Data transfer system

Abstract

A data transmission system (10) for bidirectionally transmitting data between two electronic devices (21, 22) is provided with: first unidirectional transmission paths (110, 300, 210) for transmitting data in a first direction from one electronic device to the other electronic device; a second one-way transmission path (120, 400, 220) for transmitting data in a second direction opposite to the first direction between the two electronic devices; a bidirectional transmission path (130, 500, 230) that performs data transmission between the two electronic devices in a set direction of the first direction and the second direction; and a transmission direction setting unit (152, 252) that sets the data transmission direction in the bidirectional transmission path.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a data transmission system. Background Art

[0002] As a method for transmitting bidirectional data between electronic devices, the PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect-Express) standard is known, which combines multiple unidirectional transmission paths that transmit data in opposite directions in only one direction (non-patent document 1). In addition, as the method adopted in the DDR4 (Double Data Rate 4) standard, a method is known in which a bidirectional transmission path is provided that can realize bidirectional data transmission and the transmission direction of the bidirectional transmission path is switched at any time (non-patent document 2).

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Non-patent literature

[0005] Non-patent document 1: PCI Express Base Specification Revision 5.0 Version 1.0, 22 May 2019

[0006] Non-patent document 2: JEDEC STANDARD DDR4 SDRAM JESD79-4B, JUNE 2017 Summary of the invention

[0007] However, according to the data transmission method described in Patent Document 1, the number of unidirectional transmission paths is predetermined, so when the amount of data transmission is biased towards the transmission direction of one party, there is a possibility that the transmission path used for data transmission in the transmission direction of the other party is not used, thereby reducing the data transmission efficiency. In addition, it is impossible to cope with the situation where the ratio of the amount of data transmission to the transmission direction of one party to the amount of data transmission to the transmission direction of the other party changes at any time. According to the data transmission method described in Patent Document 2, data cannot be transmitted during the switching of the transmission direction, thereby reducing the data transmission efficiency. In addition, the bidirectional transmission path includes two sets of transmitters and receivers, so the manufacturing cost of the data transmission system increases compared with the structure having only a unidirectional transmission path including one set of transmitters and receivers.

[0008] The present disclosure can be implemented as the following technical solutions.

[0009] According to a technical solution of the present disclosure, a data transmission system for bidirectionally transmitting data between two electronic devices is provided. The data transmission system comprises: a first unidirectional transmission path for transmitting data in a first direction from the electronic device on one side to the electronic device on the other side; a second unidirectional transmission path for transmitting data in a second direction opposite to the first direction between the two electronic devices; a bidirectional transmission path for transmitting data in a set direction between the first direction and the second direction between the two electronic devices; and a transmission direction setting unit for setting the data transmission direction in the bidirectional transmission path.

[0010] According to the data transmission system of the technical solution, the bidirectional transmission path and the transmission direction setting unit are provided. The bidirectional transmission path transmits data in the data transmission direction set by the transmission direction setting unit, so the ratio of the data transmission amount in the first direction to the data transmission amount in the second direction can be adjusted according to the data transmission direction of the bidirectional transmission path, and the reduction of the data transmission efficiency can be suppressed. In addition, not only the bidirectional transmission path but also the first unidirectional transmission path and the second unidirectional transmission path are provided, so compared with the solution in which all transmission paths are constituted by the bidirectional transmission path, the increase of the manufacturing cost of the data transmission system can be suppressed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 This is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a data transmission system according to the first embodiment.

[0012] Figure 2 This is a flowchart showing the procedure of the data transfer process according to the first embodiment.

[0013] Figure 3 This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the packet transfer sequence.

[0014] Figure 4 It is an explanatory diagram showing the procedure of the data transfer process according to the second embodiment.

[0015] Figure 5 It is an explanatory diagram showing the procedure of the data transfer process according to the second embodiment.

[0016] Figure 6 This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of switching of the data transfer direction according to the second embodiment.

