Method and apparatus for data detection and event capture

1. A data detection and event capture circuit comprising:

data comparator logic that receives a monitored data word from a parallel data bus, and generates a plurality of pattern detected signals;

a pattern detection logic that receives the plurality of pattern detected signals from the data comparator logic and generates a plurality of any pattern detected signals, wherein each any pattern detected signal indicates whether any pattern of a corresponding set of patterns is detected; and

sequence detection logic that receives the plurality of pattern detected signals from the data comparator logic and generates a plurality of sequence detected signals, wherein each sequence detected signal indicates whether any pattern sequence of a corresponding set of pattern sequences is detected.

2. The data detection and event capture circuit of claim 1 , wherein the data comparator logic comprises:

a plurality of configurable data registers;

a plurality of configurable mask registers; and

a plurality of comparator circuits, each comparator circuit receiving a configured data word from a configurable data register, a mask word from a mask register, and the monitored data word from the parallel data bus and outputting a pattern detected signal.

3. The data detection and event capture circuit of claim 2 , wherein each comparator circuit compares bits of the monitored data word against bits of the configured data word for those bits indicated by the mask word and asserts the pattern detected signal when a match is found.

4. The data detection and event capture circuit of claim 1 , wherein the pattern detection logic comprises:

a plurality of mask logic circuits, each mask logic circuit receiving the plurality of pattern detected signals and outputting masked pattern detected signals; and

a plurality of OR logic circuits, each OR logic circuit receiving the plurality of masked pattern detected signals from a corresponding mask logic circuit and asserting an any pattern detected signal if at least one of the masked pattern detected signals is asserted.

5. The data detection and event capture circuit of claim 4 , wherein a logical zero is output for a pattern detected signal blocked by a mask logic circuit in the pattern detection logic.

6. The data detection and event capture circuit of claim 1 , wherein the sequence detection logic comprises:

a plurality of delay circuits which receives the plurality of pattern detected signals and outputs a plurality of delayed pattern detected signals;

a plurality of mask logic circuits, each mask logic circuit receiving the plurality of delayed pattern detected signals and outputting a plurality of masked delayed pattern detected signals; and

a plurality of AND logic circuits, each AND logic circuit receiving the plurality of masked delayed pattern detected signals from a corresponding mask logic circuit and asserting a sequence detected signal if all of the masked delayed pattern detected signals are asserted.

7. The data detection and event capture circuit of claim 6 , wherein a logical one is output for a delayed pattern detected signal blocked by a mask logic circuit in the sequence detection logic.

8. The data detection and event capture circuit of claim 1 , wherein the parallel data bus comprises an input bus for a bit slip circuit in a transmitter circuit.

9. The data detection and event capture circuit of claim 1 , wherein the parallel data bus comprises an input bus for a rate match first-in-first-out buffer in a receiver circuit.

10. The data detection and event capture circuit of claim 9 , wherein outputs of the data detection and event capture circuit are provided to a delay match circuit, and outputs of the delay match circuit are provided to a carrier detect circuit.

11. The data detection and event capture circuit of claim 1 , wherein the parallel data bus comprises an output bus for a clock compensation first-in-first-out buffer in a physical layer transmitter circuit, and wherein outputs of the data detection and event capture circuit are provided to a time stamping unit in a media access control transmitter circuit.

12. The data detection and event capture circuit of claim 1 , wherein the parallel data bus comprises an input bus for a rate match first-in-first-out buffer in a physical layer receiver circuit, and wherein outputs of the data detection and event capture circuit are provided to a time stamping unit in a media access control receiver circuit.

13. The data detection and event capture circuit of claim 1 , wherein an output of the data detection and event capture circuit indicates whether a valid header of a frame is detected.

14. The data detection and event capture circuit of claim 1 , wherein an output of the data detection and event capture circuit triggers a transition from a first receive state to a second receive state of a receiver circuit.

15. A method of data detection and event capture, the method comprising:

receiving a monitored data word from a parallel data bus;

applying data comparator logic to the monitored data word to generate a plurality of pattern detected signals;

applying a pattern detection logic to the plurality of pattern detected signals to generate a plurality of any pattern detected signals, wherein each any pattern detected signal indicates whether any pattern of a corresponding set of patterns is detected; and

applying sequence detection logic to the plurality of pattern detected signals to generate a plurality of sequence detected signals, wherein each sequence detected signal indicates whether any pattern sequence of a corresponding set of pattern sequences is detected.

16. The method 15 , wherein the data comparator logic includes a plurality of comparator circuits, wherein each comparator circuit receives a configured data word from a configurable data register, a mask word from a mask register, and the monitored data word from the parallel data bus, and wherein each comparator circuit outputs a pattern detected signal.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein each comparator circuit compares bits of the monitored data word against bits of the configured data word for those bits indicated by the mask word and asserts the pattern detected signal when a match is found.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the any pattern detection logic includes a plurality of mask logic circuits and a plurality of OR logic circuits, wherein each mask logic circuit receiving the plurality of pattern detected signals and outputting masked pattern detected signals, and wherein each OR logic circuit receiving the plurality of masked pattern detected signals from a corresponding mask logic circuit and asserting an any pattern detected signal if at least one of the masked pattern detected signals is asserted.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the sequence detection logic includes a plurality of delay circuits and a plurality of mask logic circuits, and a plurality of AND logic circuits, wherein the plurality of delay circuits receives the plurality of pattern detected signals and outputs a plurality of delayed pattern detected signals, wherein each mask logic circuit receives the plurality of delayed pattern detected signals and outputs a plurality of masked delayed pattern detected signals, and wherein each AND logic circuit receives the plurality of masked delayed pattern detected signals from a corresponding mask logic circuit and asserts a sequence detected signal if all of the masked delayed pattern detected signals are asserted.