TW201403334A - Route switching system for daisy-chained apparatuses and interface apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A route switching system for daisy-chained apparatuses and interface apparatus are provided. The system comprises a first host apparatus, a second host apparatus, and at least one interface apparatus. The first host apparatus provides data transmission of a first channel and a second channel. The second host apparatus is serially connected to the first host apparatus. The second host apparatus uses the first channel for data transmission and bypasses the data of the second channel. Each interface apparatus comprises a controller, a first interface port, a second interface port, and a multiplexer. The first interface port is serially connected to the second host apparatus or another interface apparatus. The multiplexer is disposed among the controller, the first interface port and the second interface port for switching a data route therein based on a received control signal, so as to enable the controller to transmit data with the first host apparatus through the first channel, or transmit data with the second host apparatus through the second channel.

Description

Route switching system and interface device of daisy chain serial device

The present invention relates to a route switching system and method, and more particularly to a lightning device using a daisy-chain serial connection and a route switching system thereof.

With the advancement of technology, the functions of computers tend to be diversified, and various peripheral devices are constantly being introduced. In order to facilitate the user to improve the computer performance or expand the computer function, the computer's motherboard is usually equipped with Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP), Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI), and Fast PCI (PCI Express). , PCI-E) and other bus slots for users to insert expansion cards such as video cards, sound cards, and network cards. In addition, the computer will also be equipped with expansion interfaces such as Firewire and Universal Serial Bus (USB) for users to connect external devices such as hard disks and printers.

Recently, Intel Corporation of the United States introduced a new Thunderbolt interface that integrates both PCI-E and DisplayPort technologies to simultaneously transmit data and video streams over the same cable. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of data transmission of a conventional lightning interface. Referring to FIG. 1, the lightning transmission technology provides two channels 122 and 124 as the PCI-E and the display port in the same cable 12 to respectively transmit data and video streams. By the lightning controller 14 disposed at both ends of the cable 12, With the control of 16 channels, each channel can transmit up to 10 billion bits per second (GigaBit, GB) in both directions, enabling high-speed data transfer between the computer and peripheral devices. The bandwidth provided by lightning transmission technology can also be cascaded in multiple Daisy-chains for multiple high-speed devices without the need for a hub or switch.

For example, FIG. 2 is a daisy-chain serial connection architecture of a conventional lightning interface. Referring to FIG. 2, in order to implement the daisy chain serial connection mode, the host 22 as the master terminal needs to be configured with a lightning interface 224 and a lightning controller 222 supporting dual channel transmission, and the subsequent series of lightning interface devices 24 and 26 And 28 need to configure more than two lightning interfaces 埠244, 246, 264, 266, 284, 286. Among them, since each lightning interface has two channels, a lightning controller 242, 262, 282 supporting four channels needs to be disposed in the lightning interface devices 24, 26, and 28, and the device is also added between the invisible devices. Cost of production.

However, the two channels of the lightning interface are only used to transmit data and video streams, and channel aggregation is not supported, which limits transmission performance. When the user-connected lightning device does not include the display related device, the channel for transmitting the video stream will be idle, and the high-cost configuration of the lightning interface and the lightning controller can only provide half of the transmission performance. Waste of resources. In addition, the current daisy-chain serial architecture does not allow two master devices to coexist, and only a single master device can transmit data with other serial devices, which also limits the application range of the lightning device.

In view of the above, the present invention provides a routing switching system for a daisy-chain serial connection device, which selects one of the two main control devices connected in series with the data routing of the interface device.

