Apparatus and method for converting data in serial format to parallel format and vice versa

An apparatus for converting data input through at least one channel in a serial format into a parallel format, comprising:

• at least one serial data input channel;
• a storage element associated with each said serial data channel and having at least first and second arrays of storage cells, wherein each of the storage cells includes an input port and an output port, such that input ports for all of the storage cells of the storage element am connected in parallel to a data bus interconnecting the storage element with an associated serial data channel, and wherein said data bus comprises at least one buffering element arranged to separate said data bus into portions, each of said portions being connected to an input port of at least one of said storage cells of each array of said storage element;
• and
• means for enabling data input from said data bus to at least one of said storage cells in said storage element and for enabling said buffering element to buffer said data onto said data bus portion in accordance with a predetermined input cycle.

A method for converting serial data to a parallel format utilising an apparatus for converting data between serial and parallel formats, said apparatus comprising one or more serial data channels;

• a storage element associated with each of said serial data channels and having at least first and second arrays of storage cells, wherein each of said storage cells includes first and second ports, wherein the first ports of all storage cells of a storage element are connected in parallel to a data bus interconnecting the storage element with an associated channel and where the data bus comprises at least one buffering element arranged to separate said data bus into portions, each of said portions being connected to the first port of at least one of said storage cells of each array of said storage element;
• and means for enabling data transfer between said bus and at least one of said storage cells via a corresponding one of aid first ports, and for enabling data transfer from at least one of said portions to an adjacent portion via said at least one buffering element, said method comprising the steps of:
• transmitting serial data from each of said channels onto the said data bus associated therewith, and
• enabling sequential input of data from the data bus into said storage cells of a corresponding one of said arrays for each of said storage elements in accordance with a write cycle.

An apparatus for converting data from a parallel format into a serial format, comprising:

• at least one serial data output channel;
• a storage element associated with each said serial data output channel and having at least first and second arrays of storage cells, each of the storage cells including an input port and an output port, such that output ports for all of the storage cells of the storage element are connected in parallel to a data bus interconnecting the storage element with an associated serial data output channel, and wherein said data bus comprises at least one buffering element arranged to separate said data bus into portions, each of said portions being connected to an output port of at least one of said storage cells of each array of said storage element;
• and
• means for enabling data output from at least one of said storage cells in said storage element onto said data bus and for enabling said buffering element to the buffer said data onto data bus portion in accordance with a predetermined output cycle.