초록 ▼

Ethernet collision control systems and methods for an ethernet network are provided which utilize a media access controller (MAC) which inserts a counter code in the inter-frame gap (IFG) between frame units when transmitting data of a data size which exceeds the capacity of a single frame of the et

Ethernet collision control systems and methods for an ethernet network are provided which utilize a media access controller (MAC) which inserts a counter code in the inter-frame gap (IFG) between frame units when transmitting data of a data size which exceeds the capacity of a single frame of the ethernet protocol. The counter code provides a clock signal which may be received by other hosts on the network when they monitor the network to determine whether they are able to make transmissions. First, by recognizing the counter code between frames as distinguished from an idle period signal, the hosts seeking to transmit are notified that additional frames are expected in the next time window from the currently transmitting host. In addition, a counter is provided on each host which generates a count value from the received counter code received during inter-frame gaps and generates a retransmission criterion for controlling transmissions based on the received counter code. Accordingly, a counter code may be used to prioritize access to the network based upon the sequence with which additional hosts wishing to transmit data access the network responsive to an internally generated transmission request.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A collision control system for an ethernet network comprising:a media access controller (MAC) circuit that provides data for transmission in frame units, the MAC circuit further including a code generator that generates a counter code that is transmitted in an inter-frame gap (IFG) between frame