The invention provides a route switching system of a daisy chain serial device, which comprises a first main control device, a second main control device and at least one interface device. The first main control device has a first controller and a first interface, wherein the first controller provides data transmission of the first channel and the second channel through the first interface. The second main control device has a second controller, a second interface layer, and a third interface layer, wherein the second interface is connected in series with the first interface port, and the third interface is connected to the second interface port, so that the data of the first channel is The second interface is transmitted to the second controller and then transmitted by the second controller to the third interface, and the data of the second channel is directly transmitted to the third interface via the second interface. Each interface device has a third controller, a fourth interface layer, a fifth interface layer, and a multiplexer, wherein the fourth interface layer is connected in series with the third interface layer of the third interface layer or another interface device; the multiplexer system Between the third controller, the fourth interface, and the fifth interface, receiving the control signal, thereby switching the data routing between the third controller and the fourth interface and the fifth interface, so that the third control The device transmits data through the first channel to the first master device, or transmits data through the second channel and the second master device.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the second main control device further includes a communication module, which is connected to the second controller, and is used to establish a communication link between the second main control device and the external device, and receive Accessing data of the interface device by an external device for data access requirements of the interface device To provide to an external device.

In an embodiment of the invention, the second controller and the first controller perform data transmission in a point-to-point transmission manner via the first channel.

In an embodiment of the invention, the control signal is generated by the third controller according to the data usage requirement.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the third controller of each of the interface devices outputs a first control signal to the multiplexer to receive the third controller when receiving the data disclosure requirement for the interface device. The fifth interface and the sixth interface are connected to process the data of the first channel, and the sixth interface is connected to the fifth interface to transmit the data of the second channel.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the third controller of each of the interface devices outputs a second control signal to the multiplexer when receiving the data security requirement for the interface device to control the multiplexer to control the third control. The device is connected to the fifth interface and the sixth interface to process the data of the second channel, and the sixth interface is connected to the fifth interface to transmit the data of the first channel.

In an embodiment of the invention, the control signal is generated by a switch configured on the interface device.

The invention provides an interface device comprising a first interface layer, a second interface layer, a controller and a multiplexer. The first interface is used to serially connect the main control device or another interface device to receive the data transmitted through the first channel and the second channel. The multiplexer is disposed between the third controller, the first interface, and the second interface, and receives the control signal, thereby switching the data routing between the controller and the first interface and the second interface. Among them, the multiplexer When receiving the first control signal, connecting the controller to the first interface and the second interface to process the data of the first channel, and connecting the second interface to the first interface to transmit the data of the second channel When receiving the second control signal, connecting the controller to the first interface and the second interface to process the data of the second channel, and connecting the second interface to the first interface to transmit the first channel data.

In an embodiment of the invention, the first controller, the second controller, and the third controller are lightning controllers that support dual channel data transmission.

In an embodiment of the invention, the first channel and the second channel are respectively one of two data transmission channels of a lightning interface.

In an embodiment of the invention, the interface device comprises a graphics processing device, a display device, a storage device or a burning device that transmits data by using a lightning interface.

Based on the above, the routing switching system and the interface device of the daisy chain serial device of the present invention change the design of the lightning interface device, and respectively use the two data transmission channels of the lightning interface to transmit data, and are controlled or configured by the main control device. The triggering of the switch on the interface device switches the data routing between the interface device and the two master devices, so that the data on the interface device can be shared with other devices on the network for access, or is limited to only the master device. Can be accessed. Thereby, the application range of the lightning interface device can be increased.

The above described features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description.

The invention utilizes the high transmission bandwidth of the lightning interface and the daisy chain serial connection characteristic, and uses two data transmission channels of the lightning interface to transmit data, and the lightning device is designed to process only one channel of the data, and directly bypasses. Bypass another channel's data. In addition, the present invention further configures a multiplexer on the lightning device to switch the data routing between the lightning device and the two main control devices connected in series, thereby selecting to disclose the data on the lightning device to the network or only to the local end. access.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a route switching system of a daisy-chain serial device according to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the routing switching system 30 of the present embodiment includes a first main control device 32, a second main control device 34, and an interface device 36. The functions are as follows: The first main control device 32 and the second main control device 34 are, for example, terminal devices such as a desktop computer, a notebook computer, and a workstation, and include a processor and various input and output interfaces, and can be connected to peripheral devices and processed by the user. Program. The first main control unit 32 and the second main control unit 34 may further include storage devices such as a memory or a hard disk, and may store programs or other materials executed by the processor.