[0017] Figure 7 This is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a data transmission system according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] A. First embodiment

[0019] A-1. System structure

[0020] The data transmission system 10 of the present embodiment is arranged between the computing device 21 and the computing device 22, and transmits data bidirectionally between the two computing devices. In the following description, as needed, the data transmission direction of transmitting data from the computing device 21 to the computing device 22 is referred to as the "sending direction", and the data transmission direction of transmitting data from the computing device 22 to the computing device 21 is referred to as the "receiving direction". The sending direction is equivalent to the "first direction" in the present disclosure. The receiving direction is equivalent to the "second direction" in the present disclosure. In addition, the data transmission system 10 is not limited to being arranged between two computing devices, and can also be arranged between any two electronic devices that exchange data such as a storage device, a communication device, etc., and transmit data bidirectionally between the two electronic devices.

[0021] like Figure 1 As shown, the data transmission system 10 of this embodiment includes a first transceiver 100, a second transceiver 200, a data bus 300, a data bus 400, and a data bus 500. The first transceiver 100 and the second transceiver 200 are respectively provided corresponding to the computing device 21 and the computing device 22. The data bus 300, the data bus 400, and the data bus 500 are respectively provided between the first transceiver 100 and the second transceiver 200, and connect the first transceiver 100 and the second transceiver 200 to each other.

[0022] The first transceiver 100 includes a transmitting unit 110, a receiving unit 120, a transceiver 130, a bus 140, and a control unit 150. The second transceiver 200 includes a receiving unit 210, a transmitting unit 220, a transceiver 230, a bus 240, and a control unit 250. The first transceiver 100 and the second transceiver 200 have the same structure, so in the following description, the first transceiver 100 will be mainly described.

[0023] The transmission unit 110 transmits data to the receiving unit 210 via the data bus 300. The transmission unit 110, the data bus 300, and the receiving unit 210 form a data transmission path for transmitting data between the computing device 21 and the computing device 22 in the transmission direction. This data transmission path is equivalent to the "first unidirectional transmission path" in the present disclosure. In addition, Figure 1 Although not shown in the figure, the data transmission system 10 of the present embodiment includes a plurality of first unidirectional transmission paths.

[0024] The receiving unit 120 receives data from the transmitting unit 220 via the data bus 400. The receiving unit 120, the data bus 400, and the transmitting unit 220 form a data transmission path for transmitting data in the receiving direction between the computing device 21 and the computing device 22. This data transmission path is equivalent to the "second unidirectional transmission path" in the present disclosure. In addition, Figure 1Although not shown in the figure, the data transmission system 10 of the present embodiment includes a plurality of second unidirectional transmission paths.

[0025] The transceiver unit 130 includes a transmitting unit 131 and a receiving unit 132. The transceiver unit 130 is configured to be able to switch between the transmitting unit 131 and the receiving unit 132 according to the data transmission direction set by the control unit 150 described later. In the following description, the state of the transceiver unit 130 when the transmitting unit 131 is used is referred to as a "transmitting state", and the state of the transceiver unit 130 when the receiving unit 132 is used is referred to as a "receiving state". Similar to the transceiver unit 130, the transceiver unit 230 included in the second transceiver device 200 includes a receiving unit 231 and a transmitting unit 232.

[0026] The transceiver unit 130 and the transceiver unit 230 are connected to each other via a data bus 500. The data bus 500 can perform data transmission in the sending direction and data transmission in the receiving direction according to the above-mentioned data transmission direction. The transceiver unit 130, the data bus 500 and the transceiver unit 230 form a data transmission path for bidirectional data transmission between the computing device 21 and the computing device 22. This data transmission path is equivalent to the "bidirectional transmission path" in the present disclosure. In addition, Figure 1 Although not shown in the figure, the data transmission system 10 of the present embodiment includes a plurality of bidirectional transmission paths.

[0027] The control unit 150 is connected to the transmission unit 110, the reception unit 120, and the transceiver unit 130 via the bus 140. The control unit 150 includes a transmission control unit 151, a transmission direction setting unit 152, a transmission buffer 153, and a reception buffer 154. The control unit 250 includes a transmission control unit 251, a transmission direction setting unit 252, a reception buffer 253, and a transmission buffer 254. The configurations of the control unit 150 and the control unit 250 are the same, so in the following description, the control unit 150 will be described.

[0028] The transmission control unit 151 controls data transmission via the above-mentioned data transmission path of data (hereinafter also referred to as "transmission request data") output from the computing device 21. Specific processing performed by the transmission control unit 151 will be described later.

