Methods and apparatus for synchronizing data transferred across a multi-pin asynchronous serial interface

A device for word synchronizing a plurality of serial bitstreams in a multi-pin asynchronous interface, the plurality of serial bitstreams comprising a framing bitstream and a plurality of data bitstreams, the device comprising:

• a plurality of buffers, each buffer corresponding to one of the serial bitstreams;
• a plurality of word search modules each corresponding to one of the plurality of buffers, wherein each of the plurality of word search modules is configured to generate an offset signal identifying a location of a predetermined bit pattern in the corresponding buffer;
• and
• a plurality of parallel word extraction modules, each of the plurality of parallel word extraction modules coupled to an associated one of the buffers and to an associated one of the word search modules each corresponding to one of the data bitstreams, and wherein each parallel word extraction module is configured to extract a parallel data word from the associated buffer using the data offset signal produced by the associated word search module in response to the offset signal produced by the word search module corresponding to the framing bitstream.

A system for synchronizing a plurality of serial bitstreams having a common bitrate that are each received at a multi-pin asynchronous interface, the serial bitstreams comprising a framing bitstream and a plurality of data bitstreams, the system comprising:

• a clock generator configured to produce a common clock signal having a frequency substantially equal to an integer multiple of the common bitrate;
• a plurality of bit synchronization modules each associated with one of the plurality of serial bitstreams and configured to receive the common clock signal, and to bit synchronize the associated bitstream to the other serial bitstreams using the common clock signal;
• and
• a word synchronization module configured to receive each of the bit synchronized bitstreams from the plurality of bit synchronization modules and to extract parallel data words therefrom, the word synchronization module comprising:
• a plurality of buffers, each buffer corresponding to one of the synchronized bitstreams;
• a plurality of word search modules each corresponding to one of the plurality of buffers, wherein each of the plurality of word search modules is configured to generate an offset signal identifying a location of a predetermined bit pattern in the corresponding buffer;
• and
• a plurality of parallel word extraction modules, each of the plurality of parallel word extraction modules coupled to an associated one of the buffers and to an associated one of the word search modules each corresponding to one of the data bitstreams, and wherein each parallel word extraction module is configured to extract a parallel data word from the associated buffer using the data offset signal produced by the associated word search module in response to the offset signal produced by the word search module corresponding to the framing bitstream.