US 11,693,445 B2Granted

Electronic system, corresponding method of operation and electronic device

AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.

InventorGiuseppe Cavallaro

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Abstract

An embodiment electronic system comprises a first device, a second device and a clock generator circuit. The clock generator circuit is configured to provide a clock signal having a selectable frequency. The first device comprises a first processing circuit having coupled therewith a first Ethernet interface, and the second electronic device comprises a second processing circuit having coupled therewith a second Ethernet interface. At least one of the first device and the second device is configured to determine a frequency of the clock signal as a function of an operating parameter of the first device and/or of the second device and/or as a function of a parameter of the frames exchanged between the first device and the second device, and to act on the clock generator circuit to operate the clock generator circuit at the frequency.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An electronic system comprising:

a first electronic device;
a second electronic device;
and
a clock generator circuit configured to provide a clock signal having a selectable frequency;
wherein the first electronic device comprises a first processing circuit having coupled therewith a first Ethernet interface and the second electronic device comprises a second processing circuit having coupled therewith a second Ethernet interface;
wherein the first Ethernet interface is directly connected to the second Ethernet interface for exchanging frames between the first electronic device and the second electronic device, with a set of output data pins of the first Ethernet interface coupled to a set of homologous input data pins of the second Ethernet interface, and a set of output data pins of the second Ethernet interface coupled to a set of homologous input data pins of the first Ethernet interface;
wherein the first Ethernet interface and the second Ethernet interface comprise respective input clock pins coupled to the clock generator circuit to receive therefrom the clock signal having the selectable frequency;
wherein the first Ethernet interface and the second Ethernet interface comprise respective receive error pins coupled to ground without utilizing transmit error signals;
and
wherein at least one of the first electronic device and the second electronic device is configured to:
select a frequency of the clock signal as a function of at least one operating parameter of the first electronic device and/or of the second electronic device, and/or as a function of at least one parameter of the frames exchanged between the first electronic device and the second electronic device;
and
act on the clock generator circuit to operate the clock generator circuit at the selected frequency.

10 more elements

A method of operating an electronic system comprising a first electronic device comprising a first processing circuit coupled to a first Ethernet interface;

a second electronic device comprising a second processing circuit coupled to a second Ethernet interface;
and a clock generator circuit, the first Ethernet interface being directly connected to the second Ethernet interface for exchanging frames between the first electronic device and the second electronic device, a set of output data pins of the first Ethernet interface being coupled to a set of homologous input data pins of the second Ethernet interface, and a set of output data pins of the second Ethernet interface being coupled to a set of homologous input data pins of the first Ethernet interface, the method comprising:
generating, by the clock generator circuit, a clock signal having a selectable frequency;
receiving, by respective input clock pins of the first Ethernet interface and the second Ethernet interface, from the clock generator circuit, the clock signal having the selectable frequency;
exchanging frames between the first electronic device and the second electronic device via the first and second Ethernet interfaces, respectively, without utilizing receive error or transmit error signals;
selecting a frequency of the clock signal used by the first and second Ethernet interfaces as a function of at least one operating parameter of the first electronic device and/or of the second electronic device, and/or as a function of at least one parameter of the frames exchanged between the first electronic device and the second electronic device;
and
acting on the clock generator circuit to operate the clock generator circuit at the selected frequency.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/112,853Filed 4 Dec 2020
Priority: IT 1020190000230915 Dec 2019
Published: US 2021/0181783 A117 Jun 2021
Granted: 4 Jul 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

G06F 1/08
Generating or distributing clock signals or signals derived directly therefrom: clock generators with changeable or programmable clock frequency
H04L 12/40013
Architecture of a communication node: details regarding a bus controller
G06F 1/10
Generating or distributing clock signals or signals derived directly therefrom: distribution of clock signals , e.g. skew
G06F 1/324
Power saving characterised by the action undertaken: by lowering clock frequency