Network device and adjustment method thereof

Abstract

A network device and an adjustment method thereof are provided. The network device includes a receiving circuit, a transmitting circuit, and an adjustment circuit. The receiving circuit receives a first output network packet data of a docking device through a first transmission line. The first output network packet data is based on the transmission protocol to support the transmission of multiple network transmission channels on the first transmission line, and alignment data is inserted between two of the multi-network transmission channels. The transmitting circuit outputs a second output network data packet data to the docking device through a second transmission line, and the second output network data packet data supports the transmission of multiple network transmission channels in the second transmission line according to the transmission protocol. The adjustment circuit identifies the alignment data in the first output network packet data, and controls the transmitting circuit to output the second output network packet data according to the recognition result.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to network communication, and more particularly to a network device and its adjustment method. Prior Technology

[0002] With the continuous evolution of Ethernet technology, existing transmission protocols can now transmit network packets across multiple network channels on a single transmission line; for example, the USXGMII defined by Cisco can operate on this technology. However, this technology requires the insertion of alignment marker data between the various transmission channels during transmission. This alignment marker data not only distinguishes the different transmission channels but also allows devices at both ends of the network to synchronize data transmission and reception. However, current methods adjust the alignment marker data insertion manually, which is obviously time-consuming and inconvenient. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a network device and its adjustment method, overcoming the shortcomings of existing technologies.

[0004] This invention provides a network device, including a receiving circuit, a transmitting circuit, and an adjustment circuit. The receiving circuit receives first output network packet data from a docked device via a first transmission line. The first output network packet data supports multiple network transmission channels on the first transmission line according to a transmission protocol. The transmitting circuit outputs second output network packet data to the docked device via a second transmission line. The second output network packet data supports multiple network transmission channels on the second transmission line according to the transmission protocol. The adjustment circuit is connected to the receiving circuit and the transmitting circuit. When the receiving circuit receives the first output network packet data, it identifies the distribution rules of alignment data in the first output network packet data and controls the transmitting circuit to output the second output network packet data according to the distribution rules, wherein alignment data is inserted between any two adjacent multiple network transmission channels.

[0005] This invention provides a method for adjusting a network device, comprising: a receiving circuit of the network device receiving first output network packet data from a docking device via a first transmission line, the first output network packet data supporting multiple network transmission channels on the first transmission line according to a transmission protocol; a transmitting circuit of the network device outputting second output network packet data to the docking device via a second transmission line, the second output network packet data supporting multiple network transmission channels on the second transmission line according to a transmission protocol; and, upon receiving the first output network packet data, identifying the distribution rules of alignment data in the first output network packet data, and controlling the transmitting circuit to output the second output network packet data according to the distribution rules; wherein alignment data is inserted between any two adjacent multiple network transmission channels.

[0006] In summary, the network device and its adjustment method provided in this embodiment of the invention can automatically complete the docking settings of alignment data, avoid the inconvenience caused by manual input, and effectively reduce the time required for setting.

[0007] To further understand the features and technical content of the present invention, please refer to the following detailed description and drawings of the present invention. However, the drawings provided are for reference and illustration only and are not intended to limit the present invention. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0008] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the network device and the docking device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] Figure 2 is a circuit block diagram of the adjustment circuit provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 3 is a control flowchart of the adjustment method for network equipment provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 4 is a control flowchart for identifying alignment data distribution rules according to an embodiment of the present invention. Implementation

[0012] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can understand the advantages and effects of the present invention from the content provided in this specification. The present invention can be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can also be modified and changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the concept of the present invention. Furthermore, the accompanying drawings of the present invention are for simple illustrative purposes only and are not depictions of actual dimensions; this is stated in advance. The following embodiments will further describe the relevant technical content of the present invention in detail, but the content provided is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0013] It should be understood that while terms such as "first," "second," and "third" may be used in this document to describe various components or signals, these components or signals should not be limited by these terms. These terms are primarily used to distinguish one component from another, or one signal from another. Furthermore, the term "or" as used herein may, depending on the context, include any combination of one or more of the related listed items.

