Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for communication and translation of a plurality of digital protocols

US6128673A · kind A · utility

42Cited by
16References
35Claims
0Family size

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 14, 1997
Grant dateOct 3, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 14, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F13/405
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A digital protocol translator including a first protocol circuitry having a first I/O port adapted to communicate using a first digital protocol, the first protocol circuitry including a first controller. The translator further includes a second protocol circuitry having a second I/O port communicating using a second digital protocol different from the first digital protocol, the second protocol circuitry including a second controller in communication with the first controller, such that communications between the first I/O port and the second I/O port are translated between the first protocol and the second protocol. Preferably, the translator further includes a microprocessor and digital memory, where the microprocessor operates under the control of a program stored in the memory. Also preferably, the first controller includes a first state machine, a first plurality of registers, and a first DMA interface, and the second controller includes a second state machine, a second plurality of registers, and a second DMA interface.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.