Communication system, communication chip, communication method and image forming device

Abstract

The invention provides a communication system, a communication chip, a communication method and image forming equipment, and the communication system comprises a parameter configuration module which is used for outputting a first clock signal to a communication control module and outputting a second clock signal to external equipment in a host mode; the channel selection module is used for turning off the first channel and turning on the second channel in the host mode, so that a second clock signal is transmitted to the external equipment; the communication control module is used for establishing first communication connection with external equipment under the condition that the first clock signal is received; establishing a second communication connection with the external device under the condition that the third clock signal is received; by adopting the communication system provided by the invention, the clock signal can be sent to the external equipment by using the parameter configuration module in the system under the condition that the communication system is configured into the host mode, so that the wiring difficulty of PCIe equipment is reduced, the area of a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) is saved, the manufacturing cost is reduced, and the function of automatically switching ports according to the working mode can be realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to a communication system, a communication chip, a communication method and an image forming device. Background Art

[0002] With the development of imaging technology, image forming devices such as laser printers and inkjet printers have been widely used. During the imaging process, the image forming device usually needs to transmit data with the host device as a slave device to receive the printing information sent by the host device, or pass the scanned information to the host device. In order for the image forming device to obtain the usage of consumables and send control instructions to the consumables to perform printing actions, it is also necessary to enable the image forming device to communicate with the consumables as a host device to obtain information such as the remaining toner of the laser printer and the remaining ink of the inkjet printer. Whether the image forming device is used as a host device to exchange data with consumables or as a slave device to exchange data with the upper host device, most of them use the PCIe communication protocol for communication.

[0003] The PCIe technical specification requires that the clocks of the host device and the slave device be synchronized, usually using a synchronous clock (Common Clock Architecture) or an independent clock (Separate Reference Clock Architecture). Figure 1 As shown in the figure, in the synchronous clock architecture, RC (Root Complex) and EP (EndPoint) share the same 100MHz clock signal. To ensure timing consistency, a PCIe clock chip is usually set between the host device and the slave device to generate two 100MHz differential clocks with the same frequency to supply the host device and the slave device respectively. In order to maintain signal quality and phase matching, the clock signal is usually a pair of differential signals. The routing requirements on the PCB are very strict during design. In order to simplify the layout design and signal quality control inside the chip, as shown in the figure, Figure 2 As shown in the figure, the two differential clocks (CLK+ and CLK-) coming out of the clock chip usually face the same direction. When designing the PCB, it is necessary to use winding to make the communication distance between the PCIe clock chip and the host device equal to the communication distance between the PCIe clock chip and the slave device.

[0004] In addition, when the image forming device is used as a slave device, such as Figure 3 As shown, it is necessary to switch the conduction state of the circuit through a physical switch so that the communication data from the host device bypasses the above-mentioned PCIe clock chip and communicates with the image forming device.

[0005] The above wiring requirements will increase the difficulty of PCB wiring of PCIe devices, and the winding design will also increase the area required for PCIe device wiring. Summary of the invention

[0006] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a communication system, a communication chip, a communication method and an image forming device to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art that the external PCIe clock chip will cause PCB wiring difficulties and increase production costs.

[0007] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, which is built into an image forming device, and the communication system includes:

[0008] a parameter configuration module, configured to output a first clock signal to a communication control module and a second clock signal to an external device when the communication system is configured in a host mode;

[0009] a channel selection module, configured to, when the communication system is configured in a host mode, shut down a first channel receiving a third clock signal and open a second channel different from the first channel, so that the second clock signal information is transmitted to the external device;

[0010] The communication control module is used to establish a first communication connection with the external device when receiving the first clock signal sent by the parameter configuration module; and to establish a second communication connection with the external device when receiving the third clock signal sent by the external device.

[0011] In a possible implementation, the parameter configuration module is used to output a first clock signal to the communication control module and a second clock signal to the external device when the communication system is configured in the host mode, specifically including:

[0012] The parameter configuration module is used to respond to the input of the enable signal, output the first clock signal to the communication control module, and output the second clock signal to the external device.

