In-band Pulse Addressable Multiplexer for Bus Pin Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional multiplexers for bus communication in information handling systems require numerous pins for path selection, leading to high costs, reduced density, and minimized communication bandwidth due to the need for multiple I2C multiplexers to route communications effectively.
Innovation Solution
An in-band pulse addressable multiplexer system that uses pulse bursts for addressing and channel selection, allowing the bus initiator to communicate through a multiplexer topology without being processed by endpoints, thus reducing the need for additional pins and improving communication efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional multiplexers are used for bus communication, then communication routing is achieved, but numerous pins are required leading to high cost and minimized density
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the addressing function with the data communication function by using the same I2C bus for both purposes. Traditional multiplexers require separate pin structures for selection, but this invention merges path selection into the data stream itself through in-band pulse addressing, eliminating the need for additional selection pins and reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The I2C bus is made multi-functional by using it for both data communication and channel addressing. The same bus infrastructure serves dual purposes: carrying data between master and slave devices while also carrying addressing pulses for dynamic path selection through the multiplexer topology, thereby reducing the need for dedicated selection pins.
2Productivity
If traditional multiplexers are used for bus communication, then communication routing is achieved, but communication bandwidth is minimized
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses periodic pulse bursts at specific I2C clock cycles to convey addressing information. By embedding addressing pulses in regular time intervals within the I2C protocol framework, the system achieves dynamic path selection without adding continuous complex control signals, maintaining communication bandwidth while enabling multiplexer routing.
Solution Approach 2:
The multiplexer path selection is made dynamic through real-time pulse addressing on the I2C bus. Instead of static pin-based selection, the system dynamically routes communications by injecting addressing pulses that change based on the desired path, allowing flexible bandwidth allocation across multiple slaves while managing multiplexer topology efficiently.
3Productivity
If pulse bursts are used for in-band addressing, then channel selection is efficient, but pulses must be short enough to pass through filters without being processed by endpoints
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the temporal parameter of addressing signals by using short-duration pulses that fall below the detection threshold of endpoint filters. By controlling pulse width to be sufficiently short, the system enables efficient in-band addressing while ensuring that standard I2C endpoints ignore these addressing pulses and only process normal data communications.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The in-band pulse addressable multiplexer system reduces the disadvantages of traditional multiplexers by enabling efficient channel selection and communication without increasing costs or reducing bandwidth, enhancing the overall performance of information handling systems.
Implementation Method 1
Pulses of the pulse bursts may be sufficiently short in duration to pass through filters of the bus endpoints such that the pulse bursts are not processed by the endpoints
Data Source
AI summary
An information handling system may include a bus initiator, a plurality of bus endpoints, and a bus communicatively coupled between the bus initiator and the plurality of bus endpoints, wherein the bus comprises a multiplexer topology of a plurality of multiplexers. The bus initiator may be configured to perform in-band addressing to select a communications channel through the multiplexer topology via an addressing protocol that uses pulse bursts for initiation of the addressing, identification of the communications channel, and termination of the addressing. Pulses of the pulse bursts may be sufficiently short in duration to pass through filters of the bus endpoints such that the pulse bursts are not processed by the endpoints.