Method and apparatus for border node behavior on a full-duplex bus

In a full-duplex communications system comprising one or more border nodes and a non-border node within a beta cloud, a method for issuing gap tokens within a beta cloud comprising:

• selecting one border node among said one or more border nodes to be a BOSS node;
• detecting a period of idle bus activity;
• and
• having said BOSS node generate a gap token upon said detection of said period of idle bus activity,
• wherein said non-border node does not comprise a gap timer.

In a hybrid communications system comprising a plurality of nodes with at least one beta node comprising a senior port and at least one junior port, each node in said plurality of nodes comprising a port;

• a method for returning control to a senior border node comprising:
• determining by the beta node whether an end of subaction has been reached;
• having said beta node send a DATA_END out of said beta node's senior port and out of each of said beta node's junior ports if an end of subaction has not been reached;
• if a subaction has been reached, further determining by said beta node whether there are any in-phase requests to grant from a requesting port, wherein said requesting port is a port from a node in said plurality of nodes other than said beta node;
• if there are any in-phase requests, sending by said beta node a GRANT to said requesting port, and sending a DATA_NULL to all other ports of nodes other than said beta node;
• if there are no in-phase requests;
• further determining by said beta node whether said beta node is a senior border node;
• having said beta node send a DATA_END out of said beta node's senior port and out of each of said beta node's junior ports if said beta node is a senior border node;
• and
• sending a GRANT out of said beta node's senior port and sending a DATA_END out of each of said beta node's junior ports if said beta node is not a senior border node.

A control method for use by a beta node of a hybrid communication system comprising a plurality of nodes, each of said nodes comprising a port, said beta node comprising a senior port and at least one junior port, wherein said control method comprises:

• issuing a first signal from said beta node's senior port and each of said beta node's junior ports if an end of a subaction has not been reached;
• if an end of a subaction has been reached, determining whether a port of any node other than said beta node has issued an in-phase request;
• and
• if an in-phase request has issued from said port of any other node, sending a second signal to said issuing port, and sending a third signal to all other ports;
• if there are no in-phase requests, determining whether said beta node is a senior border node;
• sending said first signal out of said beta node's senior port and out of each of said beta node's junior ports if said beta node is a senior border node;
• and
• sending said second signal out of said beta node's senior port and sending a said first signal out of each of said beta nodes junior ports if said beta node is not a senior border node.

A method for use by a senior border node of a hybrid communication system comprising a plurality of nodes, each of said nodes comprising a port, said senior border node comprising a senior port and at least one junior port, wherein said method comprises:

• issuing a first signal from said senior border node's senior port and each of said senior border node's junior ports if an end of a subaction has not been reached;
• if an end of a subaction has been reached, determining whether a port of any node other than said senior border node has communicated an in-phase request;
• and
• if there are no in-phase requests, sending a first signal out of said senior border node's senior port and out of each of said senior node's junior ports.

In a hybrid communications system having a plurality of nodes including a senior border node, and a device having at least one senior port and at least one and junior port, a method for returning control to said senior border node comprising:

• identifying an end of an asynchronous action condition, said condition further comprising a condition where no in-phase arbitration requests are pending;
• and
• determining whether said device is a senior border node and if so, sending a first signal out all of said device's senior and junior ports, and if not:
• sending a second signal out of said device's at least one senior port;
• and
• sending said first signal out of said device's at least one junior port.

In a hybrid bus comprising a first set of nodes adapted to utilize a first serial bus protocol, and a second set of nodes adapted to utilize a second serial bus protocol, wherein said first and second sets of nodes are adapted to being connected at a border node;

• a method comprising:
• determining, using only the border node, a period of idle bus activity in at least a portion of said hybrid bus operating according to the first serial bus protocol;
• and
• generating via the border node an inactivity-related communication corresponding to said period of idle bus activity.

A method for use by a senior border node of a hybrid communication system comprising a plurality of nodes, each of said nodes comprising a port, said senior border node comprising a senior port and at least one junior port, wherein said method comprises:

• issuing a first signal from at least one of said senior border node's ports if an end of an action has not been reached;
• if an end of an action has been reached, determining whether a port of any node other than said senior border node has communicated an in-phase request;
• and
• if there are no in-phase requests, sending a first signal out of at least one of said senior border node's senior or junior ports.