Dedicated point to point fiber optic interface

US5524218A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Unisys Corporation · US

Inventors

• Larry L. Byers · Apple Valley, US
• Donald M. Davies · Shoreview, US
• Joseba M. Desubijana · Minneapolis, US
• Michael E. Mayer · Fridley, US
• Randall L. Piper · Plymouth, US
• Lloyd E. Thorsbakken · Minneapolis, US
• Steven M. Wierdsma · Andover, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 23, 1993
• Grant date: Jun 4, 1996
• Expiry date: Dec 23, 2013

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04L69/324
• WIPO field: Digital communication
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A system for communicating data between a main processor and a peripheral processor over a fiber optic interface. The interface is a dedicated, point-to-point link operating in full-duplex, asynchronous mode. Dual fibers and physical layer controllers are used in a cascaded fashion to double the throughput of the interface. Frame control logic coordinates formatting of data into frames for transmission over the interface. Frame format and interface protocol are based on FDDI, but are improved to more efficiently transfer data in a point-to-point implementation. Frame Check Sequences are generated and verified to ensure error-free data transfers. Frame sending and frame receiving logic communicate with the main and peripheral processors, accepting data transfer requests and forwarding received data.