Signal conversion apparatus, signal restoration apparatus and information processing apparatus

A method for transforming parallel signals to a serial signal, the method comprising:

• receiving a first input signal of a first bit rate and a second input signal of a second bit rate lower than the first bit rate, wherein the first input signal and the second input signal are the parallel signals;
• sampling the first input signal at first timings to generate first sampled signals and sampling the second input signals at second timings to generate second sampled signals;
• and
• outputting the first sampled signals at a first frequency, outputting the second sampled signals at a second frequency lower than the first frequency, and outputting a synchronization signals at a third frequency, wherein the first sampled signals, the second sampled signals, and the synchronization signals are output as the serial signal, and the synchronization signals are used for determining a reference timing to restore the first input signal and the second input signal from the serial signal, and
• wherein:
• the first frequency is equal to or higher than a frequency equal to a value of the first bit rate,
• the second frequency is equal to or higher than a frequency equal to a value of the second bit rate, and
• at least one of two conditions:
• (a) the first frequency is higher than the frequency equal to the value of the first bit rate and (b) the second frequency is higher than the frequency equal to the value of the second bit rate, is met.

An electronic apparatus for transforming parallel signals to a serial signal, comprising:

• a receiver that receives a first input signal of a first bit rate and a second input signal of a second bit rate lower than the first bit rate, wherein the first input signal and the second input signal are the parallel signals;
• a sampler that samples the first input signal at first timings to generate first sampled signals and samples the second input signal at second timings to generate second sampled signals;
• and
• an output terminal that outputs the first sampled signals at a first frequency, outputs the second sampled signals at a second frequency lower than the first frequency, and outputs synchronization signals at a third frequency, wherein the first sampled signals, the second sampled signals, and the synchronization signals are output as the serial signal, and the synchronization signals are used for determining a reference timing to restore the first input signal and the second input signal from the serial signal,
• wherein:
• the first frequency is equal to or higher than a frequency equal to a value of the first bit rate,
• the second frequency is higher than a frequency equal to a value of the second bit rate,
• a first temporal relationship among output timings of the first sampled signals, output timings of the second sampled signals, and output timings of the synchronization signals in a first cycle is identical to a second temporal relationship among output timings of the first sampled signals, output timings of the second sampled signals, and output timings of the synchronization signals in a second cycle, the first cycle being different from the second cycle, and a length of the first cycle being identical to a length of the second cycle.