[0013] In a possible implementation, the channel selection module is used to, when the communication system is configured in the host mode, shut down the first channel receiving the third clock signal and open a second channel different from the first channel so that the second clock signal is transmitted to the external device, specifically including:

[0014] The channel selection module is used to respond to the input of the enable signal, turn off the first channel receiving the third clock signal, and turn on a second channel different from the first channel, so that the second clock signal is transmitted to the external device;

[0015] Alternatively, the channel selection module is used to respond to the input of the second clock signal, shut down the first channel receiving the third clock signal, and open a second channel different from the first channel, so that the second clock signal is transmitted to the external device.

[0016] In a possible implementation manner, when the communication system is configured in slave mode, neither the parameter configuration module nor the channel selection module receives an enable signal.

[0017] In a possible implementation manner, when the communication system is configured in slave mode, the parameter configuration module is configured in a disabled state.

[0018] In a possible implementation, when the communication system is configured in slave mode, the channel selection module turns on the first channel and turns off the second channel, so that the communication control module receives a third clock signal sent by an external device through the first channel.

[0019] In a possible implementation, a difference between the frequency of the first clock signal and the frequency of the second clock signal is smaller than a difference threshold, and a difference between the phase of the first clock signal and the phase of the second clock signal is smaller than a phase difference threshold.

[0020] In a possible implementation manner, the parameter configuration module is specifically a phase-locked loop.

[0021] In a possible implementation manner, the channel selection module is specifically a multiplexer.

[0022] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication chip, including a controller, the communication chip also including a communication system as described in any one of the first aspects, and the controller is communicatively connected to the communication system.

[0023] In a possible implementation manner, when the communication chip configures the communication system to be in host mode, the controller sends an enable signal to the communication system.

[0024] In a possible implementation manner, when the communication chip configures the communication system to be in slave mode, the controller stops sending an enable signal to the communication system.

[0025] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which is applied to the communication system as described in any one of the first aspects, or to the communication chip as described in any one of the second aspects, and the communication method includes:

[0026] When the communication system is configured in the host mode, in response to the input of the enable signal, the parameter configuration module is configured to output a first clock signal to the communication control module and a second clock signal to the external device; the channel selection module is configured to turn off the first channel and turn on the second channel so that the second clock signal is transmitted to the external device; the communication control module is configured to establish a first communication connection with the external device;

[0027] When the communication system is configured in slave mode, the parameter configuration module is configured to be disabled; the channel selection module is configured to turn off the second channel and turn on the first channel, the communication control module is configured to receive a third clock signal sent by an external device, and the communication control module is configured to establish a second communication connection with the external device.

[0028] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an image forming device, comprising a communication system as described in any one of the first aspects, or comprising a communication chip as described in any one of the second aspects.

[0029] The technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present application has the following advantages:

[0030] A parameter configuration module is set inside the communication system. When the communication system is configured in host mode, the parameter configuration module is used to output the clock signal, remove the PCIe clock chip, crystal oscillator and its peripheral devices, save PCB wiring area, and reduce PCB manufacturing costs. At the same time, it also solves the problem that the interface of the traditional PCIe clock chip is located on the same side, which causes the PCB wiring design to require winding. When the communication system switches between host mode and slave mode, it only needs to adjust the working state of the parameter configuration module inside the communication system and switch the channel opened by the channel selection module. There is no need to add additional resistor jumpers, which is conducive to saving PCB wiring area. The reduction of components and PCB wiring area is conducive to saving costs and improving single board reliability. Shorter PCB routing is also conducive to reducing EMI radiation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative labor.

[0032] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the communication structure of PCIe equipment in the prior art;

[0033] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the PCIe clock chip packaging structure in the prior art;

[0034] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a communication system in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 4 This is a circuit schematic diagram of the first parameter configuration module in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a circuit schematic diagram of a second parameter configuration module in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 6 is a flow chart of a communication method in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 7 A flow chart is provided for a communication system in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication chip in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] In the figure: 1. Parameter configuration module; 2. Channel selection module; 3. Communication control module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] In order to make the purpose, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present invention are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Several embodiments of the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0042] In order to better understand the technical solution of the present application, the embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0043] It should be clear that the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0044] The terms used in the embodiments of the present application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present application. The singular forms "a", "said" and "the" used in the embodiments of the present application and the appended claims are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates other meanings.