The first master device 32 has a controller 322 and an interface 324, and the controller 322 can provide data transmission of the first channel and the second channel through the interface 324. The controller 322 is, for example, a lightning controller that supports dual channel data transmission of the lightning interface, and provides a dual channel data transmission function through the interface 324.

The second main control device 34 has a controller 342, an interface 344 and an interface 埠346. The interface 344 is connected in series to the interface 324, the interface 346 is connected in series to the interface 344, and the controller 342 is connected in series to the interface 344 and the interface 346, so that the first channel of the first main control device 32 is output. Data may be transmitted to the controller 342 via the interface 344 and then transmitted to the interface 346 via the controller 342. The data of the second channel output by the first main control device 32 can be directly transmitted to the interface 346 via the interface 344. It should be noted that the controller 34 and the controller 32 perform data transmission in a point-to-point transmission manner, for example, via the first channel.

It should be noted that the second main control device 34 can also function as a cloud server to provide external devices with data access to the interface device 36 connected thereto. The second main control unit 34 further includes a communication module (not shown) connected to the controller 342 for establishing communication between the second main control unit 34 and an external device (not shown). Linked to receive data access requirements of the external device for the interface device 36. The communication module is, for example, a wireless transceiver supporting wireless communication standards such as 802.11n/b/g of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), which can provide the main control device 36 through wireless means. The external device establishes a network connection. This communication module can also be a network card that supports wired network connection, and there is no limit here.

The interface device 36 is, for example, a graphics processing device (including a graphics processing unit (GPU)) that uses a lightning interface to transmit data, a display device, a storage device, a burning device, or other peripheral devices, and has a controller 362, an interface 364, and an interface. 366 and multiplexer 368, wherein interface 埠 364 is connected in series with interface 346 of second main control device 34; multiplexer 368 is configured on the controller 362, between the interface 364 and the interface 366, for receiving the control signal, thereby switching the data routing between the controller 362 and the interface 364 and the interface 366, so that the controller 362 can pass the first channel and the second The master device 34 transmits the data or transmits the data to the first master device 32 through the second channel.

It should be noted that the multiplexer 368 is, for example, a control signal received by the controller 362, and accordingly switches the data routing between the controller 362 and the interfaces 364, 366. The control signal is generated by the controller 362 according to the data usage requirement, and the data usage requirement is generated, for example, by the first master device 32 or the second master device 34 receiving the user's operation, and is transmitted through the first channel or The second channel is transmitted to the controller 362. The contacts A and B of the multiplexer 368 are respectively connected to the controller 362 as a transmission path of the single channel data access controller 362, and the contacts C and D are respectively connected to the interface 364 as the first channel and the second. For the transmission path of the channel data, the contacts E and F respectively connect the interface 埠 366 as the transmission path of the second channel and the first channel data.

When the controller 362 receives the data disclosure requirement for the interface device 36, for example, the control signal X to the multiplexer 368 with a value of 0 is output, and the multiplexer 368 enters the cloud mode, and Contact A is coupled to contact C and contact B is coupled to contact F such that second master 34 can be coupled to controller 368 via the first channel to access material on interface device 36. By means of the communication link established between the second master device 34 and the external device, the data on the interface device 36 can be further provided to the external device for access, thereby implementing the function of the cloud service.

On the other hand, when the controller 366 receives the data security requirement for the interface device 36, for example, the control signal X of the value 1 is outputted to the multiplexer 368, and the multiplexer 368 enters the local mode. The contact A is connected to the contact D, and the contact B is connected to the contact E, so that the first main control device 32 can be connected to the controller 362 through the second channel to access the data on the interface device 36.

With the above system architecture, the lightning controllers disposed in the first master device 32, the second master device 34, and the interface device 36 only need to support dual channel data transmission, and do not need to support 4-channel data transmission, thereby reducing the The production cost of the interface device. In addition, by configuring the multiplexer 368 on the interface device 36 to switch data routing, the user can freely choose to share the data on the interface device 36 to the network according to his needs, or to be limited to the first host only by the local end. The control device 32 accesses.

It should be noted that the routing of the interface device 36 is triggered by the controller 362 sending the control signal to the multiplexer 368. In another embodiment, the routing of the interface device 36 can also be configured by the interface device. A physical switch on 36 triggers to provide flexibility for the user to switch data routing. The following is a detailed description of an embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a route switching system of a daisy-chain serial device according to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 4, the route switching system 40 of the present embodiment includes a first master device 42, a second master device 44, and interface devices 46, 48. The interface devices 46, 48 are, for example, configured with physical switches 470, 490 to provide a user to switch between cloud mode and local mode.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a route switching system of a daisy-chain serial device according to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 5, this embodiment illustrates the actual circuit of the route switching system 40 of FIG. The configuration and functions of the first main control unit 42 and the second main control unit 44 are the same as those of the first main control unit 32 and the second main control unit 34 of the foregoing embodiment, and therefore are not described herein again.

Unlike the previous embodiment, the multiplexer 468 of the interface device 46 of the present embodiment is directly connected to the switch 470, and the multiplexer 488 of the interface device 48 is directly connected to the switch 490. This switch 470, 490, for example, provides the user with the option of making the material public or undisclosed.

Taking the interface device 46 as an example, when the switch 470 is turned on, for example, a control signal X with a value of 0 is generated and output to the multiplexer 468. At this time, the multiplexer 468 enters the cloud mode, and the contact A is connected to the interface. Point C, and connecting the contact B to the contact F, allows the second master device 44 to be coupled to the controller 462 via the first channel to access the material on the interface device 46. By means of the communication link established between the second master device 44 and the external device, the data on the interface device 46 can be further provided to the external device for access, thereby implementing the function of the cloud service.

On the other hand, when the switch 470 is turned off, for example, a control signal X of value 1 is generated and output to the multiplexer 468, at which time the multiplexer 468 enters the local mode and connects the contact A to the interface. Point D, and connecting the contact B to the contact E, allows the first master device 42 to be coupled to the controller 462 via the second channel to access the material on the interface device 36.

Similarly, the switch 490 on the interface device 48 also controls the multiplexer 488 to enter the cloud mode when turned on, and controls the multiplexer when turned off. 488 enters local mode.

With the above system architecture, the user only needs to operate the switches 470, 490 on the interface devices 46, 48, and can choose to disclose or keep the data therein without cumbersome software operation, thereby increasing the convenience of the use of the lifting interface device. Sex.

In summary, the data switching system and the interface device of the daisy-chain serial device of the present invention design the interface device to transmit data only by using one of the data transmission channels of the lightning interface, thereby saving the hardware of the interface device. Configuration costs. In addition, these interface devices may also switch the data routing in the interface device to the cloud mode or the local mode according to the data usage requirements of the serial control device connected thereto or the operation of the switch on the configuration interface device. Thereby, the flexibility of use of the interface device and the range of application can be increased.

Although the present invention has been disclosed in the above embodiments, it is not intended to limit the invention, and any one of ordinary skill in the art can make some modifications and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the scope of the appended claims.

12‧‧‧ Cable

122, 124‧‧‧ channels

14, 16, 222, 242, 262, 282‧‧ ‧ lightning controller

22‧‧‧Host

24, 26, 28‧‧ ‧ lightning interface device

224, 244, 246, 264, 266, 284, 286‧‧ ‧ lightning interface 埠

30, 40‧‧‧ Route Switching System

32, 42‧‧‧ first master control device

322, 342, 362, 462‧‧ ‧ controller

324, 344, 346, 364, 366, 464, 466‧‧ ‧ interface埠

34, 44‧‧‧Second master device

36, 46, 48‧‧‧ interface devices

368, 468‧‧‧ multiplexers

470, 490‧‧ ‧ switch

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of data transmission of a conventional lightning interface.

