Pulse or digital communications – Repeaters – Testing
Patent
1997-09-15
1998-11-03
Heckler, Thomas M.
Pulse or digital communications
Repeaters
Testing
395558, 375356, G06F 112
Patent
active
058322540
ABSTRACT:
A scalable mechanism operable on a multi-processor, multi-node system to compensate for "skew" in synchronizing topologically remote counters. The skew is caused by different latencies inherent in the system in delivering a synchronization ("sync") pulse to remote counters. The invention permits entry, advantageously at system initialization time, of a parameter defining the counter accuracy that will be visible to software in making counter references. The value of the parameter may be derived from an algorithm advantageously including variables representing, for example, skew-affecting factors such as topological remoteness of the furthest node from the master, and/or the anticipated processing times for processing steps to deliver the sync pulse. The invention is thus scalable. As the topological size and complexity of the system increase, the accuracy value is selected according to the corresponding level of skew expected in the hardware configuration. At the same time, the accuracy value need not be selected any coarser than is required to absorb the skew in the configuration. Counter accuracy for particular hardware configurations is thus optimized. In a preferred embodiment, prescale and synchronizer functionality are combined to allow prescale registers to participate in the counter-rounding process at synchronization time. Software reads the prescale registers down to a predefined, fixed resolution. This is accomplished by software ignoring a fixed number of least significant bits of clock increments in the prescale register. At the same time, synchronizer functionality rounds the prescale register at synchronization time according to the selected counter accuracy described above.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4630291 (1986-12-01), Lankar et al.
patent: 5164619 (1992-11-01), Luebs
patent: 5361277 (1994-11-01), Grover
patent: 5384906 (1995-01-01), Horst
Heckler Thomas M.
Hewlett-Packard Co.
LandOfFree
Scalable resynchronization of remote counters does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Scalable resynchronization of remote counters, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Scalable resynchronization of remote counters will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-701501