[0029] The transmission direction setting unit 152 sets the data transmission direction of the above-mentioned bidirectional transmission path. More specifically, it sets which state of the above-mentioned sending state and receiving state the transceiver 130 is to be. In this embodiment, the transmission direction setting unit 152 sets the data transmission direction of the bidirectional transmission path according to the data transmission direction pre-specified by the user when the data transmission system 10 is started. For example, when it is predicted that the amount of data transmitted from the computing device 21 to the computing device 22 is greater than the amount of data transmitted from the computing device 22 to the computing device 21, the user specifies that the data transmission direction is set to the sending direction. In addition, in this embodiment, the transmission direction setting unit 152 sets the data transmission direction of each bidirectional transmission path so that all the data transmission directions of the plurality of bidirectional transmission paths are the same. In this way, the transmission direction setting unit 152 can adjust the ratio of the data transmission amount in the sending direction to the data transmission amount in the receiving direction according to the trend of the data transmission amount in the data transmission system 10 by switching the data transmission direction of the bidirectional transmission path. In addition, the first transceiver 100 and the second transceiver 200 are provided with an interface (not shown) for communicating with a terminal such as a personal computer for specifying the data transmission direction by the user.

[0030] The transmission buffer 153 temporarily stores transmission request data from the computing device 21. The reception buffer 154 temporarily stores data received from the second transceiver 200. In this embodiment, the first transceiver 100 includes one reception buffer 154, but may include two or more according to the number of receiving units 120.

[0031] A-2. Data transmission processing

[0032] When the data transmission system 10 is started, the control unit 150 and the control unit 250 start Figure 2 The processing executed by the control unit 150 and the control unit 250 is the same, so the processing of the control unit 150 will be mainly described in the following description.

[0033] In step S10, the transmission direction setting unit 152 sets the data transmission direction according to the data transmission direction specified in advance by the user. In the following description, it is assumed that the user specifies to set the data transmission direction to the transmission direction, and the transmission direction setting unit 152 sets the transceiver 130 to the transmission state.

[0034] In step S20, the transmission control unit 151 determines whether there is transmission request data in the transmission buffer 153. When it is determined that there is no transmission request data (step S20: No), the transmission control unit 151 waits until data is output from the computing device 21. When it is determined that there is transmission request data (step S20: Yes), in step S30, the transmission control unit 151 divides the transmission request data into packets of a predetermined data amount. In addition, in this embodiment, the transmission control unit 151 assigns a number indicating the transmission order to each divided packet. The transmitted packets are temporarily held in the receiving buffer 253 of the control unit 250 as the transmission destination, and the control unit 250 rearranges them in the original order according to the numbers assigned to each packet, and transmits them to the computing device 22.

[0035] In step S40, the transmission control unit 151 determines whether the unidirectional transmission path can be used, that is, whether the transmission unit 110 is performing data transmission. If it is determined that the unidirectional transmission path can be used (step S40: Yes), in step S50, the transmission control unit 151 transmits the packet using the unidirectional transmission path.

[0036] On the other hand, when it is determined that the unidirectional transmission path cannot be used (step S40; No), in step S42, the transmission control unit 151 determines whether the bidirectional transmission path can be used. The so-called "bidirectional transmission path can be used" means that the data transmission direction is set to the transmission direction, and the transmission unit 131 provided by the transceiver unit 130 is not in the state of executing data transmission. In addition, when the data transmission direction is set to the reception direction when the data transmission system 10 is started, the transmission control unit 151 cannot use the bidirectional transmission path for data transmission in the transmission direction in the operating state of the data transmission system 10. In this case, the transmission control unit 151 transmits the packet using only the unidirectional transmission path, so the determination of step S42 can be omitted.

[0037] If it is determined that the bidirectional transmission path can be used (step S42: Yes), the transmission control unit 151 transmits the packet using the bidirectional transmission path in step S52. On the other hand, if it is determined that the bidirectional transmission path cannot be used (step S42: No), the transmission control unit 151 executes step S40 again.