[0014] This invention provides a network device and its adjustment method. The network device is used for bidirectional network data transmission with a connected device. For example, the network device can receive network data output from the connected device through a single transmission line, and similarly, the network device can output network data to the connected device through another transmission line. However, it should be noted that the transmission protocol used by the network device and the connected device refers to supporting multiple network ports on a single transmission line, and inserting alignment marker data into the multiple network ports according to a specific distribution rule, so that the network device or the connected device can distinguish between the multiple network ports based on the alignment data.

[0015] It is important to note that network devices can automatically detect alignment data in the network data output by the docking device. By identifying the timing of the occurrence of multiple alignment data points in the network data, the distribution rules of the alignment data in the network data output by the docking device can be calculated. Once the network device knows these alignment data distribution rules, it can insert the alignment data into the network data output by the network device to the docking device according to these rules. This automatically completes the alignment settings between the network device and the docking device, enabling subsequent bidirectional multi-channel network transmission between them.

[0016] [Example of the usage architecture for network equipment and interfacing equipment]

[0017] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the network device and the docking device provided in this embodiment of the invention. The network device 1 in this embodiment includes a receiving circuit 11, a transmitting circuit 13, and an adjustment circuit 15, with the adjustment circuit 15 connected to the receiving circuit 11 and the transmitting circuit 13. The receiving circuit 11 in the network device 1 receives first output network packet data from the docking device 3 according to a transmission protocol, and the transmitting circuit 13 in the network device 1 outputs second output network packet data to the docking device 3 according to the transmission protocol. Here, the receiving circuit 11 and the transmitting circuit 13 of the network device 1 use the same transmission protocol to perform bidirectional transmission of network data with the docking device 3. Furthermore, the adjustment circuit 15 analyzes the alignment data in the network packet data received by the receiving circuit 11 and, based on the analysis results, controls the transmitting circuit 13 to send the alignment data in the network packets according to the transmission rules.

[0018] It should be specifically noted that a first transmission line T1 connects the receiving circuit 11 of network device 1 and the transmitting circuit 31 of docking device 3. This means that the receiving circuit 11 of network device 1 can receive the first output network packet data output by the transmitting circuit 31 of docking device 3 via the first transmission line T1. Furthermore, this first output network packet data supports multiple network transmission channels according to the transmission protocol on the first transmission line T1. Similarly, a second transmission line T2 connects the transmitting circuit 13 of network device 1 and the receiving circuit 33 of docking device 3. This means that the transmitting circuit 13 of network device 1 can output second output network packet data to the receiving circuit 33 of docking device 3 via the second transmission line T2. This second output network packet data also supports multiple network transmission channels according to the transmission protocol on the second transmission line T2. In other words, network device 1 and docking device 3 respectively support multiple network transmission channels via the first transmission line T1 and the second transmission line T2.

[0019] On the other hand, these multiple network transmission channels may include, for example, a first network transmission channel, a second network transmission channel, a third network transmission channel, ..., an Lth network transmission channel, and the network transmission speeds used by each network transmission channel may be different, and alignment data is inserted between each network transmission channel at the same time interval. For example, alignment data is inserted between the first network transmission channel and the second network transmission channel, and between the second network transmission channel and the third network transmission channel, and so on.

[0020] In one embodiment, when network device 1 receives first output network packet data sent by docking device 3 through receiving circuit 11, adjustment circuit 15 can identify the first output network packet data received by receiving circuit 11. For example, adjustment circuit 15 can accurately distinguish the transmission data of each network transmission channel by identifying the alignment data inserted in the first output network packet data. Furthermore, adjustment circuit 15 can determine the distribution rule of alignment data in the first output network packet data based on the identification result, and control transmitting circuit 13 to output second output network packet data to docking device 3 according to this distribution rule, so that the distribution rule of alignment data in the first output network packet data and the second output network packet data is consistent. In this way, through the above-mentioned automatic adjustment mechanism of adjustment circuit 15, the alignment data setting of network device 1 and docking device 3 can be completed automatically without manual input operation setting, and then network device 1 and docking device 3 can smoothly dock and transmit network packet data.

