U.S. patent application number 12/360647 was filed with the patent office on 2009-05-21 for method and apparatus for enabling transport of ethernet data over a serial digital interface transport service.
Invention is credited to Eugene KEANE, Wayne Snyder.
Application Number | 20090129408 12/360647 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38224312 |
Filed Date | 2009-05-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090129408 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
KEANE; Eugene ; et
al. |
May 21, 2009 |
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENABLING TRANSPORT OF ETHERNET DATA OVER A
SERIAL DIGITAL INTERFACE TRANSPORT SERVICE
Abstract
A method and apparatus enables Ethernet data transport over a
serial digital interface network. An Embedder/DeEmbedder for
embedding Ethernet derived data and for de-embedding Ethernet
derived data supports selective use of the active video region of
the SDI frame and the unused HANC space for transporting Ethernet
media independent interface data.
Inventors: |
KEANE; Eugene; (Camarillo,
CA) ; Snyder; Wayne; (Simi Valley, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JACKSON, DEMARCO, TIDUS & PACKENPAUGH
2815 TOWNSGATE ROAD, SUITE 200
WESTLAKE VILLAGE
CA
91361-3010
US
|
Family ID: |
38224312 |
Appl. No.: |
12/360647 |
Filed: |
January 27, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11324285 |
Dec 30, 2005 |
|
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12360647 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
370/473 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 7/173 20130101;
H04N 21/2381 20130101; H04L 12/66 20130101; H04N 21/4342 20130101;
H04N 21/23602 20130101; H04L 12/56 20130101; H04L 12/413
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
370/473 |
International
Class: |
H04L 29/06 20060101
H04L029/06 |
Claims
1. An apparatus for enabling transport of Ethernet derived data
over a serial digital interface video transport service comprising:
an embedder for embedding Ethernet derived data into a horizontal
ancillary (HANC) data space of a serial digital interface frame;
and, a de-embedder for de-embedding Ethernet derived data that is
embedded in a serial digital interface frame; and,
2. An apparatus for transporting data over a serial digital
interface video transport service comprising: an embedder operably
connected to a media independent interface said embedder for
embedding Ethernet data received and processed by said media
independent interface into a horizontal ancillary (HANC) data space
of a serial digital interface frame; and, a de-embedder operably
connected to a media independent interface said de-embedder for
de-embedding data embedded in a serial digital interface frame and
said media independent interface for converting said de-embedded
data for use in an Ethernet data network.
3. A method of transmitting Ethernet data between two or more hosts
comprising the steps of: acquiring Ethernet data from one of said
hosts and embedding Ethernet derived data into a horizontal
ancillary (HANC) data space of a serial digital interface frame;
transporting said Ethernet derived data over a serial digital
interface transport service; de-embedding the Ethernet derived data
from the serial digital interface frame; and, utilizing Ethernet
data derived from said Ethernet derived data in an Ethernet
network.
Description
PRIORITY CLAIM
[0001] This patent application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 11/324,285 filed Dec. 30, 2005 entitled METHOD
AND APPARATUS FOR ENABLING TRANSPORT OF ETHERNET DATA OVER A SERIAL
DIGITAL INTERFACE TRANSPORT SERVICE.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to the electrical arts and to
the transport of Ethernet data. More particularly, this invention
relates to methods and apparatus for enabling transport of Ethernet
data over a serial digital interface transport service.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] Networks for transporting Ethernet data are known in office
and business environments for communicating digital data. Such
networks are termed local area networks (LAN) because Ethernet data
may transmitted only over short distances, typically less than one
kilometer. Data transport over longer distances and in particular
between LAN's is accomplished using long distance communications
means such as a link to a wide area network (WAN).
[0006] The exchange of video content among distant parties prompted
the creation of a means to transport digitized video over
considerable distances using a network with a Serial Digital
Interface (SDI). Digital video signals are therefore typically
transmitted over the SDI transport according to one or more SDI
standards.
[0007] SDI signals are self-synchronizing, typically using 8 bit or
10 bit data words and a data rate of 270 Mbit/sec. Blocks of data
words transmitted according to the SDI standard are referred to as
frames. An SDI frame includes an active video region and inactive
ancillary spaces including a horizontal (HANC) space.
[0008] Some offices have both an Ethernet LAN and a link to an SDI
network. These offices would benefit from a method and means for
transmitting Ethernet data over the SDI link. However, traditional
SDI links will not transport Ethernet data signals.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention satisfies a long felt need to enhance
the utilization of SDI video transport services by enabling the
transport of Ethernet and other data services including video data
transport over SDI networks.
[0010] A preferred embodiment of the present invention includes an
Embedder/De-Embedder that enables the transfer of Ethernet data
over the SDI network. In particular, an Embedder function of the
preferred embodiment uses a physical level Ethernet device (PHY) to
convert the raw Ethernet data traffic into Media Independent
Interface (MII) Data.