[0038] After step S50 or step S52 is completed, in step S60, the transmission control unit 151 determines whether all packets have been transmitted. If all packets have not been transmitted (step S60: No), the transmission control unit 151 executes step 40 again. On the other hand, if all packets have been transmitted (step S60: Yes), the transmission control unit 151 executes step S20 again. The transmission control unit 151 repeatedly executes steps S20 to S60 described above while the data transmission system 10 is in operation.

[0039] For the data transmission process described above, refer to Figure 3 The example shown is explained in more detail. Figure 3 In the figure, the horizontal axis represents the passage of time, and shows which of the unidirectional transmission path and the bidirectional transmission path is used to transmit each packet as the time from the start of transmission passes when the transmission request data is divided into 8 packets P0 to P7. In addition, the size of the rectangle representing each packet corresponds to the size of the time required to transmit each packet. That is, compared with the case of transmission using a unidirectional transmission path, even if the same amount of data is transmitted, it takes more time to transmit each packet when transmitting using a bidirectional transmission path. This is because Figure 3 In the example shown, the data bus width of the bidirectional transmission path is smaller and the transmission frequency is slower than that of the unidirectional transmission path.

[0040] At the time t0 when transmission starts, since the unidirectional transmission path is not used and can be used, the packet P0 is transmitted using the unidirectional transmission path. Then, at the time t1 when transmission of the packet P1 starts, since the unidirectional transmission path is used for the transmission of the packet P0 and cannot be used, the packet P1 is transmitted using the bidirectional transmission path that has not been used but can be used. Then, at the time t2 when transmission of the packet P0 ends, the unidirectional transmission path is available again, so the packet P2 is transmitted using the unidirectional transmission path. The same is true for packets P3 to P7 below, and each packet is transmitted using the transmission path that can be used when each packet is transmitted. In addition, when each packet is transmitted in this way, it is received in the control unit 250 as the transmission destination in the order of packets P0, P1, P2, P4, P3, P5, P6, and P7, and the transmission order is different from the reception order. Each transmitted packet is temporarily held in the receiving buffer 253, and the control unit 250 rearranges the packets to the original order according to the numbers assigned to each packet, and transmits them to the computing device 22.

[0041] According to the data transmission system 10 of the first embodiment described above, the bidirectional transmission path and the transmission direction setting unit 152 are provided. The bidirectional transmission path transmits data in the data transmission direction set by the transmission direction setting unit 152. Therefore, the ratio of the data transmission amount in the transmission direction to the data transmission amount in the reception direction can be adjusted according to the data transmission direction of the bidirectional transmission path, and the reduction in data transmission efficiency can be suppressed. In addition, not only the bidirectional transmission path but also the first unidirectional transmission path and the second unidirectional transmission path are provided. Therefore, compared with a scheme in which all transmission paths are composed of bidirectional transmission paths, the increase in manufacturing cost of the data transmission system 10 can be suppressed.

[0042] Furthermore, since the transmission direction setting unit 152 sets the data transmission direction when the data transmission system 10 is activated, it is not necessary to execute processing for setting the data transmission direction while the data transmission system 10 is in operation, and it is possible to suppress the data transmission processing from becoming complicated.

[0043] B. Second Embodiment

[0044] The data transmission system 10 of the second embodiment is different from the data transmission system 10 of the first embodiment in that Figure 4 As shown, steps S54 and S56 are executed after step S50, and are executed in parallel with steps S10 to S60. Figure 5 The system configuration of the data transmission system 10 of the second embodiment and other steps in the data transmission process are the same as those of the data transmission system 10 of the first embodiment, so the same configuration and steps are given the same reference numerals and their detailed description is omitted.

[0045] After step S50, in step S54, the transmission control unit 151 determines whether the cycle time has passed after the data transmission system 10 is started or after the predetermined cycle time has passed last time. If it is determined that the cycle time has passed (step S54: Yes), in step S56, the transmission control unit 151 transmits the data amount of the transmission request data held in the transmission buffer 153 (hereinafter also referred to as "the first transmission request data amount") to the control unit 250 using the unidirectional transmission path. In the control unit 250, the second transmission request data amount held in the transmission buffer 254 is also transmitted to the control unit 150 by the transmission control unit 251 at the same timing. As described above, the transmission request data amount is transmitted after the transmission of the packet using the unidirectional transmission path and after the cycle time has passed, so that the situation in which the transmission of the packet is hindered in order to transmit the transmission request data amount can be suppressed. Then, the transmission control unit 151 executes the above-mentioned step S60.