[0045] It should be understood that the term "and / or" used in this article is only a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0046] The present invention is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0047] Embodiment 1

[0048] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a communication system built into an image forming device, such as Figure 3 As shown, the communication system includes:

[0049] The parameter configuration module 1 is used to output a first clock signal to the communication control module 3 and a second clock signal to the external device when the communication system is configured in the host mode;

[0050] A channel selection module 2 is used to shut down a first channel receiving a third clock signal and open a second channel different from the first channel when the communication system is configured in a host mode, so that the second clock signal information is transmitted to an external device;

[0051] The communication control module 3 is used to establish a first communication connection with the external device when receiving the first clock signal sent by the parameter configuration module 1; and to establish a second communication connection with the external device when receiving the third clock signal sent by the external device.

[0052] In practical applications, PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) is a high-speed serial communication protocol widely used in computer systems, such as data transmission between the host (RC, Root Complex) and the peripheral (EP, Endpoint). To achieve PCIe communication, the clocks of the host and the device must be synchronized. Specifically, the host mode operation is shown in the following figure. Figure 3 As shown in (A), when the communication system is configured as a host mode, in order to enable the communication system to achieve clock synchronization with an external device, a parameter configuration module 1 (PLL) that can simultaneously output a first clock signal and a second clock signal is set inside the communication system, wherein the first clock signal and the second clock signal can be provided to a communication control module 3 (PCIe CTL) and an external device respectively. When both the communication control module 3 and the external device receive the clock signal, the communication control module 3 and the external device can establish a communication connection to achieve PCIe communication.

[0053] Since this communication system can also be used as a slave device, when it is used as a slave device, Figure 3As shown in (B), the parameter configuration module 1 is not working, and in order to enable the third clock signal sent by the external device to be transmitted to the communication control module 3, so as to establish a communication connection with the communication control module 3, a channel selection module 2 is also required to be set. When the communication system is configured as a host mode, the channel selection module 2 can receive the second clock signal output by the parameter configuration module 1 and transmit the second clock signal to the external device. When the communication system is configured as a slave mode, the channel selection module 2 can receive the third clock signal transmitted by the external device and transmit the third clock signal to the communication control module 3.

[0054] In summary, the present application sets the parameter configuration module 1 in the communication system, which enables the communication system to output the clock signal with an independent clock solution when used as a host, removes the PCIe clock chip, crystal oscillator and its peripheral devices in the synchronous clock architecture, saves PCB wiring area, and reduces PCB manufacturing costs. In order to enable the communication system to receive the clock signal from the host device when used as a slave, the communication system of the present application does not work when working as a slave, and the channel selection module 2 switches the channel to achieve the change of the clock signal transmission direction. Such a switching mode no longer requires additional resistor jumpers, and only needs to close the enable signal input to the phase-locked loop in the communication system, and the chip pins are configured as inputs, which is conducive to saving PCB wiring area.

[0055] In one possible implementation, the parameter configuration module 1 is used to output a first clock signal to the communication control module 3 and a second clock signal to an external device when the communication system is configured in a host mode. Specifically, the parameter configuration module 1 outputs a first clock signal to the communication control module 3 and a second clock signal to an external device in response to an input of an enable signal.

[0056] In practical applications, the signal controlling the parameter configuration module 1 specifically adopts an enable signal, which can be derived from a controller outside the communication system. When the controller configures the communication system to the host mode, it outputs an enable signal to the parameter configuration module 1, so that the parameter configuration module 1 can be in a working state. The parameter configuration module 1 outputs a first clock signal to the communication control module 3 and outputs a second clock signal to the external device. By using the enable signal to control the activation of the parameter configuration module 1, the design and implementation of the circuit can be simplified, making the design more flexible. The enable signal input port can be reserved in the system design to facilitate the adjustment of the working state of the parameter configuration module 1 according to the needs in the future, and reduce the complex timing control design.