[0021] It is understandable that the second output network packet data also includes multiple network transmission channels, meaning that alignment data is also inserted into the second output network packet data, and the distribution rules of the alignment data in the first and second output network packet data are the same. Therefore, for the adjustment circuit 15 of network device 1, it first obtains the first output network packet data output by the docking device 3, and obtains the corresponding distribution rules by analyzing and identifying the alignment data of the first output network packet data. Finally, network device 1 can output the second output network packet data to the docking device 3 according to this distribution rule relative to the control transmission circuit 13. This enables network device 1 and docking device 3 to successfully perform bidirectional network transmission. For example, network device 1 can correctly receive the first output network packet data output by docking device 3, and similarly, docking device 3 can correctly receive the second output network packet data output by network device 1.

[0022] In one embodiment, the transmission protocol used by network device 1 and docking device 3 may conform to the IEEE 802.3 specification regarding Ethernet transmission standards.

[0023] In one embodiment, the receiving circuits 11 and 33 and the transmitting circuits 13 and 31 used between the network device 1 and the docking device 3 support a transmission interface compliant with USXGMII.

[0024] In one embodiment, the receiving circuits 11 and 33 and the transmitting circuits 13 and 31 used between the network device 1 and the docking device 3 each include a sequencer / deserializer (SerDes). For example, the sequencer / deserializer 111 of the receiving circuit 11 of the network device 1 is connected to the sequencer / deserializer 311 of the transmitting circuit 31 of the docking device 3 via the first transmission line T1. That is, the first output network packet data is transmitted as serial data on the first transmission line T1 via the sequencer / deserializer 311 of the docking device 3, and the sequencer / deserializer 111 of the network device 1 converts the first output network packet data into parallel data after receiving it. Similarly, the sequencer / deserializer 131 of the transmitting circuit 13 of network device 1 is connected to the sequencer / deserializer 331 of the receiving circuit 33 of docking device 3 via the second transmission line T2. That is, the second output network packet data is transmitted as serial data on the second transmission line T2 via the sequencer / deserializer 131 of network device 1, and the sequencer / deserializer 331 of docking device 3 converts the second output network packet data into parallel data after receiving it.

[0025] In one embodiment, network device 1 may be a switching chip, and docking device 3 may be a physical layer (PHY) chip.

[0026] In one embodiment, the distribution rule of alignment data refers to the insertion frequency of alignment data.

[0027] [Example of the adjustment circuit]

[0028] Please refer to Figure 2, which is a circuit block diagram of the adjustment circuit provided in an embodiment of the present invention. The adjustment circuit 15 in Figure 1 can be illustrated by the architecture in Figure 2. Here, the adjustment circuit 15 includes, for example, a control circuit 151, a detection circuit 153, and an insertion circuit 155, wherein the control circuit 151 is connected to the detection circuit 153 and the insertion circuit 155.

[0029] Specifically, when the receiving circuit 11 of network device 1 acquires the first output network packet data, the detection circuit 153 detects the alignment data in the first output network packet data. Based on the detection results of the detection circuit 153, the control circuit 151 can determine the distribution rules of the alignment data in the first output network packet data. For example, the control circuit 151 can obtain the number of occurrences of the alignment data, the period between two adjacent alignment data entries, and calculate the input frequency based on the period. Once the control circuit 151 knows the input frequency of the alignment data in the first output network packet data, it can control the insertion circuit 155 to insert the alignment data into the second output network packet data according to the input frequency. Therefore, the alignment data in both the first and second output network packet data uses the same input frequency.

[0030] In one embodiment, after the control circuit 151 calculates the period time of two adjacent alignment data for the first time, the control circuit 151 can further determine the accuracy of this period time through a verification mechanism. For example, the adjustment circuit 151 starts timing from the Nth alignment data in the first output network packet data to the (N+1)th alignment data to obtain a period time, and repeatedly verifies multiple period times obtained at different times, and then calculates the input frequency based on the relative period times, where N is a positive integer.

