IP Library Granted Patent US 11,645,216
Granted Patent B2
US 11,645,216 · App. 17/106,434 · Granted May 9, 2023

Systems and methods for single-wire in-band pulse-addressable multiplexer

Inventors: Timothy M. Lambert (Austin, TX); Michael J. Stumpf (Cedar Park, TX); Jeffrey L. Kennedy (Austin, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
G06F13/374G06F13/287G06F13/362G06F13/385
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,645,216
App. No.
17/106,434
Granted
May 9, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

An information handling system may include a bus initiator, a plurality of bus endpoints, and a single-wire bus communicatively coupled between the bus initiator and the plurality of bus endpoints, wherein the bus comprises a multiplexer. The bus initiator may be configured to perform in-band addressing to select a communications channel through the multiplexer via an addressing protocol that uses pulse bursts for initiation of the addressing, identification of the communications channel, and termination of the addressing. Pulses of the pulse bursts may be sufficiently short in duration to pass through filters of the bus endpoints such that the pulse bursts are not processed by the bus endpoints.

Claims (42)

1. An information handling system comprising:

a bus initiator;

a plurality of bus endpoints; and

a single-wire bus communicatively coupled between the bus initiator and the plurality of bus endpoints, wherein the bus comprises a multiplexer;

wherein:

the bus initiator is configured to perform in-band addressing to select a communications channel through the multiplexer via an addressing protocol that uses pulse bursts for initiation of the addressing, identification of the communications channel, and termination of the addressing; and

pulses of the pulse bursts are sufficiently short in duration to pass through filters of the bus endpoints such that the pulse bursts are not processed by the bus endpoints.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the bus initiator is a management controller for performing out-of-band management of the information handling system.

3. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein each of the bus endpoints comprises a peripheral device of the information handling system.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the multiplexer is configured to:

receive the pulse bursts;

extract from the pulse bursts a pulse burst for selecting a downstream channel of the at least one multiplexer; and

communicate traffic via the downstream channel responsive to selection of the downstream channel.

5. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the bus initiator is configured to transition the multiplexer from a discovery mode to a control mode for addressing by communicating an acknowledgment signal via the single-wire bus.

6. The information handling system of claim 5 , wherein the bus initiator is configured to communicate the acknowledgment signal during an idle period of a single-wire communications protocol.

7. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the bus initiator is configured to communicate pulse bursts for initiation of the addressing during an idle period of a single-wire communications protocol.

8. A method comprising, in an information handling system comprising a bus initiator, a plurality of bus endpoints, and a single-wire bus communicatively coupled between the bus initiator and the plurality of bus endpoints, wherein the bus comprises a multiplexer:

performing, by the bus initiator, in-band addressing to select a communications channel through the multiplexer via an addressing protocol that uses pulse bursts for initiation of the addressing, identification of the communications channel, and termination of the addressing;

wherein pulses of the pulse bursts are sufficiently short in duration to pass through filters of the bus endpoints such that the pulse bursts are not processed by the bus endpoints.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the bus initiator is a management controller for performing out-of-band management of the information handling system.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein each of the bus endpoints comprises a peripheral device of the information handling system.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising, by the multiplexer:

receiving the pulse bursts;

extracting from the pulse bursts a pulse burst for selecting a downstream channel of the at least one multiplexer; and

communicating traffic via the downstream channel responsive to selection of the downstream channel.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising transitioning the multiplexer from a discovery mode to a control mode for addressing by communicating an acknowledgment signal from the bus initiator via the single-wire bus.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising communicating the acknowledgment signal during an idle period of a single-wire communications protocol.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising communicating, from the bus initiator, pulse bursts for initiation of the addressing during an idle period of a single-wire communications protocol.

15. A multiplexer for use in a single-wire bus, the multiplexer comprising:

an single-wire bus input;

a plurality of downstream channels; and

logic configured to select a communications channel through the multiplexer via an addressing protocol that uses pulse bursts received from a bus initiator via the single-wire bus input for initiation of the addressing, identification of the communications channel, and termination of the addressing;

wherein pulses of the pulse bursts are sufficiently short in duration to pass through filters of bus endpoints communicatively coupled to the downstream channels such that the pulse bursts are not processed by the bus endpoints.

16. The multiplexer of claim 15 , wherein the bus initiator is a management controller for performing out-of-band management of the information handling system.

17. The multiplexer of claim 15 , wherein each of the bus endpoints comprise a peripheral device of an information handling system.

18. The multiplexer of claim 15 , the logic further configured to:

receive the pulse bursts;

extract from the pulse bursts a pulse burst for selecting the downstream channel of the at least one multiplexer; and

communicate traffic via the downstream channel responsive to selection of the downstream channel.

19. The multiplexer of claim 15 , the logic further configured to transition the multiplexer from a discovery mode to a control mode for addressing in response to receiving an acknowledgment signal via the single-wire bus.

20. The multiplexer of claim 19 , wherein the acknowledgment signal is received at the single-wire bus input during an idle period of a single-wire communications protocol.

21. The multiplexer of claim 15 , wherein the pulse bursts for initiation of the addressing are received at the single-wire bus input during an idle period of a single-wire communications protocol.

Assignments (9)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (055479/0342) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 062021/0460 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (055479/0051) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 062021/0663 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (056136/0752) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 062021/0771 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 055408 FRAME 0697 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058001/0553 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2021
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 056136/0752 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2021
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055479/0051 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2021
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055479/0342 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 25, 2021
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 055408/0697 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 30, 2020
From: LAMBERT, TIMOTHY M.; STUMPF, MICHAEL J.; KENNEDY, JEFFREY L.
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 054488/0137 →