Communication apparatus and inspection method therefor

A communication apparatus comprising:

• a transmission apparatus configured to output serial data based on an 8B10B method;
• and
• a reception apparatus coupled to the transmission apparatus via a transmission path and configured to receive the serial data from the transmission apparatus, wherein
• the transmission apparatus includes:
• a data generation circuit configured to generate first data;
• a packet control circuit coupled to the data generation circuit and configured to generate second data having a packet structure based on the first data;
• a third multiplexer including a fifth input terminal coupled to the packet control circuit, a sixth input terminal coupled to the data generation circuit, and a third output terminal;
• and
• an encoder coupled to the third output terminal of the third multiplexer and the reception apparatus and configured to transmit the serial data generated by encoding one of the first data and the second data into a code having a 10-bit width of the 8B10B method to the reception apparatus, and
• the reception apparatus includes:
• a conversion circuit configured to convert the serial data into parallel data;
• a fourth multiplexer including a seventh input terminal to which a packet start code is input, an eighth input terminal to which an alignment designation code is input, and a fourth output terminal;
• a synchronization circuit coupled to the conversion circuit and the fourth output terminal of the fourth multiplexer and configured to perform alignment of the parallel data using one of the packet start code and the alignment designation code;
• a decoder coupled to the conversion circuit and configured to decode the parallel data to generate fourth data having an 8-bit width of the 8B10B method;
• and
• an inspection circuit coupled to the decoder and configured to detect a bit error based on the fourth data.

An inspection method for a communication apparatus including a transmission apparatus configured to output serial data based on an 8B10B method and a reception apparatus configured to receive the serial data from the transmission apparatus, the inspection method comprising:

• transmitting, from the transmission apparatus to the reception apparatus, first data having the packet structure encoded in a 10-bit width code in the transmission apparatus as the serial data;
• checking presence or absence of a bit error in second data having an 8-bit width generated by decoding first parallel data based on the first data in the reception apparatus;
• checking presence or absence of a decoding error of the second data in a case where the bit error is present;
• transmitting, from the transmission apparatus to the reception apparatus, third data not having the packet structure of the 10-bit width as the serial data in a case where the decoding error is present in the second data;
• and
• checking presence or absence of the decoding error of fourth data having the 8-bit width generated by decoding second parallel data based on the third data.