[0057] In a possible implementation, the channel selection module 2 is used to, when the communication system is configured in the host mode, shut down the first channel receiving the third clock signal and open a second channel different from the first channel so that the second clock signal is transmitted to the external device. Specifically, the channel selection module 2 responds to the input of the enable signal, shuts down the first channel receiving the third clock signal, and opens the second channel different from the first channel so that the second clock signal is transmitted to the external device; or, responds to the input of the second clock signal, shuts down the first channel receiving the third clock signal, and opens the second channel different from the first channel so that the second clock signal is transmitted to the external device.

[0058] In practical applications, there are two control modes for the channel selection module 2. One is to perform channel switching together with the control parameter configuration module 1 under the control of an enable signal, and the other is to perform channel switching when receiving a second clock signal output by the parameter configuration module 1. By responding to the input of an enable signal or a second clock signal, the system can switch different channels at different times to ensure correct information transmission. Closing unnecessary channels, especially when only one channel needs to be activated in a communication system, can reduce power consumption. The function of dynamically switching channels can be achieved through simple enable signal control or clock signal input, which simplifies circuit design and system architecture. Especially in complex communication systems, the design of the channel selection module 2 can reduce the complexity of the circuit and reduce the difficulty of design.

[0059] In a possible implementation, when the communication system is configured in slave mode, neither the parameter configuration module 1 nor the channel selection module 2 receives an enable signal.

[0060] When the communication system is configured in slave mode, not sending an enable signal to the communication system can keep the system unchanged in the current state and prevent the system from running incorrectly. In slave mode, if no enable signal is received, the system's hardware and software resources (such as channels and parameter configuration module 1) remain idle, and the inactivated resources avoid unnecessary processing, further optimizing resource usage and energy efficiency. The design of not receiving an enable signal can effectively prevent the device from actively configuring and communicating without demand, ensuring that the device's response is activated only when needed.

[0061] In a possible implementation, when the communication system is configured in slave mode, the parameter configuration module 1 is configured in a disabled state.

[0062] Specifically, disabling parameter configuration module 1 helps reduce overall power consumption; disabling inoperative modules can reduce system complexity and avoid instability or errors that may be caused by excessive activities. Disabling inoperative modules can make system behavior more predictable, which helps simplify troubleshooting and debugging. If parameter configuration module 1 is enabled, there may be unauthorized access or configuration modification. Disabling it can prevent unauthorized configuration operations and improve system security and stability.

[0063] In a possible implementation, when the communication system is configured in slave mode, the channel selection module 2 turns on the first channel and turns off the second channel, so that the communication control module 3 receives the third clock signal sent by the external device through the first channel.

[0064] Specifically, in this embodiment, by selectively opening the first channel or the second channel, the stability of data transmission can be improved, and the channel selection module 2 can be prevented from receiving irrelevant or redundant information. Closing the second channel and concentrating resources on the first channel helps to reduce unnecessary hardware resource consumption and power consumption. By focusing on one channel, the transmission of signals in the channel is less susceptible to interference or loss, thereby improving the quality and reliability of data transmission, which is very important for high-standard communication mechanisms such as PCIe communication. By ensuring that the third clock signal is transmitted only through a specific channel, the system can better control the flow of the clock signal.

[0065] In the present application, the clock signal is a signal used for clock synchronization when the parameter configuration module 1 or an external device communicates with the communication system. When the clock signal is transmitted as a clock signal, it allows the system to accurately control the working timing of each module. In this embodiment, the clock frequency needs to be precisely limited to 100MHz; in order to reduce peak interference, the energy needs to be spread through the spectrum so that the clock frequency fluctuates back and forth within a small range, such as the range of ±0.5% of the center frequency. This will disperse the energy of the spectrum into a wider frequency band. Spread spectrum reduces the energy density at the sharp frequency, thereby reducing the radiation interference of the signal, meeting more electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) standards, and in high-speed transmission buses such as PCIe, spread spectrum can effectively reduce the impact of signal integrity issues on transmission quality.

