Fly-by Ack-Accelerated Arbitration for IEEE 1394 Bus Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
The IEEE 1394 bus protocol's reliance on asynchronous stream packets leads to reduced bus efficiency due to the need for a full subaction gap before arbitration can begin, causing idle time and preventing ack acceleration and fly-by concatenations.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where asynchronous stream packets can be concatenated with other packets or a bogus ack packet to accelerate arbitration, allowing for earlier bus access without waiting for a gap timeout, thereby increasing bus bandwidth.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If asynchronous stream packets are transmitted on the bus, then packet transmission is enabled, but all nodes must wait for at least a subaction gap time period before beginning bus arbitration, reducing bus efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by transmitting a bogus acknowledgment packet immediately after asynchronous stream packets without waiting for the subaction gap timeout. This preliminary transmission of a dummy ack packet allows the arbitration process to begin earlier than it would normally wait, effectively reducing the idle time on the bus while maintaining protocol compliance.
2Productivity
If a full subaction gap is waited for before arbitration, then protocol compliance is maintained, but bus bandwidth is reduced due to idle time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an intermediary approach by introducing a bogus acknowledgment packet as a mediator between the asynchronous stream packet transmission and the arbitration process. This intermediary packet allows the system to bypass the normal waiting period while still maintaining protocol compliance, effectively reducing wait time and increasing bus bandwidth utilization.
3Device complexity
If asynchronous stream packets are sent without ack packets, then transmission simplicity is achieved, but ack acceleration and fly-by concatenations are precluded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the disposable objects principle by using a bogus acknowledgment packet that serves its purpose temporarily and then is discarded. This fake ack packet is transmitted solely to accelerate arbitration and enable fly-by concatenations, after which it serves no further purpose. This approach maintains the simplicity of asynchronous transmission while temporarily introducing a disposable element to achieve performance improvements.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for administering transmission of a first type of packets and a second type of packets over a serial bus. In one embodiment, the method comprises: if there is a packet of a second type to be sent, then concatenating the packet of the second type to a plurality of packets of the first type and sending the plurality of packets of the first type followed by the concatenated packet of the second type; and if there is no packet of the second type to be sent, then concatenating a bogus ack packet to the plurality of packets of the first type and sending the plurality of packets of the first type followed by the concatenated bogus ack packet.