Communications system having dedicated frame buffers located in a channel node connected to two ports of the channel node for receiving frames

A communications channel system comprising:

• a first channel node having a first port and a second port, each port supporting a fibre-channel arbitrated-loop communications channel;
• and
• a dedicated on-chip frame buffer, located in the channel node, for receiving frames from the channel, wherein the dedicated on-chip frame buffer includes:
• a first inbound non-data buffer operatively coupled to the first port to receive inbound non-data frames from the first port;
• and
• a second inbound non-data buffer operatively coupled to the second port to receive inbound non-data frames from the second port.

A communications channel system comprising:

• a first channel node having a first port and a second port, each port supporting a fibre-channel arbitrated-loop communications channel;
• and
• a dedicated on-chip frame buffer, located in the channel node, for receiving frames from the channel, wherein the dedicated on-chip frame buffer includes:
• a data-frame buffer operatively coupled to both the first port and the second port to receive inbound data frames from the first port and the second port.

A communications channel system comprising:

• a first channel node having a first port and a second port, each port supporting a fibre-channel arbitrated-loop communications channel;
• and
• a dedicated on-chip frame buffer, located in the channel node, for receiving frames from the channel, wherein the dedicated on-chip frame buffer includes:
• a first inbound non-data buffer operatively coupled to the first port to receive inbound non-data frames from the first port;
• a second inbound non-data buffer operatively coupled to the second port to receive inbound non-data frames from the second port;
• and
• a data-frame buffer operatively coupled to the first port to receive inbound data frames from the first port.

A disc drive comprising:

• a rotatable disc;
• a transducer in transducing relationship to the rotating disc;
• a channel node having a first port and a second port, each port supporting a fibre-channel arbitrated-loop communications channel, the channel node operatively coupled to the transducer;
• and
• a dedicated on-chip frame buffer, located in the channel node, for receiving frames from the channel, the dedicated on-chip frame buffer communicatively coupled to the first port and the second port.

A disc drive comprising:

• a rotatable disc;
• a transducer in transducing relationship to the rotating disc;
• a channel node having a first port and a second port, each port supporting a fibre-channel arbitrated-loop communications channel, the channel node operatively coupled to the transducer;
• and
• a dedicated on-chip frame buffer, located in the channel node, for receiving frames from the channel, wherein the dedicated on-chip frame buffer includes:
• a first inbound non-data buffer operatively coupled to the first port to receive inbound non-data frames from the first port;
• and
• a second inbound non-data buffer operatively coupled to the second port to receive inbound non-data frames from the second port.

A communications channel method comprising steps of:

• (a) supporting a fibre-channel arbitrated-loop communications channel on each of a first port and a second port of a first channel node;
• (b) implementing a dedicated frame buffer in the first channel node by communicatively coupling the dedicated on-chip frame buffer to the first port and the second port;
• (c) receiving data frames and non-data frames to the dedicated frame buffer;
• and
• (d) transmitting frames from the dedicated frame buffer to the fibre-channel arbitrated-loop communications channel on each of a first port and a second port.

A communications channel method comprising steps of:

• (a) supporting a fibre-channel arbitrated-loop communications channel on each of a first port and a second port of a first channel node;
• (b) implementing a dedicated frame buffer in the first channel node;
• (c) receiving data frames and non-data frames to the dedicated frame buffer;
• and
• (d) transmitting frames from the dedicated frame buffer, wherein the implementing step (b) further includes a step of
• (b)(i) implementing a first inbound non-data buffer operatively coupled to the first port, a second inbound non-data buffer operatively coupled to the second port;
• and wherein the receiving step (c) further includes steps of:
• (c)(i) receiving inbound non-data frames from the first port into the first inbound non-data buffer;
• and
• (c)(ii) receiving inbound non-data frames from the second port into the second inbound non-data buffer.

A communications channel method comprising steps of:

• (a) supporting a fibre-channel arbitrated-loop communications channel on each of a first port and a second port of a first channel node;
• (b) implementing a dedicated frame buffer in the first channel node;
• (c) receiving data frames and non-data frames to the dedicated frame buffer;
• and
• (d) transmitting frames from the dedicated frame buffer, wherein the implementing step (b) further includes a step of
• (b)(ii) implementing a first inbound non-data buffer operatively coupled to the first port, a second inbound non-data buffer operatively coupled to the second port, and a data-frame buffer operatively coupled to both the first port and the second port;
• and wherein the receiving step (c) further includes a step of
• (c)(iv) receiving inbound data frames from the first port into the data-frame buffer.

A communications channel method comprising steps of:

• (a) supporting a fibre-channel arbitrated-loop communications channel on each of a first port and a second port of a first channel node;
• (b) implementing a dedicated frame buffer in the first channel node;
• (c) receiving data frames and non-data frames to the dedicated frame buffer;
• and
• (d) transmitting frames from the dedicated frame buffer, wherein the implementing step (b) further includes a step of
• (b)(iii) implementing a first inbound non-data buffer operatively coupled to the first port, a second inbound non-data buffer operatively coupled to the second port, and a data-frame buffer operatively coupled to both the first port and the second port;
• and wherein the receiving step (c) further includes steps of:
• (c)(vi) receiving inbound non-data frames from the first port into the first inbound non-data buffer;
• (c)(vii) receiving inbound non-data frames from the second port into the second inbound non-data buffer;
• (c)(viii) receiving inbound data frames from the first port into the data-frame buffer;
• and
• (c)(ix) receiving received data frames into the data-frame buffer and then transferring the received data frames from the data-frame buffer to the off-chip buffer.