Bus Device Bridge Mechanism for DMA-PIO Mode Switching

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current bus devices face performance reduction due to the inability to seamlessly transition between different transmission modes, particularly when devices do not support Direct Memory Access (DMA) mode, leading to errors and slower Parallel ATA (PATA) interface operations.

Innovation Solution

A bus device with a bridge mechanism that modifies software commands to switch between DMA and Programmed I/O (PIO) modes, ensuring optimal data transmission protocols are used between the host and device, regardless of their individual capabilities, thereby preventing errors and enhancing system performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If the bus device uses DMA mode for data transmission, then the transmission speed is improved, but system compatibility deteriorates when connected to devices that do not support DMA mode

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata transmission speedVSAvoidcompatibility with devices not supporting DMA mode

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The bridge device dynamically adjusts the data transmission mode between DMA and PIO based on the capabilities of the connected storage device. The system can switch between different transmission modes depending on whether the device supports DMA, ensuring both high speed performance and broad compatibility are achieved

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the transmission mode parameter from fixed to variable. The bridge device modifies the command parameters to select between DMA and PIO modes based on device capability, allowing the system to optimize performance while maintaining compatibility across different device types

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If the bus device falls back to PIO mode when DMA is not supported, then compatibility is improved, but system performance deteriorates due to retransmission of commands

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompatibility with devices not supporting DMA modeVSAvoidsystem performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The bridge device performs preliminary detection of the storage device's transmission mode capability before initiating data transfer. By pre-determining whether the device supports DMA mode, the system can select the appropriate transmission mode in advance, avoiding the need for error-prone retransmission and ensuring optimal performance from the start

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS7590790B2Bus device

Publication Date: 2009.09.15 VIA TECH INC

AI summary

A bus device is used with a computer system. In the bus device, a bus-interfaced host performs data transmission in a first mode in response to a first command resulting from certain software execution of the computer system. A bridge device is coupled to and communicable with the bus-interfaced host via a first interface according to a first transmission protocol, and coupled to and communicable with the bus-interfaced device via a second interface according to a second transmission protocol. A bus-interfaced device performs data transmission in a second mode different from the first mode in response to a second command resulting from certain modification of the first command.