US 7,024,489 B2 · System and method for disparate physical interface conversion

Abstract

A system and method provides for the conversion of disparate physical interfaces. The system and method includes one or more serial interfaces that interface with devices having disparate serial interfaces. One or more physical modules, associated with the serial interfaces, interface with one or more components having disparate physical interfaces but that do not support serial interfaces. The physical modules are able to interface with a variety of different components having different physical interfaces. A conversion module associated with the physical modules and the serial interfaces serializes or deserializes the data transmitted between the physical modules and the serial interfaces. A plurality of queues order the data transmissions between the components and the serial interfaces to prevent data bottlenecks. A backplane may be utilized as the facility for high speed communication allowing the components having disparate physical interfaces to interface with each other and the backplane.

Claims48

Dependent claims

An interface module comprising:

one or more serial interfaces;
one or more physical modules operable to interface with one or more components having disparate physical interfaces;
a conversion module associated with the serial interfaces and the physical interfaces, the conversion module operable to convert data transmitted between the serial interfaces and the physical modules;
and
a plurality of queues associated with the physical modules and the conversion module, the queues operable to order the transmission of the data between the physical modules and the serial interfaces.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for disparate physical interface conversion

Life of this patent

System and method for disparate physical interface conversion

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims48