TDMA Bus Flow Control via TAG Field Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing synchronous Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) buses lack a flexible scheme for flow-controlled data transmission, particularly failing to provide adequate flow control mechanisms for inter-chip data transfer in complex electronic systems.
Innovation Solution
A method for transmitting data over a synchronous TDMA bus that incorporates a TAG field for carrying flow control information, allowing for various transport profiles such as Isochronous, Near isochronous, Sample On Demand, and Asynchronous, which define how flow control is mapped to bits, enabling flexible and efficient data transfer between integrated circuits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If synchronous TDMA bus is used for data transfer between integrated circuits, then data transmission efficiency is improved, but flow control capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The data transmission protocol is segmented into distinct functional fields within each data structure. A TAG field is introduced that can be divided into multiple sub-fields, each carrying specific flow control information such as ready indicators, request indicators, and data present flags. This segmentation allows the synchronous TDMA bus to maintain high transmission efficiency while incorporating comprehensive flow control capabilities through structured information fields.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameter structure of data transmission by introducing configurable flow control parameters within the TAG field. These parameters can be dynamically adjusted to support different flow control modes (pull-based, push-based, hybrid), enabling the system to adapt flow control behavior without sacrificing transmission efficiency. The data present flag and ready indicator parameters allow dynamic control of data flow based on receiver buffer status.
2Ease of manufacture
If basic pulled data model is used for flow control, then implementation simplicity is improved, but transmission flexibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The TAG field structure is designed with multi-functionality to support various transmission modes within a single unified protocol. The same TAG field can operate in pull-based mode (receiver requests data), push-based mode (transmitter pushes data when ready), or hybrid mode, depending on how the flow control parameters are configured and interpreted. This universal design provides transmission flexibility while maintaining implementation simplicity through a single protocol structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow control mechanism is made dynamic through configurable parameters in the TAG field that can change behavior based on system state. The ready indicator and request indicator allow the protocol to dynamically switch between receiver-initiated and transmitter-initiated data transfer. This dynamic capability enables the system to adapt to different operational requirements without requiring multiple separate protocols, thus maintaining simplicity while enhancing flexibility.
Data Source
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Figure 3
Figure 4A
AI summary
A method of transmitting data allows flow control information to be transmitted with the user data over a synchronous bus. A channel is defined, identifying the source and at least one sink, and this includes the definition of a transport profile, indicating a flow control requirement for the data. Data is then transmitted from the source over the bus in at least one data time slot (30) and, if indicated by the transport profile, flow control information is also transmitted from the source over the bus in at least one flow control time slot (20) associated with the data time slot.