2 is a daisy-chain serial connection architecture of a conventional lightning interface.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a route switching system of a daisy-chain serial device according to an embodiment of the invention.

4 is a daisy chain serial connection device according to an embodiment of the invention. Schematic diagram of the route switching system.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a route switching system of a daisy-chain serial device according to an embodiment of the invention.

30‧‧‧Route switching system

32‧‧‧First master device

322, 342, 362‧‧ ‧ controller

324, 344, 346, 364, 366‧ ‧ interface埠

34‧‧‧Second master device

36‧‧‧Interface device

368‧‧‧Multiplexer

Claims (12)

A routing switching system for a daisy-chain serial device includes: a first main control device having a first controller and a first interface, wherein the first controller provides a first channel through the first interface and a second channel of data transmission; a second controller having a second controller, a second interface, and a third interface, wherein the second interface is connected in series with the first interface The third interface is connected to the second interface, so that the data of the first channel is transmitted to the second controller via the second interface, and then transmitted by the second controller to the third interface, the second channel The data is directly transmitted to the third interface through the second interface; and at least one interface device, each of the interface devices has a third controller, a fourth interface, a fifth interface, and a multiplexer The fourth interface is connected in series with the fifth interface of the third interface or another interface device, and the multiplexer is disposed between the third controller, the fourth interface, and the fifth interface Receiving a control signal, thereby switching the third Data routing between the controller and the fourth interface port and the fifth interface port, such that the third controller transmits data to the first master device through the first channel, or through the second channel The second master device transmits the data. The route switching system of the daisy chain serial device according to claim 1, wherein the second main control device further comprises: a communication module, connected to the second controller, and the second main control device is established a communication link between the external devices, receiving a data access requirement of the external device for the interface device, thereby accessing the interface device Information is provided to the external device. The route switching system of the daisy-chain serial device according to claim 1, wherein the second controller and the first controller perform data transmission in a point-to-point transmission manner via the first channel. The routing switching system of the daisy-chain serial device according to claim 1, wherein the control signal is generated by the third controller according to a data usage requirement. The routing switching system of the daisy-chain serial device according to claim 4, wherein the third controller of each of the interface devices outputs a first when receiving a data disclosure requirement for the interface device. Controlling the signal to the multiplexer to control the multiplexer to connect the third controller to the fifth interface and the sixth interface to process the data of the first channel, and connect the sixth interface And to the fifth interface to transmit the data of the second channel. The route switching system of the daisy-chain serial device according to claim 4, wherein the third controller of each of the interface devices outputs a second when receiving a data security requirement for the interface device. Controlling the signal to the multiplexer to control the multiplexer to connect the third controller to the fifth interface and the sixth interface to process the data of the second channel, and to connect the sixth interface Up to the fifth interface to transmit the data of the first channel. The routing switching system of the daisy-chain serial device according to claim 1, wherein the control signal is generated by a switch configured on the interface device. The route switching system of the daisy chain serial device according to claim 1, wherein the first controller, the second controller and the third controller are lightning controllers that support dual channel data transmission. The route switching system of the daisy-chain serial device according to claim 1, wherein the first channel and the second channel are respectively one of two data transmission channels of a lightning interface. An interface device includes: a first interface 埠 connected in series with a main control device or another interface device for receiving data transmitted through a first channel and a second channel; a second interface 埠; a controller; a multiplexer configured to receive a control signal between the third controller, the first interface, and the second interface, to switch the controller, the first interface, and the second interface Data routing, wherein when the multiplexer receives a first control signal, the controller is connected to the first interface and the second interface to process the data of the first channel, and the first The second interface is connected to the first interface to transmit the data of the second channel. When receiving a second control signal, the controller is connected to the first interface and the second interface to process the first Two-channel data, and the second interface 埠 is connected to the first interface 埠 to transmit the data of the first channel. The interface device of claim 10, wherein the controller is a lightning controller that supports dual channel data transmission. The interface device of claim 10, wherein the first channel and the second channel are respectively one of two data transmission channels of a lightning interface.