[0046] On the other hand, when it is determined that the cycle time has not elapsed (step S54: No), step S56 is not executed, and the above-mentioned step S60 is executed.

[0047] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the transmission direction setting unit 152, in parallel with the above-mentioned steps S10 to S60, determines in step S70 whether the cycle time has passed since the data transmission system 10 was started or the above-mentioned cycle time last passed. When it is determined that the cycle time has not passed (step S70: No), the transmission direction setting unit 152 waits until it is determined that the cycle time has passed.

[0048] When it is determined that the cycle time has elapsed (step S70: Yes), in step S80, the transmission direction setting unit 152 determines whether the transmission of the first transmission request data volume to the control unit 250 and the reception of the second transmission request data volume from the control unit 250 have been completed (transmission and reception have been completed). When it is determined that the transmission and reception have not been completed (step S80: No), the transmission direction setting unit 152 waits until it is determined that the transmission and reception are completed.

[0049] If it is determined that the transmission and reception are completed (step S80: Yes), in step S90, the transmission direction setting unit 152 determines the data transmission direction. In this embodiment, the transmission direction setting unit 152 compares the first transmission request data amount obtained from the transmission buffer 153 and the second transmission request data amount received from the control unit 250, and sets the data transmission direction so that data is transmitted from the computing device as the transmission source with the larger transmission request data amount to the other computing device.

[0050] More specifically, when the first transfer request data amount is larger than the second transfer request data amount, the transfer direction setting unit 152 sets the data transfer direction to the sending direction so that data is transferred from the computing device 21 as the transmission source with the larger transfer request data amount to the computing device 22. On the other hand, when the second transfer request data amount is larger than the first transfer request data amount, the transfer direction setting unit 152 sets the data transfer direction to the receiving direction so that data is transferred from the computing device 22 as the transmission source with the larger transfer request data amount to the computing device 21.

[0051] Furthermore, when the transmission direction setting unit 152 executes step S90, the transmission direction setting unit 252 also sets the data transmission direction in the same manner so that the state of the transceiver unit 130 and the state of the transceiver unit 230 are paired with the sending state and the receiving state, respectively. The data transmission direction is set after the determination of step S80 is executed because, if either the transmission of the first transmission request data amount or the reception of the second transmission request data amount is not completed, the information for setting the data transmission direction in either the transmission direction setting unit 152 or the transmission direction setting unit 252 is inconsistent, and the data transmission direction cannot be set so that the states of the transceiver unit 130 and the transceiver unit 230 are paired with each other.

[0052] After step S90 , the conveying direction setting unit 152 executes step S70 again.

[0053] For the switching of the data transmission direction described above, refer to Figure 6 The example shown is more specific. Figure 6 In the figure, the horizontal axis represents the passage of time, showing the timing of sending the first transmission request data volume in the first unidirectional transmission path, the timing of receiving the second transmission request data volume in the second unidirectional transmission path, and the timing of switching the data transmission direction in the bidirectional transmission path. The blank rectangles represent the packets transmitted in each unidirectional transmission path, and the size of the rectangles corresponds to the size of the time required to transmit each packet. Figure 6 In the example shown, the second unidirectional transmission path has a smaller data bus width than the first unidirectional transmission path, and even if the same amount of data is transmitted, it takes more time to transmit each packet in the receiving direction. In addition, the shaded rectangles show the amount of transmission request data transmitted in each unidirectional transmission path.

[0054] After data transmission starts at time Tc0, the cycle time elapses at time Tc1. Then, later than the reception of the second transmission request data amount, at time T1, when the first transmission request data amount is sent and the transmission and reception are completed, the transmission direction setting unit 152 sets the data transmission direction. Figure 6 In the example of , the transfer direction setting unit 152 considers that the second transfer request data amount is larger than the first transfer request data amount, and switches the data transfer direction from the sending direction to the receiving direction.

