Advanced priority statistical multiplexer

A method for transmitting information, comprising the steps of:

• (a) checking a memory for pending high priority data and pending low priority data to be transferred over a link;
• (b) if there is pending high priority data and no pending low priority data, then sending a high priority packet;
• (c) if there is pending low priority data and no pending high priority data, then sending a low priority packet;
• and
• (d) if there is pending high priority data and pending low priority data to be transferred, then sending a hybrid frame by the steps including:
• (1) transmitting a hybrid frame header;
• (2) transmitting the pending high priority data, the pending high priority data preceded by a high priority data identifier;
• (3) transmitting up to K bytes of the pending low priority data, K not to exceed an interrupt boundary byte count, wherein the interrupt boundary byte count is equal to a number of bytes transferable in a high priority packet time minus a maximum number of high priority bytes generated per the high priority packet time, and wherein the high priority packet time is an interval of time between a generation of a plurality of high priority bytes;
• and
• (4) transmitting further high priority data and low priority data by the steps including:
• (i) if there is high priority data to be transferred, transmitting the high priority data, the high priority data preceded by a high priority data identifier;
• (ii) if there is low priority data to be transferred, transmitting up to K bytes of low priority data;
• and
• (iii) repeating steps (i) and (ii) until one or more conditions occurs, the one or more conditions including (A) transmission of a set number of low priority bytes, (B) detection that a first byte of the K bytes of low priority data matches a high priority data identifier, and (C) there is no pending low priority data for a set time interval.

A method for receiving information, comprising the steps of:

• (1) detecting a hybrid frame;
• (2) receiving a next byte in the hybrid frame;
• (3) if the next byte is a high priority data identifier, receiving one or more high priority data bytes in the hybrid frame;
• (4) if the next byte in the hybrid frame is not a high priority identifier, receiving one or more bytes of low priority data, the number of low priority bytes not to exceed the interrupt boundary byte count, wherein the interrupt boundary byte count is equal to a number of bytes transferable in a high priority packet time minus a maximum number of high priority bytes generated per the high priority packet time, and wherein the high priority packet time is an interval of time between a generation of a plurality of high priority bytes;
• and
• (5) returning to step (2) until a last data byte of the hybrid frame is received.

A method for receiving information, comprising the steps of:

• (a) detecting an identifier to determine a type of packet being received;
• (b) if a high priority packet is detected, receiving high priority data;
• (c) if a low priority packet is detected, receiving low priority data;
• and
• (d) if a hybrid frame is detected, receiving low priority data and high priority data by the steps including:
• (1) receiving a next byte in the hybrid frame;
• (2) if the next byte is a high priority data identifier, receiving one or more high priority data bytes in the hybrid frame;
• (3) if the next byte in the hybrid frame is not a high priority identifier, receiving one or more bytes of low priority data, the number of low priority bytes not to exceed the interrupt boundary byte count, wherein the interrupt boundary byte count is equal to a number of bytes transferable in a high priority packet time minus a maximum number of high priority bytes generated per the high priority packet time, and wherein the high priority packet time is an interval of time between a generation of a plurality of high priority bytes;
• (4) returning to step (1) until a last data byte of the hybrid frame is received;
• and
• (5) error checking the low priority data using an error correction code from the hybrid frame;
• wherein the high priority data is processed with a higher priority than the low priority data.

A method for multiplexing high priority data, intermediate priority data, and low priority data for transmission across a communications link, the link having a maximum bandwidth with a byte transfer period equal to an amount of time needed to transfer one byte of data over the communications link, the method comprising the steps of:

• a. determining a high priority packet time;
• b. determining a maximum number of bytes transferred in one high priority packet time;
• c. determining a maximum number of high priority data bytes transferred in one high priority packet time;
• d. subtracting the maximum number of high priority bytes from the maximum number of bytes to obtain an interrupt boundary byte count;
• e. multiplexing high priority data, intermediate priority data, and low priority data, wherein the step of multiplexing includes the steps of:
• 1. if there is high priority data, transmitting the high priority data;
• 2. transmitting J bytes of intermediate priority data and low priority data, wherein J is not greater than the interrupt boundary byte count;
• and
• 3. returning to step 1.

A method for demultiplexing, comprising the steps of:

• if high priority data is detected, receiving the high priority data;
• if intermediate or low priority data is detected, checking one byte after a number of intermediate or low priority data bytes to determine if following data is high priority data, the number equal to an interrupt boundary byte count;
• and
• repeating the above steps until all data is demultiplexed, further
• wherein the interrupt boundary byte count is calculated, comprising the steps of:
• determining a maximum number of bytes transferred across a link in one high priority packet time, B, by multiplying the high priority packet time by a bit rate of the link divided by a number of bits per byte;
• determining a maximum number of high priority data bytes transmitted over the link in one high priority packet time, M;
• and
• subtracting M from B to obtain the interrupt boundary byte count.

A method for demultiplexing, comprising the steps of:

• if high priority data is detected, receiving the high priority data;
• if intermediate or low priority data is detected, checking one byte after a number of intermediate or low priority data bytes to determine if following data is high priority data, the number equal to an interrupt boundary byte count;
• and
• repeating the above steps until all data is demultiplexed,
• further comprising the steps of:
• setting a intermediate or low priority byte count;
• terminating the demultiplexing of a particular frame of data once a number of intermediate or low priority packets equal to the intermediate or low priority byte count are demultiplexed from the particular frame.