Apparatuses, systems, and methods for accurately measuring packet propagation delays through USB retimers
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorSteven B. McGowan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatuses relating to measuring propagation delays through USB retimers are described. In one embodiment, a retimer apparatus includes a receiver to receive a data block and a timestamp for the data block from an upstream device, a buffer to store the data block and the timestamp for transmittal, a controller to modify the timestamp to generate a modified timestamp that includes a time from a receipt of a first portion of the data block in the buffer until a transmittal of the first portion of the data block from the buffer, and a transmitter to transmit the data block and the modified timestamp to a downstream device.
Claims24
A retimer apparatus comprising:
- a receiver to receive a data block and a timestamp for the data block from an upstream device;
- a buffer to store the data block and the timestamp for transmittal;
- a controller to modify the timestamp to generate a modified timestamp that includes a time from a receipt of a first portion of the data block in the buffer until a transmittal of the first portion of the data block from the buffer;
- and
- a transmitter to transmit the data block and the modified timestamp to a downstream device wherein the controller associates a second timestamp in a clock domain of the transmitter with the timestamp from the upstream device.
A method comprising:
- receiving a data block and a timestamp for the data block from an upstream device with a receiver of a retimer apparatus;
- associating a second timestamp in a clock domain of a transmitter of the retimer apparatus with the timestamp from the upstream device;
- storing the data block and the timestamp for transmittal in a buffer of the retimer apparatus;
- modifying the timestamp to generate a modified timestamp including a time from a receipt of a first portion of the data block in the buffer until a transmittal of the first portion of the data block from the buffer;
- and
- transmitting the data block and the modified timestamp to a downstream device with the transmitter of the retimer apparatus.
An apparatus comprising:
- a hardware processor;
- a host;
- and
- a retimer apparatus comprising:
- a receiver to receive a data block and a timestamp for the data block from the host;
- a buffer to store the data block and the timestamp for transmittal;
- a controller to modify the timestamp to generate a modified timestamp that includes a time from a receipt of a first portion of the data block in the buffer until a transmittal of the first portion of the data block from the buffer;
- and
- a transmitter to transmit the data block and the modified timestamp to a downstream device wherein the controller associates a second timestamp in a clock domain of the transmitter with the timestamp from the host.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.