[0055] Next, at time Tc2, the cycle time passes again. Then, later than the first transmission request data volume is sent, at time T2, when the second transmission request data volume is received and the transmission and reception are completed, the transmission direction setting unit 152 sets the data transmission direction. Figure 6 In the example of , the transfer direction setting unit 152 considers that the first transfer request data amount is larger than the second transfer request data amount, and switches the data transfer direction from the reception direction to the transmission direction.

[0056] According to the data transmission system 10 of the second embodiment described above, the first transmission request data amount and the second transmission request data amount are obtained and compared with each other, and the data transmission direction is set so that data is transmitted from the computing device serving as the sending source with the larger transmission request data amount to the computing device on the other side. Therefore, even if the ratio of the data transmission amount in the sending direction to the data transmission amount in the receiving direction changes at any time, the data transmission direction can be appropriately set, and the reduction in data transmission efficiency can be further suppressed.

[0057] In addition, the transmission direction setting unit 152 uses the second unidirectional transmission path to obtain the first transmission request data volume, and the transmission direction setting unit 252 uses the first unidirectional transmission path to obtain the second transmission request data volume, so there is no need to further have a structure for obtaining the transmission request data volume, which can suppress the increase in manufacturing costs of the data transmission system 10.

[0058] C. Third Embodiment

[0059] The data transmission system 10A of the third embodiment is different from the data transmission system 10 of the second embodiment in that Figure 7 As shown, it further includes data transmission paths 610 and 620. The system configuration and other steps in data transmission processing of the data transmission system 10A of the third embodiment are the same as those of the data transmission system 10 of the second embodiment, so the same configuration and steps are given the same reference numerals and their detailed description is omitted.

[0060] like Figure 7 As shown, the data transmission system 10A of the third embodiment further includes data volume transmission paths 610 and 620. The data volume transmission path 610 connects the control unit 150 and the control unit 250 to each other. In this embodiment, the transmission control unit 151 sends the first transmission request data volume to the control unit 250 via the data volume transmission path 610 instead of the unidirectional transmission path. In addition, the data volume transmission path 620 connects the control unit 150 and the control unit 250 to each other. In this embodiment, the transmission control unit 251 sends the second transmission request data volume to the control unit 150 via the data volume transmission path 620 instead of the unidirectional transmission path. Thus, the control unit 150 and the control unit 250 can exchange the transmission request data volume at any timing regardless of the use state of the unidirectional transmission path. In addition, since the data volume transmission path 610 and the data volume transmission path 620 are only used for sending the transmission request data volume, the data bus width can be smaller than that of the above-mentioned unidirectional transmission path.

[0061] According to the data transmission system 10A of the third embodiment described above, the data transmission paths 610 and 620 are further provided. The transmission direction setting unit 152 and the transmission direction setting unit 252 obtain the transmission request data amount through the data transmission paths 610 and 620, respectively. Therefore, the transmission request data amount can be exchanged at any timing regardless of the use state of the unidirectional transmission path. Therefore, it is not necessary to determine whether the transmission request data amount can be sent in the data transmission process, and the situation in which the process becomes complicated can be suppressed. In addition, since the transmission request data amount can be exchanged at any timing regardless of the use state of the unidirectional transmission path, the difference in the timing of sending and receiving the first transmission request data amount and the second transmission request data amount can be suppressed, and the delay in the timing of switching the data transmission direction can be suppressed.

[0062] D. Other Implementation Methods

[0063] (D1) In the above embodiment, the data transmission system 10 includes a plurality of first unidirectional transmission paths, second unidirectional transmission paths, and bidirectional transmission paths, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The data transmission system 10 may also include one of each of the above data transmission paths. The data transmission system 10 of this embodiment also achieves the same effect as the above embodiment.

[0064] (D2) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the data transmission system 10 includes the transmission direction setting unit 152 and the transmission direction setting unit 252, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The data transmission system 10 may also include only the transmission direction setting unit 152, and the state of the transceiver unit 230 is set in addition to the transceiver unit 130 through the transmission direction setting unit 152. For example, the transmission direction setting unit 152 may send a control signal for setting the state of the transceiver unit 230 to the second transceiver device 200 using the first unidirectional transmission path, thereby setting the state of the transceiver unit 230.

