Packet Communication Control Device Separating Data and Control Pathways
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing packet communication control systems face challenges in ensuring predictable worst-case responding time and efficient hardware implementation, particularly in managing communication delays and avoiding starvation, while maintaining fairness in communication pathways.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a packet communication control device that separates control and data packets into distinct pathways, using a multiplexing structure and arbitration mechanisms to prioritize control packets and data packets separately, thereby minimizing average response time and reducing hardware costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If arbitration or scheduling methods are used to control communication order, then the average responding time is minimized, but the worst-case responding time cannot be guaranteed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication control into multiple priority levels (first priority for control packets without data, second priority for control packets with data, third priority for data packets). This segmentation allows different types of packets to be handled differently, ensuring that control packets are processed quickly to maintain system responsiveness while data packets can wait, thus guaranteeing worst-case responding time for control operations while maintaining good average response time.
2Reliability
If communication pathways are secured for simultaneous communications among devices, then communication reliability is improved, but communication bandwidth is wasted when not all devices communicate at once
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic bandwidth allocation where the communication pathway bandwidth is not fixed but adaptively allocated based on actual communication needs. The arbitration mechanism dynamically determines which devices can communicate at each time slot, allowing the system to achieve reliable communication when needed while maximizing bandwidth utilization by allowing other devices to use the pathway when not communicating.
3Productivity
If control packets and data packets are transmitted through the same pathway, then pathway utilization is maximized, but control packet delivery delay increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the transmission pathway into multiple priority queues: first priority queue for control packets without data, second priority queue for control packets with data, and third priority queue for data packets. This segmentation ensures that control packets are always transmitted before data packets, minimizing control packet delivery delay while still utilizing the same physical pathway for all transmissions, thus maintaining high pathway utilization.
4Ease of operation
If arbitration mechanisms are implemented to control simultaneous communications, then communication order is managed, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses simple parameter-based priority assignment where packet types are categorized into three priority levels. The arbitration mechanism compares priority parameters and selects the highest priority packet for transmission. This parameter-based approach simplifies the arbitration logic compared to complex scheduling algorithms, reducing device complexity while still providing effective communication order control.
Data Source
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AI summary
A packet communication control device transfers a control packet and a data packet and includes a plurality of sending units and a multiplexer which separates a data communication path and a control communication path, multiplexes the control packets and transfers the multiplexed control packets by the control communication path and the data packet by the data control path. The average Round-Trip communication time can be shortened and the hardware cost can be reduced because the Shortest-Job-First control is implemented by separating data communication pathway from control communication pathway logistically or physically, and also multiplexing the control communication pathway with control packet.