[0066] In a possible implementation, a difference between the frequency of the first clock signal and the frequency of the second clock signal is smaller than a difference threshold, and a difference between the phase of the first clock signal and the phase of the second clock signal is smaller than a phase difference threshold.

[0067] In this embodiment, the clock signal is used to synchronize the sending and receiving of data. If the frequencies and phases of the two clock signals are inconsistent, the data receiving end may not be able to decode the data correctly, or data loss and errors may occur. The synchronized clock signal ensures that the data of the host and the slave can accurately match the timing, avoiding data synchronization problems caused by clock deviation.

[0068] In a possible implementation, the parameter configuration module 1 is specifically a phase-locked loop.

[0069] In the present application, a phase-locked loop is used as the parameter configuration module 1, which can help the communication system realize the frequency modulation of the signal and reduce the electromagnetic interference (EMI) of the system. Since one of the purposes of PCIe spread spectrum is to reduce electromagnetic radiation, the phase-locked loop can help accurately control the frequency range and variation characteristics of the spread spectrum signal. The spread spectrum signal modulated by PLL can effectively reduce the peak energy of the signal, thereby reducing electromagnetic interference.

[0070] In one possible implementation, the phase-locked loop can be implemented as follows: Figure 4 The phase-locked loop module shown in the figure is the CDCE913, which is a PLL-based modular programmable clock synthesizer that can generate up to 3 output clocks from a single input frequency. With the configurable PLL, each output can be programmed in the system for any clock frequency (up to 230MHz).

[0071] In one possible implementation, the phase-locked loop can be implemented as follows: Figure 5 The phase-locked loop module shown in the figure is AD9576, which has a multi-output clock generator function and two built-in phase-locked loops (PLLs). It ensures high network performance by monitoring redundant crystal (XTAL) inputs and realizing automatic switching between these inputs, while the integer-N divided PLL provides a universal clock and can be used as a reference clock for CPU and field programmable gate array (FPGA).

[0072] In a possible implementation, the channel selection module 2 is specifically a multiplexer.

[0073] In this embodiment, the multiplexer can open or close the signal channel according to the control signal (such as the enable signal or the second clock signal). The multiplexer switches different channels (such as the first channel and the second channel) to ensure that different clock signals (such as the third clock signal or the second clock signal) can be accurately transmitted to the external device or the communication control module 3. The multiplexer enables the system to quickly switch between multiple signal sources, thereby ensuring that different clock signals can be transmitted in a timely and accurate manner. The channel selection module 2 is specifically formed by connecting two signal channel modules that can transmit signals unidirectionally in series, and the connection positions of the two signal channel modules are set to two pins connected to the external device. In the process of transmitting signals, it can be ensured that the signal is transmitted in the direction specified by the channel.

[0074] Embodiment 2

[0075] The present application embodiment provides a communication chip, such as Figure 8 As shown, it includes a controller, and the communication chip also includes a communication system as any one of the embodiments in the first embodiment, and the controller is communicatively connected with the communication system.

[0076] By integrating the communication system into the communication chip, the modular design of the communication system can be realized, the reusability of the system can be improved, and the communication chip can be used in multiple different application scenarios without the need to be redesigned each time, thereby reducing development costs and time. In addition, the chip can also inherit and encapsulate modules other than the above-mentioned communication system, and cooperate with the communication system to improve the functionality of the chip. By integrating multiple functional modules into the communication chip, higher performance and faster data processing speed can be achieved. Tight integration between different modules helps to reduce latency, improve data transmission efficiency, and reduce signal interference.

[0077] In one possible implementation, Figure 8 As shown in (A), when the communication chip configures the communication system to be in host mode, the controller sends an enable signal to the communication system.

[0078] Similar to the first embodiment, when the communication chip configures the communication system to the host mode, the controller in the communication chip can forward the received enable signal to the communication system so that the communication system can correspondingly control the internal parameter configuration module 1 and the channel selection module 2 to select the appropriate working mode; or, when the communication system is configured to the host mode, the controller in the communication chip directly generates the enable signal and sends the enable signal to the communication system so that the parameter configuration module 1 and the channel selection module 2 inside the communication system can select the appropriate working mode.

