US 8,558,577 B1 · Systems and methods for bidirectional signal separation

Abstract

A signal separation module includes a single-ended bidirectional pin coupled to a processing device, a single-ended unidirectional output pin coupled to a differential signal transceiver, a single-ended unidirectional input pin coupled to the differential signal transceiver, and signal separation logic. The signal separation logic is to detect a current flow condition that indicates the bidirectional pin is asserted by the processing device; assert, as a result of the existence of the current flow condition, the unidirectional output pin and prevent the unidirectional input pin from affecting the bidirectional pin; detect an opposite current flow condition that indicates that the unidirectional input pin is asserted by the differential signal transceiver; and assert, as a result of the existence of the opposite current flow condition, the bidirectional pin and prevent the assertion of the bidirectional pin from affecting the unidirectional output pin.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A signal separation module, comprising:

a single-ended bidirectional pin coupled to a processing device;
a single-ended unidirectional output pin coupled to a differential signal transceiver;
a single-ended unidirectional input pin coupled to the differential signal transceiver;
and
signal separation logic configured to:
detect a current flow condition that indicates the bidirectional pin is asserted by the processing device;
assert, as a result of the existence of the current flow condition, the unidirectional output pin and prevent the unidirectional input pin from affecting the bidirectional pin;
detect an opposite current flow condition that indicates that the unidirectional input pin is asserted by the differential signal transceiver;
and
assert, as a result of the existence of the opposite current flow condition, the bidirectional pin and prevent the assertion of the bidirectional pin from affecting the unidirectional output pin.

7 more elements

A communication system, comprising a host device coupled to a remote device, each of the host device and the remote device comprising:

a processing device comprising a single-ended bidirectional pin;
a first differential signal transceiver comprising:
a single-ended unidirectional input pin;
a single-ended unidirectional output pin;
and
a differential bidirectional pin coupled to a corresponding differential bidirectional pin of the first differential signal transceiver of the other device;
a first signal separation module coupled to the bidirectional pin of the processing device and the unidirectional pins of the first differential signal transceiver, the first signal separation module to:
detect a current flow condition that indicates the bidirectional pin is asserted by the processing device;
assert, as a result of the existence of the current flow condition, a pin coupled to the unidirectional input pin and prevent the unidirectional output pin from affecting the bidirectional pin;
detect an opposite current flow condition that indicates that the unidirectional output pin is asserted by the first differential signal transceiver;
and
assert, as a result of the existence of the opposite current flow condition, the bidirectional pin and prevent the assertion of the bidirectional pin from affecting the unidirectional input pin.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Systems and methods for bidirectional signal separation

Life of this patent

Systems and methods for bidirectional signal separation

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18