Ethernet Coding Violations for Synchronous Data Transfer

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current communication systems face challenges in reliably transferring both streaming and packetized data across networks, particularly due to differences in asynchronous and synchronous data protocols, leading to issues like data loss and increased network complexity.

Innovation Solution

A synchronous communication system with a daisy-chain network topology, utilizing ports with bidirectional conductors to accommodate both compliant and non-compliant data, where compliant data is directly forwarded and non-compliant data is reformatted to match the network protocol, ensuring seamless transfer of streaming and packetized data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a network transfers both streaming and packetized data using different protocols, then data compatibility is improved, but network complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata compatibilityVSAvoidnetwork complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The network frame is segmented into distinct fields: a first field for streaming data and a second field for packetized data. Each field has its own protocol requirements and processing rules. This segmentation allows the network to handle different data types independently while maintaining overall system simplicity through structured organization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Coding violation signals act as intermediaries between different data protocols. These signals mark field boundaries and data type transitions, enabling the network to distinguish between streaming and packetized data without requiring complex protocol negotiation or conversion mechanisms. The coding violations serve as universal delimiters that work across different data formats.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If asynchronous packetized data is transferred on a synchronous network, then network versatility is improved, but data loss occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork versatilityVSAvoiddata loss
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Packetized data is segmented into fixed-size packets with defined structure (preamble, destination address, source address, data payload). Each packet is placed in a dedicated field within the synchronous frame structure, ensuring that asynchronous data arrives in discrete, recoverable units that can be reassembled at the destination without loss.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Packets are prepared in advance with synchronization markers and structure delimiters embedded in the data stream. The coding violation signals are inserted beforehand to mark packet boundaries, allowing the receiving end to properly synchronize and extract data without requiring real-time protocol negotiation or risking data loss during transition.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If Ethernet coding violations are used to demarcate frame and packet structure, then data synchronization is improved, but protocol compliance requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata synchronizationVSAvoidprotocol compliance
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The network protocol uses self-identifying coding violation signals that automatically mark frame and packet boundaries without requiring external synchronization or complex compliance checking. The coding violations embed synchronization information directly within the data stream, allowing receiving devices to self-synchronize by detecting these universal markers rather than requiring separate protocol negotiation or compliance verification mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP1989847B1System and method for transferring different types of streaming and packetized data across an ethernet transmission line using a frame and packet structure demarcated with ethernet coding violations
Publication Date: 2017.01.04 STANDRD MICROSYSTEMS CORPORATION
  • EP1989847B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1989847B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP1989847B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A communication system, network, interface, and port architecture are provided for transporting different types of data across a network. The network can be arranged by connecting the ports in a daisy-chain fashion to achieve a ring architecture or topology. The network forwards data according to a specific network protocol, and nodes among the network can use a recovered clock from the bitstream to drive the transmitter and create a synchronous network even thought the network can receive Ethernet packets which are typically targeted for an asynchronous network. Non-compliant data, such as Ethernet data, can be sent as packets within a frame structure. The frame is synchronized to Ethernet coding violations used to signal the beginning of each frame, and each packet can be immediately followed by a packet coding violation. The frame and packet coding violations are represented as a sequence of 4B/5B codes that are not valid codes and, therefore, not present as Ethernet encoded data.