[0031] It should be noted that, for the control circuit 151, when multiple cycle times obtained at different times are consistent and the number of verifications meets the preset number, the control circuit determines that the verification cycle time is accurate, and then the control circuit 151 will use this cycle time to calculate the input frequency, and then control the sending circuit 13 to insert the alignment data into the second output network packet data according to the calculated input frequency.

[0032] [Example of Network Equipment Adjustment Method]

[0033] Please refer to Figure 3, which is a control flowchart of the adjustment method for a network device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. For ease of explanation, please refer to the related architectures in Figures 1 and 2 above to understand how the following steps are executed.

[0034] In step S301, the first output network packet data is received. The receiving circuit 11 in the network device 1 can obtain the first output network packet data output by the docking device 3 through the first transmission line T1. Here, the first output network packet data is transmitted according to the transmission protocol that can support multiple network transmission channels on a single transmission line. That is, the first output network packet data is inserted with alignment data, and alignment data is inserted between each network transmission channel at the same time interval.

[0035] In step S303, the distribution rule of alignment data in the first output network packet data is identified. After the network device 1 obtains the first output network packet data through the receiving circuit 11, the network device 1 can identify the alignment data in the first output network packet data. The identification method here is to obtain the period time between two adjacent alignment data, and then know the distribution rule of the alignment data in the first output network packet data. Here, the distribution rule can be the period time of repeated occurrence of alignment data.

[0036] In step S305, second output network packet data is output according to the distribution rules. After network device 1 obtains the distribution rules associated with the alignment data in step S303, the transmitting circuit 13 of network device 1 can output second output network packet data to the receiving circuit 33 of the docking device according to these distribution rules. The distribution rules of the alignment data in this second output network packet data are the same as those of the alignment data in the first output network packet data. Therefore, for docking device 3, it can successfully identify and receive this second output network packet.

[0037] [Example of Identifying Alignment Data]

[0038] Please refer to Figure 4, which is a control flowchart for identifying alignment data distribution rules according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 illustrates the following steps for the implementation of step S303 of Figure 3, which involves identifying alignment data.

[0039] Step S401: Identify alignment data. When network device 1 obtains the first output network packet data, it will identify whether the data content belongs to alignment data. Since the first output network packet data is transmitted on the first transmission line T1 in a serial data arrangement, the multiple alignment data inserted in the first output network packet data will be arranged to be transmitted at different times.

[0040] Step S403: Timing the period between two adjacent alignment data. Based on the execution result of step S401, alignment data appearing at different times can be identified from the first output network packet data. Accordingly, timing can be started for the first alignment data and stopped for the next alignment data. This timing period is the period between the two adjacent alignment data. This process can be repeated to obtain multiple period times at different time positions.

[0041] Step S405: Determine whether multiple period times have been obtained. Network device 1 determines whether to proceed to the period time verification step by determining whether the number of obtained period times is multiple. If step S405 determines yes, then step S407 is executed; if step S405 determines no, then the process returns to step S401.

[0042] Step S407: Determine whether two adjacent period times are the same. When network device 1 sequentially acquires multiple period times, it determines whether two adjacent period times are the same to identify whether the alignment data has a regular change. If step S407 determines yes, then proceed to step S409; if step S407 determines no, then proceed to step S415.

[0043] Step S409: Increment the verification count by 1. If step S407 determines that two adjacent period times are the same, network device 1 can increment the verification count by 1. Here, the initial value of the verification count is 0 as an example.

[0044] Step S411: Determine whether the number of verifications equals the number of predictions. In this network device 1, determining whether the number of verifications equals the preset number is used to verify whether the alignment data in the first output network packet conforms to a regularly changing distribution rule. If step S411 determines yes, then step S413 is executed; if step S411 determines no, then the process returns to step S401.

