Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/ – Input/output data processing – Input/output data buffering
Reexamination Certificate
2006-01-06
2009-02-24
Hafiz, Tariq (Department: 2182)
Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/
Input/output data processing
Input/output data buffering
C710S057000, C710S065000, C709S230000
Reexamination Certificate
active
07496700
ABSTRACT:
A method and apparatus are disclosed for implementing STP flow control in SAS expander devices. SAS expanders are commonly used within a SAS network topology to allow multiple disk drives to connect to multiple host devices. Connections to a SATA HDD are supported using SATA Tunnelling Protocol (STP), which allows SATA traffic to be carried over a SAS network topology. Flow control in a STP connection is applied through a set of special SATA primitives, both for forward and backward flow control. A method is described herein in which STP flow control is supported without the use of a SATA link layer state machine. This allows STP flow control to be terminated on a hop-by-hop basis without knowing the data channel direction or maintaining a SATA link state machine, and while minimizing gate count.
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Chong Paul
Liao Heng
Yi Cheng
Behmann Curtis B.
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
Hafiz Tariq
Plante Jonathan R
PMC-Sierra Inc.
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