Synchronisation in communication systems

Abstract

A method and a communication bus are provided having nodes. Each of the nodes includes a transmitting element to transmit data to another node on the bus, and a receiving element to receive information from another node on the bus. A communication channel is between the transmitting and receiving elements within each node, a transmitter state machine logic controls the synchronisation of the transmitting element, and a receiving state machine logic to control the synchronisation of the receiving element. A storage area maintains the status of synchronisation of the bus. Communication data is synchronised via a bus connecting first and second nodes. A plurality of encoded bytes, each encoded byte represented as a 10 bit code, is transmitted from the first node. The second node receives and decodes the bytes, where any decoding errors in a byte are detected. A synchronised status is indicated.

1 . A communication bus having nodes that are linked by communications channels, wherein a first set of said channels transfers information in one direction while a second set of channels transfers information in the opposite direction, each of said nodes comprising:
 a transmitting element for transmitting data to another node on said bus;   a receiving element for receiving information from another node on said bus;   a communication channel between said transmitting and receiving elements within each node;   transmitter state machine logic for controlling the synchronisation of said transmitting element;   receiving state machine logic for controlling the synchronisation of said receiving element; and   a storage area for maintaining the status of synchronisation of said bus.   
     
     
         2 . A communication bus according to  claim 1 , wherein the transmitter and receiving state machine logic are configured to report the link status of the communication bus. 
     
     
         3 . A method of synchronising data communication over a communication bus, the communication bus having nodes that are linked by communication channels, wherein a first set of channels transfers information in one direction while a second set of channels transfers information in the opposite direction the method comprising:
 transmitting data from a first node on the communication bus over a communication channel;   receiving data at a second node in the communication bus;   controlling synchronising transmitting the data with transmitter state machine logic;   controlling synchronising receiving the data with receiving state machine logic;   maintaining the status of synchronisation of the communication bus;   
     
     
         4 . A method of synchronising data communication according to  claim 3  wherein the method further comprises reporting link status of the communication bus.