[0045] In step S413: Calculate the input frequency. When step S411 determines that it is true, network device 1 can determine that there is a distribution rule that conforms to the regular changes based on the fact that multiple records obtained in the above steps have the same period time. Therefore, it will further calculate the input frequency of the alignment data inserted into the first output network packet data based on this period time. That is, step S303 in Figure 3, which identifies the distribution rule of the alignment data, is the input frequency of the alignment data inserted into the first output network packet data.

[0046] In step S415: Reset the verification count to zero. When any two adjacent period times are different, network device 1 resets the verification count to zero, thereby reflecting that the distribution rules of alignment data in the current first output network packet data do not conform to the characteristics of regular changes, and must be re-verified.

[0047] Regarding the alignment data identification method in Figure 4 above, an example is given below. Assume that multiple alignment data entries are inserted into the first output network packet data, with N representing the Nth alignment data entry and M representing the Mth acquisition cycle time. The number of verifications is preset to 0, and the preset number of verifications is assumed to be 2. N and M are positive integers.

[0048] Therefore, for network device 1, when the first output network packet data contains the Nth alignment data, it will start timing and time the (N+1)th logarithmic data, thus obtaining the periodic time between the Nth and (N+1)th alignment data. For example, this periodic time can be the time P1 between the 1st and 2nd alignment data, the time P2 between the 2nd and 3rd alignment data, the time P3 between the 3rd and 4th alignment data, and so on. The periodic time between the Nth and (N+1)th alignment data is considered the Mth periodic time; for example, the 1st periodic time is the time between the 1st and 2nd alignment data, the 2nd periodic time is the time between the 2nd and 3rd alignment data, the 3rd periodic time is the time between the 3rd and 4th alignment data, and so on.

[0049] On the other hand, when the network device receives the following information, such as the first cycle time P1 equals the second cycle time P2, the number of verifications is 1. Since the number of verifications is not yet equal to the number of predictions, network device 1 suspends the calculation of the input frequency. Then, when the second cycle time P2 equals the third cycle time P3, the number of verifications is 2. Therefore, network device 1 determines that the distribution rule of the alignment data in the first output network packet data conforms to the regular change, and network device 1 can calculate the input frequency of the alignment data based on this cycle time, that is, the input frequency is equal to the reciprocal of the cycle time.

[0050] On the other hand, when network device 1 receives information such as the first cycle time P1 equals the second cycle time P2, the verification count is 1. Then, if the second cycle time P2 is not equal to the third cycle time P3, the verification count will be zero. Therefore, network device 1 determines that the distribution rule of the alignment data in the first output network packet does not conform to a regular change and verification needs to be performed again.

[0051] In one embodiment, the adjustment circuit 15 can be one or any combination of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or a system-on-a-chip (SOC), and can be used in conjunction with other related circuit elements and firmware to achieve the above-mentioned functional flow.

[0052] [Beneficial Effects of the Examples]

[0053] The network device and its adjustment method provided by the present invention can automatically identify the distribution rules of alignment data in the first output network packet data of the docking device, and relatively control the insertion frequency of alignment data in the second output network packet data of the docking device according to the identification results, so that the network device and the docking device can automatically set the alignment data when docking, avoiding the inconvenience caused by manual input, and effectively reducing the time required for setting.

[0054] The above-described content is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the patent application of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent technical changes made using the description and drawings of the present invention are included within the scope of the patent application of the present invention.

[0055] 1: Network equipment 11: Receiving circuit 111: Sequencer / Deserializer 13: Transmitting circuit 131: Sequencer / Deserializer 15: Adjusting the circuit 151: Control Circuit 153: Detection Circuit 155: Insertion Circuit 3: Dating equipment 31: Transmitting circuit 311: Sequencer / Deserializer 33: Receiving circuit 331: Sequencer / Deserializer T1: First transmission line T2: Second transmission line S301: Receive first output network packet data S303: Identify the distribution rules of alignment data in the first output network packet data. S305: Output the second output network packet data according to the distribution rules. S401: Identify Alignment Data S403: Timing the period between two adjacent alignment data entries S405: Obtain multiple cycle times S407: Two adjacent transactions have the same cycle time. S409: Increment the verification count by 1 S411: The number of verifications equals the preset number of verifications. S413: Calculate the input frequency S415: Verification count reset to zero