1. A collision control system for an ethernet network comprising:a media access controller (MAC) circuit that provides data for transmission in frame units, the MAC circuit further including a code generator that generates a counter code that is transmitted in an inter-frame gap (IFG) between frame units, the counter code being distinct from an idle period code specified by the ethernet network; anda transmitter coupling the MAC circuit to the ethernet network that transmits the frame units and the counter code on the ethernet network. 2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:a receiver coupling the MAC circuit to the ethernet network that receives transmissions from the ethernet network including frame units and counter codes transmitted by other collision control systems coupled to the ethernet network; andwherein the MAC circuit further comprises a counter for generating a transmission criterion responsive to the received counter codes. 3. The system of claim 2 wherein the counter code comprises:a start period;a clock period; andwherein the counter generates a transmission criterion responsive to the clock period. 4. The system of claim 3 wherein the clock period comprises a plurality of clock signals and wherein the counter generates a counter value responsive to the plurality of clock signals, the counter value specifying a priority for use as the transmission criterion. 5. The system of claim 4 wherein the counter code further comprises an end period and wherein the counter is initialized by the start period and counts the plurality of clock signals until the end period is received. 6. The system of claim 5 wherein the MAC circuit is configured to use the counter value as a coefficient of a binary exponential backoff (BEB) algorithm to control transmission by the transmitter. 7. A collision control system for an ethernet network comprising:a receiver coupled to the ethernet network that receives transmissions from the ethernet network including frame units and a counter code transmitted by other collision control systems coupled to the ethernet network, the counter code being received in an inter-frame gap (IFG) between ones of the frame units; anda media access controller (MAC) circuit that receives data in frame units and counter codes from the receiver, the MAC circuit further including a counter for generating a transmission criterion responsive to the received counter code. 8. The system of claim 7 wherein the counter code comprises:a start period;a clock period; andwherein the counter generates a transmission criterion responsive to the clock period. 9. The system of claim 8 wherein the clock period comprises a plurality of clock signals and wherein the counter generates a counter value responsive to the plurality of clock signals, the counter value specifying a priority for use as the transmission criterion. 10. A collision control system for an ethernet network comprising:a receiver coupled to the ethernet network that receives transmissions from the ethernet network including frame units and a counter code transmitted by other collision control systems coupled to the ethernet network;a media access controller (MAC) circuit that receives data in frame units and counter codes from the receiver, the MAC circuit further including a counter for generating a transmission criterion responsive to the received counter code;wherein the counter code comprises a start period and a clock period;wherein the counter generates a transmission criterion responsive to the clock period;wherein the clock period comprises a plurality of clock signals;wherein the counter generates a counter value responsive to the plurality of clock signals, the counter value specifying a priority for use as the transmission criterion; andwherein the MAC circuit is configured to use the counter value as a coefficient of a binary exponential backoff (BEB) based algorithm to control transmission by the transmitter. 11. A method for collision control for an ethernet network comprising the steps of:receiving frames of data and a received counter code from the ethernet network, the received counter code being received between a first and a second of the frames of data;analyzing the received counter code to determine a transmission criterion; andtransmitting frames of data responsive to the transmission criterion. 12. The method of claim 11 wherein the transmitting step comprises the steps of:generating a plurality of frames of data for transmission;generating a transmit counter code; andtransmitting the plurality of frames of data on the ethernet network with the transmit counter code inserted in an inter-frame gap (IFG) between each of the plurality of frames responsive to the transmission criterion. 13. The method of claim 12 wherein the received counter code comprise a start period and a clock period including a plurality of clock signals and wherein the analyzing step comprises the step of generating a counter value responsive to the plurality of clock signals, the counter value specifying a priority for use as the transmission criterion. 14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of transmitting the plurality of frames of data is performed at a time determined using the counter value as a coefficient of a binary exponential backoff (BEB) algorithm. 15. The method of claim 13 wherein the received counter code further comprises an end period and wherein the step of generating a counter value comprises the steps of:initializing a counter responsive to the start period;counting the plurality of clock signals; andstopping the counting step and setting the counter value responsive to the end period. 16. A collision preventing apparatus comprising a media access controller (MAC) and a physical contact unit in fast ethernet, wherein the MAC is configured to generate a specific code at an inter-frame gap (IFG) between frames, that distinguishes an idle period from the IFG, when the MAC transmits a plurality of frames to transmission paths through the physical contact unit, and wherein the specific code comprises:a start period representing a start of the IFG;a clock period providing clock signals following the start period; andan end period representing an end of the IFG following the clock period. 17. A collision preventing apparatus comprising a media access controller (MAC) and a physical contact unit in fast ethernet, wherein the MAC is configured to generate a specific code at an inter-frame gap (IFG) between frames, that distinguishes an idle period from the IFG, when the MAC transmits a plurality of frames to transmission paths through the physical contact unit, and further comprising a counter that is initialized by the start period, and wherein the clock period is counted by the clock signals, and wherein the counting of the clock period is ended in the end period, and wherein a resulting counter value generated by counting the clock period is used to determine priorities of data transmission. 18. In a collision preventing apparatus comprising a media access controller (MAC) and a physical contact unit in fast ethernet, the MAC generates a specific code at an inter-frame gap (IFG) between frames in order to distinguish an idle period from the IFG when the MAC transmits a plurality of frames to transmission paths through the physical contact unit, wherein the specific code comprises:a start period representing the start of the IFG;a clock period providing clock signals to operate a clock; andan end period representing the end of the IFG;wherein the counter is initialized by the start period, and the clock period is counted by the clock signals, and the counting operation is ended in the end period, a resulting counter value being used to determine priorities of data transmission; andwherein the counter value is used as a coefficient of a binary exponential backoff (BEB) algorithm. 19. A collision preventing method in fast ethernet, comprising the steps of:(a) generatin g data to be transmitted, and forming frames according to data length;(b) determining whether to transmit the data in a single frame;(c) in case of transmitting the data in more than a single frame, transmitting a first frame among a plurality of frames, and transmitting a specific code to an inter-frame gap (IFG); and(d) in case of transmitting the data in a single frame, transmitting the single frame. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein step (c) is repeated until all the data are transmitted. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:(e) monitoring transmission paths for a host to transmit data;(f) performing counting operations according to clock signals of the specific code and outputting a counter value when the host receives the specific code from the IFG; and(g) determining priorities according to the counter value, and retransmitting the data according to the priorities by the host.