Abstract: A parallel-to-serial-to-parallel circuit are disclosed, the circuit interfacing with a data bus, preferably with a processor for byte alignment and other operations. The parallel-to-serial-to-parallel circuit includes an input bit shift register having a predetermined number of register positions and an output bit shift register with the same number of register positions. The output of the input bit shift register is fed into the output bit shift register through a multiplexer. The input bit shift register may receive a bit write from a bit bus, a partial parallel write from a data bus with corresponding data validity data received on a shadow bus, and full parallel write from the data bus. The output bit shift register may transmit a bit read to the bit bus or a full parallel read to the data bus. Data received is shifted to the output bit shift register and compiled into full parallel data or read out as single bits. Offset bits may be introduced in the data stream for data alignment.

Abstract: The present invention entails a programmable data communications protocol conversion unit (PCU) and method. The PCU is a processor circuit which includes a means for performing full parallel, partial parallel, and bit data transfers. In particular, a bit assembly register is employed to assemble partial parallel data blocks which comprise data with a number of bits that is less than the order of the data bus of the PCU. The bit assembly register further includes the capability of writing the partial parallel data block to predetermined locations using a full parallel transfer and a shadow bus with bits indicating the validity of the particular bits in the data block transferred. The particular circuits receiving partial parallel writes include a register for receiving data and a register for receiving the corresponding shadow bits. Invalid data written to these registers is ignored while valid data is shifted accordingly, for example, out to a serial interface.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to echo cancellation over an asymmetric transmission and receiving spectra. An apparatus is provided having a transmit path and a receive path, with an adaptive echo canceler disposed therebetween, for communicating data within a first bandwidth and a second bandwidth respectively. A first decimator is disposed between the transmit path and the echo canceler circuit and filters an incoming signal having a first sampling rate and emits a signal output at a second, reduced sampling rate. A second decimator is disposed along said receive path and filters an incoming signal and emits a signal output at a reduced sampling rate. An adder is disposed to subtract the output of the adaptive echo canceler from output of the second decimator to generate a received signal that is substantially free of echo.

Abstract: Disclosed is an RS decoder controller and method, the system comprising a codeword length register to indicate a number of symbols in a number of RS codewords to be decoded by the RS decoder, a error correction capability configuration register to indicate a number of error symbols that are corrected by the RS decoder, and a modulation scheme associated register to indicate a modulation scheme associated employed to generate the RS codewords. The RS decoder controller further includes a number of state machines to control the operation of a Galois field computation unit in the RS decoder.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an improved direct memory access controller, having built-in arbitration circuitry, whereby multiple, identical, DMA controllers may be cascaded within a computing system, without requiring additional (i.e., separate) arbitration circuitry. In accordance with one aspect of this invention, a DMA controller is provided having a first input for connection to a DMA Acknowledge signal, and a first output for connection to a DMA Request. A second output is also provided for carrying a signal that is representative of activity of the DMA controller. In this regard, the second output may be configured to output a signal in either an Enable state or Inhibit state. If the DMA controller is active (i.e., presently controlling the transfer update among memory devices), then the second output is placed in an Inhibit state. Otherwise, the second output is controlled to be in an Enabled state.

Abstract: Disclosed is a configurable Galois field computation system and method, the system comprising a read bus and a write bus with a memory coupled therebetween. In addition, a logical circuit is coupled between the read and write busses, the logical circuit having a number of data calculation configurations that are established to generate an n symbol codeword from a number of symbols in a syndrome array. The logical circuit is placed in the various data calculation configurations in order to perform the various operations involved with Reed-Solomon decoding.