Claims

1. A network device, comprising: A receiving circuit receives a first output network packet from a docking device via a first transmission line, the first output network packet supporting multiple network transmission channels on the first transmission line according to a transmission protocol; a transmitting circuit outputs a second output network packet to the docking device via a second transmission line, the second output network packet supporting multiple network transmission channels on the second transmission line according to the transmission protocol. An adjustment circuit, connected to the receiving circuit and the transmitting circuit, identifies a distribution rule of an alignment marker data in the first output network packet data when the receiving circuit acquires the first output network packet data, and controls the transmitting circuit to output the second output network packet data according to the distribution rule, wherein the distribution rule indicates a period of time during which the alignment data recurs in the first output network packet data; wherein the alignment data is inserted between any two adjacent channels of the multi-network transmission channel.

2. The network device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distribution rule is an input frequency of the alignment data in the first output network packet data.

3. The network device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the adjustment circuit starts timing from the Nth alignment data in the first output network packet data to the (N+1)th alignment data to obtain a cycle time, and repeatedly verifies multiple cycles obtained at different times, and then calculates the input frequency based on the cycle time, wherein N is a positive integer.

4. The network device as claimed in claim 3, wherein when multiple period times obtained at different times are consistent and the number of verifications meets a preset number, the adjustment circuit calculates the input frequency based on the period time, and controls the transmitting circuit to insert the alignment data into the second output network packet data according to the calculated input frequency.

5. The network device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the adjustment circuitry further comprises: A detection circuit detects the alignment data in the first output network packet data; A control circuit obtains the number of occurrences of the alignment data and the period time of two adjacent alignment data based on the detection result of the detection circuit, and calculates the input frequency based on the period time; an insertion circuit inserts the alignment data into the second output network packet data according to the input frequency.

6. The network device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiving circuit and the transmitting circuit each include a sequencer / deserializer (SerDes).

7. A method for adjusting a network device, comprising: A receiving circuit of the network device receives a first output network packet from a docking device via a first transmission line. The first output network packet supports multiple network transmission channels on the first transmission line according to a transmission protocol. A transmitting circuit of the network device outputs a second output network packet to the docking device via a second transmission line. The second output network packet supports multiple network transmission channels on the second transmission line according to the transmission protocol. And when the receiving circuit obtains the first output network packet data, it identifies a distribution rule of alignment data in the first output network packet data, and controls the transmitting circuit to output the second output network packet data according to the distribution rule, wherein the distribution rule indicates a period of time during which the alignment data repeatedly appears in the first output network packet data; wherein the alignment data is inserted between any two adjacent pairs of the multi-network transmission channels.

8. The method for adjusting the network equipment as described in claim 7 further includes: The input frequency of the alignment data in the first output network packet data is calculated based on the distribution rule.

9. The method for adjusting the network device as described in claim 8, wherein the calculation of the input frequency further includes: When the Nth alignment data appears in the first output network packet data, a timer is started, where N is a positive integer. When the first output network packet data contains the (N+1)th alignment data, the timing is stopped; the time from the Nth alignment data to the (N+1)th alignment data is obtained based on the timing result; and the input frequency is calculated based on the time period.

10. The method for adjusting the network device as described in claim 9 further includes: After obtaining the Mth cycle time, it is determined again whether the (M+1)th cycle time is the same as the Mth cycle time, where M is a positive integer; if the (M+1)th cycle time is the same as the Mth cycle time, the verification count is incremented by 1; if the (M+1)th cycle time is different from the Mth cycle time, the verification count is reset to zero; it is determined whether the verification count is equal to a preset count; and if the verification count is equal to the preset count, the calculation of the input frequency is started; and if the verification count is not yet equal to the preset count, the calculation of the input frequency is paused.

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