[0079] In one possible implementation, Figure 8As shown in (B), when the communication chip configures the communication system to be in slave mode, the controller stops sending an enable signal to the communication system.

[0080] When the communication chip configures the communication system in slave mode, the communication system does not need an enable signal. At this time, some unnecessary functions or modules can be turned off to reduce power consumption and optimize system energy efficiency. In slave mode, if the enable signal continues to be sent, it may cause signal conflicts or misoperations between the master and slave. Stopping the enable signal can prevent such conflicts and misoperations and ensure the normal operation of the system.

[0081] In a possible implementation, the communication chip further includes: two pins; the external device communicates with the channel selection module 2 through the two pins.

[0082] In the present application, since the transmitted clock signal is a differential clock signal, two wires are required to transmit the signal, and the number of pins corresponding to the two wires is also two. Under the action of the channel selection module 2, the external device can realize data output and data input through these two pins and the internal channel selection module 2, thereby improving the multiplexing of the two pins, and the channel selection module 2 can make the two pins work in only one mode, thereby avoiding signal conflicts caused by multiplexing of the two pins.

[0083] In a possible implementation, when the communication chip configures the communication system to be in a host mode, the first pin is configured to be in an output state; when the communication chip configures the communication system to be in a slave mode, the second pin is configured to be in an input state.

[0084] This embodiment selects different pins for communication in different working modes, so that the same pair of pins can perform different functions in different modes; through different pin state configurations in the host and slave modes, data exchange can be automatically performed according to system requirements without manual intervention, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0085] In a possible implementation, the two pins directly establish a communication connection with an external device.

[0086] Specifically, the PCIe clock chip, crystal oscillator and its peripheral devices in the synchronous clock architecture are removed, and the pins of the communication chip can directly establish communication connections with external devices through signal lines, saving PCB wiring area and reducing PCB manufacturing costs.

[0087] Embodiment 3

[0088] The embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which is applied to the communication system of any one of the first embodiment, or to the communication chip of any one of the second embodiment. The communication method includes:

[0089] When the communication system is configured in the host mode, in response to the input of the enable signal, the configuration parameter configuration module 1 outputs the first clock signal to the communication control module 3 and outputs the second clock signal to the external device; the configuration channel selection module 2 turns off the first channel and turns on the second channel so that the second clock signal is transmitted to the external device; the configuration communication control module 3 establishes a first communication connection with the external device;

[0090] When the communication system is configured in slave mode, the configuration parameter configuration module 1 is in a disabled state; the channel selection module 2 is configured to shut down the second channel and turn on the first channel, the communication control module 3 is configured to receive the third clock signal sent by the external device, and the communication control module 3 is configured to establish a second communication connection with the external device.

[0091] By adopting this communication method, applied to the communication system in Example 1 or the communication chip in Example 2, the signal channel can be selected according to the configuration mode, and the signal can be multiplexed through the channel selector to ensure that only one channel is used to receive the configuration data, which can avoid conflicts when multiple channels receive signals, thereby reducing communication errors and the number of retries, and improving the response speed of the system. By ensuring that the third clock signal is transmitted only through a specific channel, the system can better control the flow of the clock signal. After disabling the second channel, the system can better isolate the communication paths of different functions, thereby enhancing the security and protection capabilities of the system.

[0092] Embodiment 4

[0093] An embodiment of the present application provides an image forming device, including a communication system as described in any one of the first embodiments, or including a communication chip as described in any one of the second embodiments.

[0094] By setting the above-mentioned communication system or communication chip in the image forming device, the image forming device can interact with the host as a slave, and can also switch the image forming device to the host mode to exchange data with associated consumable accessories and other devices. The use of the communication system and communication chip of the present application can reduce the wiring difficulty, solve the winding problem, and realize point-to-point communication connection between the host and the slave, thereby reducing the production cost of the device.

