US 5,970,070 A · Communication controllers and methods therefor

Abstract

A method, in a host adapter circuit configured for coupling a host electronic device with one of a fiber channel loop and a point-to-point communication channel, for receiving data at the host adapter circuit from one of the fiber channel loop and the point-to-point communication channel. The method includes providing a selectable control signal configured for indicating whether the host adapter circuit is coupled to the fiber channel loop or the point-to-point communication channel. The method further includes providing a front-end receive circuit. The front-end receive circuit is configured for coupling with an input data port. The input data port represents one of the fiber channel loop and the point-to-point communication channel. The method also includes coupling the front-end receive circuit with the selectable control signal. Additionally, the method includes coupling an output of the front-end receive circuit with a decoder of the host adapter circuit, wherein the front-end receive circuit is configured to process, responsive to the selectable control signal, either fiber channel loop data from the fiber channel loop or point-to-point data from the point-to-point communication channel from the input data port to provide parallel data having a predefined size to the decoder circuit.

Claims21

Dependent claims

In a host adapter circuit configured for coupling a host electronic device with one of a fiber channel loop and a point-to-point communication channel, a method for receiving data at said host adapter circuit from one of said fiber channel loop and said point-to-point communication channel, comprising:

providing a selectable control signal configured for indicating whether said host adapter circuit is coupled to said fiber channel loop or said point-to-point communication channel;
providing a front-end receive circuit, said front-end receive circuit being configured for coupling with an input data port, said input data port representing one of said fiber channel loop and said point-to-point communication channel;
coupling said front-end receive circuit with said selectable control signal;
and
coupling an output of said front-end receive circuit with a decoder of said host adapter circuit, wherein said front-end receive circuit is configured to process, responsive to said selectable control signal, either fiber channel loop data from said fiber channel loop or point-to-point data from said point-to-point communication channel from said input data port to provide parallel data having a predefined size to said decoder circuit.

2 more elements

A host adapter circuit configured for coupling a host electronic device with one of a fiber channel loop and a point-to-point communication channel, said host adapter circuit being configured for receiving data from one of said fiber channel loop and said point-to-point communication channel, comprising:

a selectable control signal configured for indicating whether said host adapter circuit is coupled to said fiber channel loop or said point-to-point communication channel;
a front-end receive circuit coupled to said selectable control signal, said front-end receive circuit being configured for coupling with an input data port, said input data port representing one of said fiber channel loop and said point-to-point communication channel;
and
a decoder coupled to an output of said front-end receive circuit, wherein said front-end receive circuit is configured to process, responsive to said selectable control signal, either fiber channel loop data from said fiber channel loop or point-to-point data from said point-to-point communication channel from said input data port to provide parallel data having a predetermined size to said decoder circuit.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Communication controllers and methods therefor

Life of this patent

Communication controllers and methods therefor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21