Error detection/correction and fault detection/recovery – Pulse or data error handling – Digital data error correction
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-17
2004-08-10
Chung, Phung M. (Department: 2784)
Error detection/correction and fault detection/recovery
Pulse or data error handling
Digital data error correction
C714S704000, C714S784000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06775799
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to communication circuitry and, more particularly, to a system and method for monitoring and correcting messages in fiber optic channel and Internet-related protocol communications.
Increasing data rates push the limits of existing data transmission techniques. Shorter fiber sections are often used in current installed fiber links due to greater signal attenuation at higher frequencies. Thus, more regenerators are required, more points of failure exist, and it becomes more expensive to build and maintain networks. Alternately, greater transmit powers are required to combat line attenuation, resulting in higher equipment power demands, more expensive equipment, and lower reliability.
Some of these problems are addressed using Forward Error Correction (FEC) techniques such as those commonly used in wireless communications, CD players, and other consumer equipment. The use of FEC permits longer distances between line regenerators for a fixed transmission speed, higher rates travelling the same fibers and distances that lower speed transmissions once occupied, and reduced bit error rates (BER) given a fixed power or TX rate. However, the capacity to make corrections requires an increase (~7%) in data bandwidth and the development of more complex processing equipment.
Reed Solomon (RS) is one of the most widely used FEC codes. Its strengths are that it works on symbols instead of bits, and works well in a short burst error environment, where burst errors are a string of consecutive errors. The high coding gain results in improved BER performance. However, RS does not handle impulse errors very well, where impulse errors are large blocks of data corruption that occur randomly, but in longer strings than the FEC code can handle.
In SONET/SDH and Gigabit Ethernet (GBE) transmissions it is not always practical for communication repeater transmission systems to perform error correction. Overall system performance could be improved, however, if messages with unacceptable errors could be terminated instead of retransmitted. Further, it would be helpful if the system repeater equipment could perform error analysis to track communication problems to faulty lines and equipment.
It would be advantageous if additional FEC protection could be added to communication links without adding additional equipment, delay times, or inordinately large increases in bandwidth.
It would be advantageous if FEC protection could be added to communications, regardless of the communications protocol and data rates.
It would be advantageous if the above-mentioned FEC protection used a RS technique that had improved resilience to impulse errors.
It would be advantageous if SONET/SDH communications could be monitored, transparent to the retransmission process. Further, it would be useful if the monitoring process yielded an analysis of communication errors.
It would be advantageous if GBE communications could be monitored, transparent to the retransmission process. Further, it would be useful if the monitoring process yielded an analysis of communication errors.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, a method is provided for monitoring information independent of communication protocols. The method comprising:
receiving information in a plurality of communication protocols;
optionally decoding the information;
independently of whether the information has been decoded, optionally engaging a Forward Error Correction (FEC) process;
independently of whether the information has been decoded or corrected, optionally encoding the information;
optionally monitoring the performance of the FEC processing, when it is engaged; :
independently of whether the information has been decoded or corrected, optionally monitoring the information for SONET/SDH protocol errors; and
independently of whether the information has been decoded or corrected, optionally monitoring the information for GBE protocol and fiber channel errors.
A performance monitor circuit is also provided. The performance monitor comprises an input port to accept information, and a selectably enabled Forward Error Correction (FEC) circuit to receive information. The FEC circuit provides corrected information, independent of the information protocol, when the FEC is enabled.
A selectively enabled decoding circuit accepts information and provides decoded information when the decoding circuit is enabled. The input of the FEC circuit is selectively connectable to the output of the decoder circuit.
A selectively enabled encoding circuit is connected to the input port, to the outputs of the selectively engagable decoder circuit, or to the FEC circuit to provide encoded information when the encoding circuit is enabled.
A selectively enabled FEC performance monitor circuit is connected to the monitor port of the selectively enabled FEC circuit to evaluate the corrections being made by the FEC circuit when it is engaged.
A selectively enabled SONET/SDH performance monitoring circuit is connected to the input port, or to the output of the selectively enabled FEC circuit. The SONET/SDH performance monitoring circuit providing an analysis of SONET/SDH protocol errors when enabled.
A selectively enabled Gigabit Ethernet performance monitoring circuit is connected to the input port, or to the output of the selectively enabled FEC circuit. The GBE performance monitoring circuit providing an analysis of GBE and fiber channel protocol errors at a monitor port, when enabled.
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Castagnozzi Daniel M.
Giorgetta Timothy E.
Sorgi Alan M.
Applied Micro Circuits Corporation
Chung Phung M.
INCAPLAW
Meador Terrance A.
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