[0011] A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a type of logic chip
that can be programmable, is specifically programmed to place the
MII data into the active video region of the SDI frame. The SDI
frame with its embedded Ethernet data is then transported over
standard SDI equipment and routed to another Embedder/De-Embedder
apparatus.
[0012] When the embedded data reaches its destination, a second
Embedder/De-Embedder and in particular the De-Embedder then
extracts the Ethernet MII data and passes it to another PHY device.
The PHY device then transmits the physical level Ethernet data.
[0013] To the Ethernet signal and all protocols that ride on it,
the apparatus of the present invention appears to be a standard
cable. But, the transport means is an SDI network and what is
transported is media independent interface data derived from the
Ethernet data or Ethernet MII data. In other words the present
invention does not interact at either the OSI Data Link or
Transport layer or at any higher layers in the OSI Reference
Model.
[0014] In another embodiment of the invention, the
Embedder/Deembedder apparatus is similar, but here the FPGA is also
programmed to place the Ethernet MII data into the unused
Horizontal Ancillary (HANC) data space of the SDI frame. This
allows the use of one or both of the active video region and the
HANC space to transport Ethernet MII data. Consequently, in this
embodiment the SDI transport is capable of carrying both video and
Ethernet data simultaneously.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0015] The novel features of this invention will be best understood
from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the
accompanying description, in which similar characters refer to
similar parts and in which:
[0016] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the data transport apparatus of
the present invention.
[0017] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the Embedder/DeEmbedder of the
data transport apparatus of FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a network system 10.
Ethernet data is transferred between two host computers 12 via an
SDI video transport network 20. When Ethernet data 13 is sent from
one computer 12 and routed via a router 14, it encounters the
Embedder/De-Embedder apparatus 16 of the present invention.
[0019] The Ethernet data 13 is typically carried at speeds of 10M
and 100M. In an embodiment, 1 G and 10 G Ethernet may also be
transported over the SDI network but throughput would be limited
because of the lower data rate (270 Mbits/sec) of the SDI network.
It should be noted that when both video and Ethernet are carried
simultaneously, maximum Ethernet throughput is reduced since the
Ethernet and video data share the available SDI bandwidth.
[0020] FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the Embedder/De-Embedder
apparatus 16. The Embedder/De-Embedder apparatus 16 includes a data
converter or PHY 18, an Ethernet/SDI Embedder 19, and an
Ethernet/SDI De-Embedder 21.
[0021] In an embodiment, the data converter, the Ethernet/SDI
Embedder, and the Ethernet/SDI De-Embedder are contained in a
common enclosure 30 and in some embodiments, all of these devices
are implemented on a single circuit board.
[0022] Upon receipt of the Ethernet data 13 through the router 14,
the data converter 18 of the Embedder/De-Embedder apparatus 16
converts the raw Ethernet data 13 into Ethernet MII data 23. The
Ethernet MII data 23 is then embedded by the Ethernet/SDI Embedder
19. In an embodiment, one or more field programmable gate arrays
are associated with the Embedder/DeEmbedder and it is an FPGA that
places this data into the active video region of the SDI frame.
Here, the FGPA is programmed to perform the operation of placing
the data into the active video region.
[0023] The data converter 18 has logic levels that are compatible
with a selected FPGA. Any appropriate data converter interface may
be used such as Intel's model LXT972A. In addition, FPGA devices
are known in the industry, and any FPGA having sufficient size and
speed may be used such as the Altera Cyclone FPGA.
[0024] The SDI frame with the embedded Ethernet MII data is
transported over standard SDI cables 22 through the Video Transport
Network 20 and routed via second router 14 to another
Embedder/De-Embedder apparatus 16. As the SDI frame 23 enters the
Embedder/De-Embedder apparatus 16, the Ethernet/SDI De-Embedder 21
extracts the incoming Ethernet MII data 23 and passes it to another
data converter 18. The data converter 18 transmits the physical
level Ethernet data 13 to the second host computer 12.
[0025] In another embodiment of the present invention, the FPGA is
programmed to selectively place video or Ethernet MII data into the
active video region of the SDI frame and Ethernet MII data into the
unused HANC space of the SDI frame. In this embodiment, the SDI
transport can carry one or both of video and Ethernet MII data. In
particular, video and Ethernet MII data may be carried
simultaneously.
[0026] In an embodiment where Ethernet MII data is carried only in
the HANC space of the SDI frame, the throughput is about 4.1
Mbytes/sec. Therefore, 10M Ethernet may be transported in this
embodiment without flow control while 100M Ethernet would require
the use of flow control.
[0027] While various embodiments of the present invention have been
described above, it should be understood that they have been
presented by way of example only, and not limitation. It will be
understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form
and details can be made therein without departing form the spirit
and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Thus,
the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be
limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but
should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and
their equivalents.
* * * * *