[0095] In the embodiments of the present application, "at least one" refers to one or more, and "plurality" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can represent the existence of A alone, the existence of A and B at the same time, and the existence of B alone. Among them, A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the previous and subsequent associated objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" and similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b and c can be represented by: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, c can be single or multiple.

[0096] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various units and algorithm steps described in the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in a combination of electronic hardware, computer software, and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of the present invention.

[0097] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0098] In several embodiments provided by the present invention, if any function is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art or the part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product is stored in a storage medium, including a number of instructions for a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to perform all or part of the steps of the methods of various embodiments of the present invention. The aforementioned storage medium includes: U disk, mobile hard disk, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), disk or optical disk and other media that can store program codes.

[0099] The above are only specific embodiments of the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention, which should be included in the protection scope of the present invention. The protection scope of the present invention should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication system, characterized in that: Built into an image forming device, the communication system includes: a parameter configuration module, configured to output a first clock signal to a communication control module and a second clock signal to an external device when the communication system is configured in a host mode; a channel selection module, configured to, when the communication system is configured in a host mode, shut down a first channel receiving a third clock signal and open a second channel different from the first channel, so that the second clock signal information is transmitted to the external device; The communication control module is used to establish a first communication connection with the external device when a first clock signal sent by the parameter configuration module is received; and to establish a second communication connection with the external device when a third clock signal sent by the external device is received.

2. A communication system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The parameter configuration module is used to output a first clock signal to the communication control module and a second clock signal to the external device when the communication system is configured in the host mode, specifically including: The parameter configuration module is used to respond to the input of the enable signal, output the first clock signal to the communication control module, and output the second clock signal to the external device.

3. A communication system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The channel selection module is used to shut down the first channel receiving the third clock signal and open a second channel different from the first channel when the communication system is configured in the host mode, so that the second clock signal is transmitted to the external device, specifically including: The channel selection module is used to respond to the input of the enable signal, turn off the first channel receiving the third clock signal, and turn on a second channel different from the first channel, so that the second clock signal is transmitted to the external device; Alternatively, the channel selection module is used to respond to the input of the second clock signal, shut down the first channel receiving the third clock signal, and open a second channel different from the first channel, so that the second clock signal is transmitted to the external device.

4. A communication system according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the communication system is configured in slave mode, neither the parameter configuration module nor the channel selection module receives an enable signal.

5. A communication system according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the communication system is configured in slave mode, the parameter configuration module is configured in a disabled state.

6. A communication system according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the communication system is configured in slave mode, the channel selection module turns on the first channel and turns off the second channel, so that the communication control module receives the third clock signal sent by the external device through the first channel.

7. A communication system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A difference between the frequency of the first clock signal and the frequency of the second clock signal is smaller than a difference threshold, and a difference between the phase of the first clock signal and the phase of the second clock signal is smaller than a phase difference threshold.

8. A communication system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The parameter configuration module is specifically a phase-locked loop.

9. A communication chip, comprising a controller, characterized in that: The communication chip also includes a communication system as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, and the controller is communicatively connected to the communication system.

10. A communication chip according to claim 9, characterized in that: In a case where the communication chip configures the communication system to be in a host mode, the controller sends an enable signal to the communication system.

11. A communication chip according to claim 9, characterized in that: In a case where the communication chip configures the communication system to be in slave mode, the controller stops sending an enable signal to the communication system.

12. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to the communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, or applied to the communication chip according to any one of claims 9 to 11, the communication method comprises: When the communication system is configured in the host mode, in response to the input of the enable signal, the parameter configuration module is configured to output the first clock signal to the communication control module and the second clock signal to the external device; the channel selection module is configured to turn off the first channel and turn on the second channel so that the second clock signal is transmitted to the external device; the communication control module is configured to establish a first communication connection with the external device; When the communication system is configured in slave mode, the parameter configuration module is configured to be disabled; the channel selection module is configured to turn off the second channel and turn on the first channel, the communication control module is configured to receive the third clock signal sent by the external device, and the communication control module is configured to establish a second communication connection with the external device.

13. An image forming device, characterized in that: Includes the communication system as described in any one of claims 1-8, or includes the communication chip as described in any one of claims 9-11.

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