SerDes Selective Encoding for BER-Driven Throughput

Solution Overview

Problem

Information handling systems face challenges in achieving optimal serializer/deserializer throughput due to bit error rate (BER) issues, which can lead to reduced transfer rates and bandwidth, particularly in high-speed serial links like PCIe, resulting in inefficient data communication.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a method for selective encoding and retraining of serializer/deserializer (SerDes) components, where channel management modules adjust encoding schemes and transfer rates based on BER thresholds to maintain optimal link performance, ensuring data integrity and maximizing bandwidth by retraining links at lower rates or reducing lane counts when BER exceeds predefined limits.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the transfer rate is increased to improve throughput, then productivity is improved, but the bit error rate increases reducing reliability

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovethroughputVSAvoidbit error rate

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic adjustment of encoding schemes and transfer rates based on real-time channel conditions. The system transitions from static configuration to adaptive modulation, where the encoding rate and transfer rate are continuously optimized based on BER feedback, allowing the system to achieve high throughput when conditions permit while maintaining reliability when channel quality degrades.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes operational parameters (encoding scheme, transfer rate) based on channel conditions. By monitoring BER and dynamically selecting from multiple encoding schemes (e.g., 64b/66b, 8b/10b) and transfer rates, the system optimizes the trade-off between throughput and reliability, achieving high productivity when possible while maintaining acceptable BER thresholds.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If the encoding rate is increased to improve data transfer efficiency, then productivity is improved, but the bit error rate increases reducing reliability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata transfer efficiencyVSAvoidbit error rate

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic adjustment of encoding schemes and transfer rates based on real-time channel conditions. The system transitions from static configuration to adaptive modulation, where the encoding rate and transfer rate are continuously optimized based on BER feedback, allowing the system to achieve high throughput when conditions permit while maintaining reliability when channel quality degrades.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes operational parameters (encoding scheme, transfer rate) based on channel conditions. By monitoring BER and dynamically selecting from multiple encoding schemes (e.g., 64b/66b, 8b/10b) and transfer rates, the system optimizes the trade-off between throughput and reliability, achieving high productivity when possible while maintaining acceptable BER thresholds.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If the transfer rate is reduced to maintain bit error rate below threshold, then reliability is improved, but productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebit error rateVSAvoidthroughput

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic adjustment of encoding schemes and transfer rates based on real-time channel conditions. The system transitions from static configuration to adaptive modulation, where the encoding rate and transfer rate are continuously optimized based on BER feedback, allowing the system to achieve high throughput when conditions permit while maintaining reliability when channel quality degrades.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes operational parameters (encoding scheme, transfer rate) based on channel conditions. By monitoring BER and dynamically selecting from multiple encoding schemes (e.g., 64b/66b, 8b/10b) and transfer rates, the system optimizes the trade-off between throughput and reliability, achieving high productivity when possible while maintaining acceptable BER thresholds.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS9673931B2System and method of selective encoding for enhanced serializer/deserializer throughput

Publication Date: 2017.06.06 DELL PROD LP

AI summary

A serial communication link including first and second components. The first component includes a first management module and a first encoder that provides A-bit/B-bit encoded data to a first channel, where A<B. The second component includes a second management module and a first decoder/bit-error-rate (BER) module that receives the A-bit/B-bit encoded data from the first channel, determines a BER associated with the A-bit/B-bit encoded data, and provides an indication to the second management module when the BER is higher than a threshold BER level. The second management module communicates the indication to the first management module, and the first management module directs the first encoder to provide C-bit/D-bit encoded data to the first channel in response to receiving the indication, where C<D, C<A, and D<B.