[0065] (D3) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the transmission direction setting unit 152 sets the data transmission direction of each bidirectional transmission path in such a manner that the data transmission directions of all the multiple bidirectional transmission paths are the same, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The transmission direction setting unit 152 may also set the data transmission direction so that the data transmission directions of a part of the multiple bidirectional transmission paths and other bidirectional transmission paths are opposite to each other. According to the data transmission system 10 of this embodiment, the ratio of the data transmission amount in the sending direction to the data transmission amount in the receiving direction can be finely adjusted, and the reduction in data transmission efficiency can be further suppressed.

[0066] (D4) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the transmission control unit 151 divides the transmission request data into packets and transmits them, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the case where the transmission frequencies of the unidirectional transmission path and the bidirectional transmission path are the same and the unidirectional transmission path and the bidirectional transmission path can be uniformly regarded as one data bus, the transmission control unit 151 may also transmit the transmission request data without dividing it into packets. According to the data transmission system 10 of this embodiment, the processing of steps S30 to S60 in the data transmission process is not required, so the processing in the data transmission system 10 can be prevented from becoming complicated.

[0067] (D5) In the second embodiment described above, the transmission direction setting unit 152 sets the data transmission direction by comparing the first transmission request data amount and the second transmission request data amount in the operating state of the data transmission system 10, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the data transmission direction may be specified by the computing device 21 or the computing device 22 in the operating state of the data transmission system 10A, and the transmission direction setting unit 152 sets the data transmission direction in such a manner as to be the data transmission direction. The data transmission system 10A of this embodiment also achieves the same effect as the second embodiment described above.

[0068] The data transmission system 10 and the method thereof described in the present disclosure may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided with a processor and a memory programmed to execute one or more functions embodied by a computer program. Alternatively, the data transmission system 10 and the method thereof described in the present disclosure may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided with a processor constituted by one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the data transmission system 10 and the method thereof described in the present disclosure may be implemented by one or more dedicated computers constituted by a combination of a processor and a memory programmed to execute one or more functions and a processor constituted by one or more hardware logic circuits. In addition, the computer program may be stored in a computer-readable non-movable tangible recording medium as instructions executed by a computer.

[0069] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be implemented by various structures within the scope of the main purpose. For example, the technical features in each embodiment corresponding to the technical features in the scheme recorded in the invention content column can be appropriately replaced or combined in order to solve part or all of the above-mentioned problems or to achieve part or all of the above-mentioned effects. In addition, the technical features can be appropriately deleted as long as they are not described as essential features in this specification.

Claims

1. A data transmission system for bidirectionally transmitting data between two electronic devices, characterized in that: have: A first unidirectional transmission path for transmitting data in a first direction from the electronic device of one party to the electronic device of the other party; A second unidirectional transmission path for transmitting data between the two electronic devices in a second direction opposite to the first direction; a bidirectional transmission path for transmitting data between the two electronic devices in a set direction of the first direction and the second direction; and The transmission direction setting unit sets the data transmission direction in the bidirectional transmission path.

2. The data transmission system according to claim 1, characterized in that The transmission direction setting unit sets the data transmission direction when the data transmission system is activated.

3. The data transmission system according to claim 1, wherein: The transmission direction setting unit sets the data transmission direction every time a predetermined cycle time elapses when the data transmission system is in an operating state.

4. The data transmission system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The transmission direction setting unit obtains the transmission request data volumes from each of the above-mentioned electronic devices as the transmission source and compares them with each other, and sets the data transmission direction so that data is transmitted from the electronic device that is the transmission source with the larger transmission request data volume among the above-mentioned two electronic devices to the other electronic device.

5. The data transmission system according to claim 4, characterized in that The transmission direction setting unit is provided corresponding to each of the electronic devices. Each of the transmission direction setting units obtains the transmission request data volume from the other electronic device as a transmission source via one of the first unidirectional transmission path and the second unidirectional transmission path.

6. The data transmission system according to claim 4, characterized in that further comprising a data volume transmission path, the data volume transmission path being a transmission path for transmitting the transmission request data volume of each of the electronic devices, which is different from the first unidirectional transmission path, the second unidirectional transmission path, and the bidirectional transmission path; The transfer direction setting unit obtains the transfer request data volume via the data volume transfer path.

Images