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US 12,754,866 B1Granted
Smart cable with heterogenous primary/sideband communication channels
AssigneeAstera Labs, Inc.
InventorsPulkit Khandelwal, Gil Tal, Roman Kuznitzov
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Abstract
Heterogenous primary and sideband communication channels are implemented between smart-cable modules integrated within counterpart connectors of an active electrical cable.
Claims22
An active cable comprising:
- first cable conductors;
- counterpart cable-connectors coupled to respective ends of the first cable conductors and having counterpart circuit modules disposed therein, the counterpart circuit modules
- having:
- respective host-device interfaces;
- respective primary communication circuits that (i) are coupled to one another via the first cable conductors, (ii) are coupled respectively to the host-device interfaces and (iii) collectively implement a primary communication channel via the first cable conductors to enable cross-cable information transfer between the respective host interfaces in accordance with a first communication protocol;
- and
- respective sideband communication circuits that collectively implement a sideband communication channel between the counterpart circuit modules via a signaling medium other than the first cable conductors, wherein the first communication protocol is heterogeneous with respect to a second communication protocol used by the sideband communication channel, such that the primary communication channel and the sideband communication channel operate according to respective distinct and non-identical communication protocols.
4 more elements
A smart-cable module to be disposed in counterparts within respective connector housings of an active cable, the smart-cable module comprising:
- an electrical connector to be connected to a counterpart electrical connector of a host device;
- a cable-conductor interface to be connected to first cable conductors that extend between the respective connector housings;
- primary communication circuitry coupled between the electrical connector and the cable-conductor interface to implement, at least in part, a cross-cable a primary communication channel via the first cable conductors in accordance with a first communication protocol;
- and
- sideband communication circuitry that implements, at least in part, a cross-cable sideband communication channel via a signaling medium other than the first cable conductors, wherein the first communication protocol governing the primary communication channel is heterogeneous with respect to a second communication protocol governing the sideband communication channel, such that the primary communication channel and the sideband communication channel operate according to respective distinct and non-identical communication protocols.
2 more elements
A retimer integrated circuit (IC) comprising:
- a first interface to be coupled to a host device;
- a second interface to be coupled via first cable conductors to another retimer IC;
- a retimer core coupled between the first and second interfaces and having circuitry to implement a primary communication channel over the first cable conductors at least in part by forwarding information received via either of the first and second interfaces to the other;
- and
- sideband communication circuitry to implement a sideband communication channel for conveying link management information via a signaling medium distinct from the first cable conductors, wherein the primary communication channel operates in accordance with a first communication protocol and the sideband communication channel operates in accordance with a second communication protocol that is distinct from the first communication protocol, such that the retimer IC supports heterogeneous primary and sideband communication channels.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.