Multitasking microcontroller for controlling the physical layer of a network interface card and method of operation
US7127718B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 15, 2000 |
| Grant date | Oct 24, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 23, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L69/321
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
There is disclosed an apparatus for controlling a physical layer interface of a network interface card in real time. The apparatus comprises: 1) a first memory for storing a multitasking control program, the multitasking control program comprising a main routine and a plurality of subroutines callable by the main routine; 2) a second memory for storing a plurality of multitasking vectors associated with the multitasking control program; and 3) a microcontroller for executing the multitasking control program, wherein program execution control is transferred from the main routine to a first one of the plurality of subroutines when the first subroutine is called by the main routine and wherein the first subroutine, upon encountering a decision point in the first subroutine that is not yet capable of being decided, updates a first one of the plurality of multitasking vectors associated with the first subroutine with an address of the decision point and transfers program execution control back to the main routine.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.