Data protocol detection and switching of multi-protocol data on common connectors
Connectors as essential components for transmitting data in communication networks come in different types. Utilizing a common connector capable of transmitting different types of data protocols can save space and energy. A device utilizes a common connector and a detector that detects the data protocol and transmits the data over a proper data path. Thus, smaller devices can be deployed by substituting different connectors by a single common connector. Data which is transmitted from the common connector is passed through a detector logic which detects a protocol associated with the data. The detected protocol is used to determine which data path is a proper data path to transmit the data. Depending on the number of pins of the common connector and the native connector of the receiving device, several methods are used to transmit the data, which ensure the entire data is transmitted via the proper data path.
1 . A device, comprising:
a processor; and
a protocol-detecting logic configured to direct the processor to:
receive data from a first connector, wherein the first connector comprises one or more data pins;
detect a protocol associated with the received data; and
transmit the received data to a native connector associated with the detected protocol, wherein the received data is transmitted according to a pre-defined manipulation method if a quantity of data pins of the first connector is greater than a quantity of data pins of the native connector.
2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the received data is transmitted to the native connector via a data path comprising a plurality of data transmission channels.
3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the data transmission channels each correspond to one or more data pins of the native connector associated with the detected protocol.
4 . The device of claim 3 , wherein the received data associated with a data pin of the first connector is transmitted to a corresponding data pin of the native connector associated with the detected protocol if the quantity of data pins of the first connector is less than or equal to the quantity of data pins associated with the native connector of the detected protocol.
5 . The device of claim 4 , further comprising a manipulation-transmitting logic configured to:
determine that the quantity of data pins of the first connector is greater than the quantity of data pins associated with the native connector of the detected protocol, and, in response, direct the processor to transmit the received data according to the pre-defined manipulation method; and
determine that the quantity of data pins of the first connector is less than or equal to the quantity of data pins associated with the native connector of the detected protocol, and, in response, direct the processor to transmit the received data to the corresponding data pin of the native connector associated with the detected protocol.
6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the pre-defined manipulation method comprises:
transmitting each data packet of the received data associated with a data pin of the first connector to a corresponding data pin of the native connector associated with the detected protocol; and
transmitting each remaining data packet of the received data via each data pin of the native connector associated with the detected protocol that becomes available first.
7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the pre-defined manipulation method comprises:
transmitting each data packet of the received data associated with a data pin of the first connector to a corresponding data pin of the native connector associated with the detected protocol; and
transmitting each remaining data packet of the received data via a corresponding data pin of the native connector associated with the detected protocol once the corresponding data pin becomes available.
8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein each data packet of the received data is an Ethernet-type data packet or a serial-type data packet.
9 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first connector is an RJ45 connector and the detected protocol is an Ethernet protocol or is a serial-type protocol.
10 . A host-computing device comprising the device of claim 1 , wherein the host-computing device is configured to communicate with a plurality of client devices via a communication network.
11 . A method of transmitting data, the method comprising:
receiving data from a first connector, wherein the first connector comprises one or more data pins;
detecting a protocol associated with the received data; and
transmitting the received data to a native connector associated with the detected protocol, wherein a quantity of data pins of the first connector is greater than a quantity of data pins associated with the native connector, and wherein the received data is transmitted according to a pre-defined manipulation method.
12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the received data is transmitted to the native connector via a data path comprising a plurality of data transmission channels.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the data transmission channels each correspond to one or more data pins of the native connector of the detected protocol.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein each data packet of the received data associated with a data pin of the first connector is transmitted to a corresponding data pin of the native connector associated with the detected protocol if the quantity of data pins of the first connector is less than or equal to the quantity of data pins associated with the native connector of the detected protocol.
15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
determining that the quantity of data pins of the first connector is greater than the quantity of data pins associated with the native connector of the detected protocol, and, in response, causing the received data to be transmitted according to the pre-defined manipulation method; and
determine that the quantity of data pins of the first connector is less than or equal to the quantity of data pins associated with the native connector of the detected protocol, and, in response, causing the received data to be transmitted to the corresponding data pin of the native connector associated with the detected protocol.
16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the pre-defined manipulation method comprises:
transmitting each data packet of the received data associated with a data pin of the first connector to a corresponding data pin of the native connector associated with the detected protocol; and
transmitting each remaining data packet of the received data via each data pin of the native connector associated with the detected protocol that becomes available first.
17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the pre-defined manipulation method comprises:
transmitting each data packet of the received data associated with a data pin of the first connector to a corresponding data pin of the native connector associated with the detected protocol; and
transmitting each remaining data packet of the received data via a corresponding data pin of the native connector associated with the detected protocol once the corresponding data pin becomes available.
18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein each packet of the received data is an Ethernet-type data packet or a serial-type data packet.
19 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the data is received and transmitted by a processor which is communicatively coupled to a memory, and is directed by a protocol-detecting logic.
20 . The method of claim 11 , wherein transmitting the data by the pre-defined manipulation method is performed by a processor which is directed by a manipulation-transmitting logic.