Granted Patent B1

US 7,230,549 · App. 11/222,592 · Granted Jun 12, 2007

Abstract

Claims (49)

1. A host bus adapter (HBA), comprising:

a symbol lock module that includes a state machine for detecting a special character in a serial bit stream received from a serial/de-serializer, wherein the state machine receives a first special character and verifies alignment of the special character by comparing with a previously stored alignment value and the state machine declares a symbol lock if at least more than one special character alignment matches with a same stored alignment value;

wherein the special character is a Comma character;

wherein after a symbol lock is declared, the state machine continues to monitor incoming bit stream data and compares each new special character alignment with the previously stored alignment value; and

wherein during the monitoring if a misaligned special character is detected, then the state machine waits to receive another special character before declaring a loss of synchronization.

2. A host bus adapter (HBA), comprising:

a symbol lock module that includes a state machine for detecting a special character in a serial bit stream received from a serial/de-serializer, wherein the state machine receives a first special character and verifies alignment of the special character by comparing with a previously stored alignment value and the state machine declares a symbol lock if at least more than one special character alignment matches with a same stored alignment value;

wherein the special character is a Comma character;

wherein after a symbol lock is declared the state machine continues to monitor incoming bit stream data and compares each new special character alignment with the previously stored alignment value;

wherein during the monitoring if a misaligned special character is detected, then the state machine waits to receive another special character before declaring a loss of synchronization; and

wherein if another special character matching the previously stored alignment value is received, then the state machine moves to a state in which a symbol lock is declared.

3. A host bus adapter (HBA), comprising:

a symbol lock module that includes a state machine for detecting a special character in a serial bit stream received from a serial/de-serializer, wherein the state machine receives a first special character and verifies alignment of the special character by comparing with a previously stored alignment value and the state machine declares a symbol lock if at least more than one special character alignment matches with a same stored alignment value;

wherein the special character is a Comma character;

wherein after a symbol lock is declared, the state machine continues to monitor incoming bit stream data and compares each new special character alignment with the previously stored alignment value;

wherein during the monitoring if a misaligned special character is detected, then the state machine waits to receive another special character before declaring a loss of synchronization; and

wherein if a second misaligned special character is received, then the state machine moves to a state in which it has to re-capture synchronization.

4. A method for aligning bit stream data, comprising:

monitoring an incoming bit stream for detecting a first special character symbol;

storing an alignment value of a detected special character;

detecting at least a second special character symbol;

comparing alignment of the second special character symbol with a stored alignment value; and

declaring a symbol lock if alignment of the second special character symbol matches with alignment of the first special character symbol.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first and second special character is a Comma character.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein at least three special character alignments are compared and all compared alignments match before a symbol lock is declared.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the bit stream is monitored for a special character after a symbol lock is declared.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein if more than one misaligned special character is received without an intervening correctly aligned special character during the monitoring, then a loss of synchronization is declared.

9. The method of claim 4 , wherein if only one misaligned special character is received during the monitoring, followed by a correctly aligned special character, then a loss of synchronization is not declared.

10. A system for transferring data between a host and a storage device, comprising:

a host bus adapter having a symbol lock module that includes a state machine for detecting a special character in a serial bit stream received from a serial/de-serializer, wherein the state machine receives a first special character and verifies alignment of the special character by comparing with a previously stored alignment value and the state machine declares a symbol lock if at least more than one special character alignment matches with a same stored alignment value;

wherein the special character is a Comma character;

wherein after a symbol lock is declared, the state machine continues to monitor incoming bit stream data and compares each new special character alignment with the previously stored alignment value; and

wherein during the monitoring if a misaligned special character is detected, then the state machine waits to receive another special character before declaring a loss of synchronization.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein if another special character matching the previously stored alignment is received, then the state machine moves to a state in which a symbol lock is declared.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein if a second misaligned special character is received, then the state machine moves to a state in which it has to re-capture synchronization.

13. A PCI Express device, comprising:

a symbol lock module that includes a state machine for detecting a special character in a serial bit stream received from a serial/de-serializer, wherein the state machine receives a first special character and verifies alignment of the special character by comparing with a previously stored alignment value and the state machine declares a symbol lock if at least more than one special character alignment matches with a same stored alignment value;

wherein the special character is a Comma character;

wherein after a symbol lock is declared, the state machine continues to monitor incoming bit stream data and compares each new special character alignment with the previously stored alignment value; and

wherein during the monitoring if a misaligned special character is detected, then the state machine waits to receive another special character before declaring a loss of synchronization.

14. The PCI Express device of claim 13 , wherein if another special character matching the previously stored alignment is received, then the state machine moves to a state in which a symbol lock is declared.

15. The PCI Express device of claim 13 , wherein if a second misaligned special character is received, then the state machine moves to a state in which it has to re-capture synchronization.

16. A system, comprising:

a PCI Express device having a symbol lock module that includes a state machine for detecting a special character in a serial bit stream received from a serial/de-serializer, wherein the state machine receives a first special character and verifies alignment of the special character by comparing with a previously stored alignment value and the state machine declares a symbol lock if at least more than one special character alignment matches with a same stored alignment value;

wherein the special character is a Comma character;

wherein after a symbol lock is declared, the state machine continues to monitor incoming bit stream data and compares each new special character alignment with the previously stored alignment value; and

wherein during the monitoring if a misaligned special character is detected, then the state machine waits to receive another special character before declaring a loss of synchronization.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein if another special character matching the previously stored alignment is received, then the state machine moves to a state in which a symbol lock is declared.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein if a second misaligned special character is received, then the state machine moves to a state in which it has to re-capture synchronization.

Assignments (6)