Serial Link Translation Circuit for Video Interface Interconnection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Communication networks face challenges in managing increased bandwidth demands for distributing video and audio content, leading to complex routing and design issues due to the large number of lines required between sources and destinations.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that translate data from a multi-lane communication protocol to a serial link protocol, reducing the number of data lanes needed by eliminating the clock signal and using fewer lanes for transmission, while still maintaining compatibility with original protocols like HDMI, and then restoring the original protocol at the receiver end.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If data is transmitted using multiple data lanes with clock signal according to multi-lane communication protocol, then bandwidth and data transmission capacity are improved, but the number of physical lines and interconnection complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the clock signal from the multi-lane communication protocol, transmitting only data lanes through the serial link. The clock signal is regenerated at the receiver end, eliminating the need for dedicated clock lines and reducing interconnection complexity while maintaining data transmission capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the protocol parameters by translating from a clocked multi-lane protocol to a clock-less serial protocol. This parameter change allows data to be transmitted using fewer physical lines (e.g., 2 lanes instead of 4), reducing interconnection complexity while preserving bandwidth through efficient serialization
2Device complexity
If the number of data lanes is reduced in the serial link, then interconnection complexity and number of physical lines are reduced, but compatibility with original multi-lane protocols becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces translation circuitry as an intermediary component that converts data from the multi-lane communication protocol format to the serial link protocol format and back. This intermediary enables compatibility between protocols with different numbers of data lanes, allowing the system to use fewer physical lines while maintaining protocol compatibility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the translation function into separate components at the transmitter and receiver ends. The transmitter segment translates outgoing data from multi-lane protocol to serial protocol, while the receiver segment translates incoming serial data back to multi-lane protocol format, preserving compatibility through functional segmentation
3Device complexity
If clock signal is eliminated from the serial link, then the number of lines and interconnection complexity are reduced, but clock synchronization and signal alignment become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service clock synchronization by regenerating the clock signal at the receiver end from the incoming serial data stream itself. The receiver uses the data signal to recover and regenerate the original clock signal, eliminating the need for separate clock lines while maintaining synchronization without external clock reference
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure relates generally to communicating video content and other data over networks. An example apparatus includes a transmitter for communicating data via a serial link with a receiver. The transmitter includes an input, an output interface to the serial link, and translation circuitry. The input includes multiple input data lanes and a clock lane, and the input is configured to concurrently receive data on the multiple input data lanes aligned with a clock signal received on the clock lane according to a multi-lane communication protocol. The output interface is a clock-less interface and includes a number of output data lanes less than a number of the multiple input data lanes. The translation circuitry translates the data received according to the multi-lane communication protocol to a serial link communication protocol for transmission on the serial link.