Apparatus and method for asynchronously controlling data transfers across long wires
AssigneeSun Microsystems, Inc.
InventorsRonald Ho, Jonathan K. Gainsley, Robert J. Drost
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Abstract
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that asynchronously controls the sending of data items from a sender to a receiver. The system includes a data path between the sender and the receiver, a first control path between the sender and the receiver, and a second control path between the sender and the receiver. The first control path and the second control path alternately control the asynchronous transmission of consecutive data items on the data path between the sender and the receiver.
Claims29
An apparatus that asynchronously controls sending of data items from a sender to a receiver, comprising:
- a data path between the sender and the receiver;
- a first control path between the sender and the receiver;
- a second control path between the sender and the receiver;
- a delay-matched path coupled between the first control path and the second control path, wherein a propagation time for a signal transmitted in the delay-matched path is substantially equal to a propagation time for a signal transmitted in the first control path and the second control path, and
- wherein the first control path and the second control path alternately control asynchronous transmission of consecutive data items on the data path between the sender and the receiver.
A method for asynchronously controlling sending of data items from a sender to a receiver, comprising:
- sending a first data item on a data path from the sender to the receiver and simultaneously sending a first request on a first control path from the sender to the receiver;
- after a first transit time has elapsed, receiving the first data item and the first request at the receiver;
- in response to receiving the first data item and the first request at the receiver, sending a first acknowledge signal on the first control path from the receiver to the sender;
- while the first acknowledge signal is in transit on the first control path, sending a second data item on the data path from the sender to the receiver and simultaneously sending a second request on a second control path from the sender to the receiver;
- and
- after a second transit time has elapsed, receiving the first acknowledge signal at the sender and receiving the second data item and the second request at the receiver;
- in response to receiving the second data item and the second request at the receiver, sending a second acknowledge signal on the second control path from the receiver to the sender;
- wherein the first control path and the second control path are coupled using a delay-matched path, wherein a propagation time for a signal transmitted in the delay-matched path is substantially equal to a propagation time for a signal transmitted in the first control path and the second control path, and
- wherein the first control path and the second control path alternately control sending consecutive data items on the data path.
An integrated circuit including a mechanism that asynchronously controls sending of data items from a sender to a receiver, comprising:
- a data path between the sender and the receiver;
- a first control path between the sender and the receiver;
- a second control path between the sender and the receiver;
- a delay-matched path coupled between the first control path and the second control path, wherein a propagation time for a signal transmitted in the delay-matched path is substantially equal to a propagation time for a signal transmitted in the first control path and the second control path, and
- wherein the first control path and the second control path alternately control asynchronous transmission of data items on the data path between the sender and the receiver.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.