System and method for implementing configurable finite state machine
AssigneeCarrier Corporation
InventorLee Roger DenBraber
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A configurable FSM engine generates specific configurations for different state machines based on configuration data using a common method. A common configuration structure is used for all state machine implementations. Changes in the state machine design drive changes in the configuration data instead of in executable software. Multiple software state machines are thus implemented using a configurable approach. In addition, state machine processing is performed periodically and state transition events are handled without the need for an event driven operating system.
Claims18
A method for implementing a configurable state machine, comprising the steps of:
- determining a state machine diagram for a desired state machine;
- allocating a RAM variable for an input word;
- assigning transition condition bits in said input word;
- implementing an input word processing function;
- allocating a state machine workspace structure in RAM;
- configuring said state machine by creating a list of states and corresponding constant values and allocating and populating a state machine configuration structure;
- calling, at initialization, a configurable state machine initialization function passing an address of said state machine configuration;
- and
- calling periodically a configurable state machine processing function passing said address of said state machine configuration.
A method for implementing a configurable state machine, comprising the steps of:
- determining a state machine diagram for a desired state machine;
- generating configuration data based on said state machine diagram;
- and
- feeding said configuration data to said configured configurable state machine to obtain implementation of said desired state machine.
An article of manufacture including a computer useable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing implementation of a configurable state machine, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising:
- first computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect generation configuration data based on a state machine diagram corresponding to a desired state machine;
- and
- second computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect feeding said configuration data to said configured configurable state machine to obtain implementation of said desired state machine.
A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform method steps for implementing a configurable state machine, said method steps comprising:
- generating configuration data based on a state machine diagram corresponding to a desired state machine;
- and
- feeding said configuration data to said configured configurable state machine to obtain implementation of said desired state machine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.