Apparatus to improve the firmware efficiency for a multiframe serial interface

A multiframe bus management device comprising:

• a frame bit counter capable of counting a plurality of frame bit periods and producing a tally of the plurality of frame bit periods counted during a message length;
• a finite state machine coupled to the frame bit counter and capable of extracting a frame bit quota from a message content;
• a comparator coupled to the frame bit counter and the finite state machine, the comparator configured to compare the frame bit quota with the tally and produce a compare signal;
• and
• a set/reset logic block coupled to the comparator and the finite state machine, the set/reset logic block capable of retaining a value of the compare signal and producing a unmasking signal.

A multiframe bus management device comprising:

• a counting means for counting a plurality of frame bit periods and producing a tally of frame bit periods counted in a message;
• a controlling means for managing a bus transmission of the message and extracting a frame bit quota from the message;
• a comparing means, coupled to the counting means and the controlling means, for comparing the tally with the frame bit quota and producing a compare signal;
• and
• a set/reset means, coupled to the comparing means, for receiving the compare signal and generating a unmasking signal.

A process for managing a serial network interface comprising:

• receiving a frame bit quota proportional to a duration of a network message;
• counting a plurality of frame bit periods in a message transmission;
• comparing for an equality between a count of the plurality of frame bit periods and the frame bit quota;
• and
• unmasking a signal if the step of comparing produces an equality.

A process for managing a serial network interface comprising:

• receiving a specification of a duration of a message in a network transmission;
• prescribing a frame bit quota equal to the message duration;
• counting a plurality of frame bit periods in a message transmission;
• producing a tally of the plurality of frame bit periods counted;
• comparing the tally of the plurality of frame bit periods with the frame bit quota;
• producing a compare signal if the tally of the plurality of frame bit periods is equal to the frame bit quota;
• and
• unmasking a signal if the compare signal is produced.