmitting the following sequence:

K28.5 D10.2 D10.2 D10.2 D10.2 D10.2 D10.2 D10.2.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein transmitting the 8b/10b special symbol followed by a repeated data symbol includes transmitting the 8b/10b special symbol, followed by a lane identifying symbol, followed by the repeated data symbol.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein synchronizing the receipt of the first link training sequence includes:

capturing a comma control symbol from the first link training sequence transmitted by the second port in a queue associated with the first port;

clocking bit groups from the first link training sequence transmitted by the second port into the first queue and code group from the first link training sequence transmitted by the first port into a queue associated with the second port until a comma control symbol from the first link training sequence transmitted by the first port is clocked into the queue associated with the second port; and

clearing the queues if a comma control symbol is not clocked into the queue associated with the second port from the first link training sequence transmitted by the first port within N/2 clock cycles, where N is the length of the first link training sequence.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein transmitting the second link training sequence includes transmitting a comma control symbol followed by a repeated data symbol.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the comma control symbol is a K28.5, K28.1, or a K28.7 comma control symbol.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein transmitting the second link training sequence includes transmitting the following ordered set:

K28.5 D21.5 D21.5 D21.5 D21.5 D21.5 D21.5 D21.5.

21. A method for training a link in a computing system having first and second ports each including a receiver and a transmitter in order to correct for errors that may be caused by the link, comprising:

configuring the receiver in the first port using a first link training sequence transmitted by the second port, wherein the first port is configured to send and receive data on a plurality of data lanes, and the first training sequence contains a lane identifier of at least one of the plurality of data lanes;

transmitting a second link training sequence from the first port to the second port indicating the receiver in the first port is configured; and

receiving the second link training sequence transmitted by the second port at the first port, the second link training sequence transmitted by the second port and received by the first port indicating that the receiver in the second port is configured.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein transmitting the first link training sequence includes transmitting an 8b/10b special symbol followed by a repeated data symbol.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the 8b/10b special symbol is a K28.5, K28.1, or a K28.7 comma control symbol.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein transmitting a comma control symbol followed by a repeated data symbol comprises transmitting the following sequence:

K28.5 D10.2 D10.2 D10.2 D10.2 D10.2 D10.2 D10.2.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein transmitting the 8b/10b special symbol followed by a repeated data symbol includes transmitting the 8b/10b special symbol, followed by a lane identifying symbol, followed by the repeated data symbol.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein transmitting the second link training sequence includes transmitting a comma control symbol followed by a repeated data symbol.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the comma control symbol is a K28.5, K28.1, or a K28.7 comma control symbol.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein transmitting the second link training sequence includes transmitting the following ordered set:

K28.5 D21.5 D21.5 D21.5 D21.5 D21.5 D21.5 D21.5.

29. The method of claim 21, further comprising transmitting data from one of the first or second ports to the other of the first and second ports.