Processing system having improved bi-directional serial clock communication circuitry

US5964845A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Robert E. Braun · Bar Harbor, US
• Wilhelm Haller · Winnenden, DE
• Klaus J. Getzlaff · Schenefeld, DE
• Thomas Pfluger · Leinfelden, DE
• Dietmar Schmunkamp · Schenefeld, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 16, 1996
• Grant date: Oct 12, 1999
• Expiry date: Dec 16, 2016

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06F13/4291
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

One or more processing units are connected with a clock component (comprising a clock) over a bi-directional serial link, and data frames are transmitted between the clock component and the processing units. The clock component may contain a serial link combination circuit for combining multiple processing unit serial links, operating in parallel, into a single serial link connected to the clock. Both of the clock component and the processing units contain an error detection and correction mechanism which examine and modify data within the data frames to perform error detection and correction. The clock component optionally contains an external interface for connection to a command-issuing Service Processor.