Receiver synchronization in encoder/decoder

Claim 1

A method of synchronizing the decoding of packets of symbols stored in a n-bit register, said symbols serially received from a network and serially stored in an elastic buffer, said elastic buffer being responsive to a buffer reset signal and including a read pointer means, coupled to said elastic buffer, for determining a buffer read location of signals to be serially read from said elastic buffer, said elastic buffer, responsive to said buffer reset signal, providing a read pointer initialization signal to said read pointer means to initialize said read pointer means in response to said buffer reset signal, said elastic buffer and said read pointer means being responsive to a source of clock signals having a predetermined period, said method comprising the steps of: (a) generating a signal from said read pointer initialization signal; (b) delaying said generating signal for a predetermined time period; (c) generating a synchronization signal during a clock period; (d) detecting a predetermined start-of-packet delimiter upon serial reception of signals from said elastic buffer, delayed by a first predetermined number of said clock periods m, said packet delimiter comprising signals received over a second predetermined number of said clock periods n; (e) generating said synchronization signal during the next clock period following said detection at step (d) and at every second predetermined number of clock periods thereafter; (f) loading into said n-bit register, in parallel, synchronized by said signal generated at step (e), signals, representing said symbols, serially read from said elastic buffer, delayed by said m clock periods, during the second predetermined number of clock periods preceding generation of said signal generated by step (e).

Claim 2

A method of synchronizing the decoding of packets of symbols stored in a n-bit register, said symbols serially received from a network and serially stored in an elastic buffer, said elastic buffer being responsive to a buffer reset signal and including a read pointer means, coupled to said elastic buffer, for determining a buffer read location of signals to be serially read from said elastic buffer, said elastic buffer, responsive to said buffer reset signal, providing a read pointer initialization signal to said read pointer means to initialize said read pointer means in response to said buffer reset signal, said elastic buffer and said read pointer means being responsive to a source of clock signals having a predetermined period, said method comprising the steps of: (a) generating a signal from said read pointer initialization signal; (b) delaying said generating signal for a predetermined time period; (c) generating a synchronization signal during a clock period; (d) detecting a predetermined start-of-packet delimiter upon serial reception of signals from said elastic buffer, delayed by a first predetermined number of said clock periods m, said packet delimiter comprising signals received over a second predetermined number of said clock periods n; (e) generating said synchronization signal during the next clock period following said detection at step (d) and at every second predetermined number of clock periods thereafter; (f) loading into said n-bit register, in parallel, synchronized by said signal generated at step (e), signals, representing said symbols, serially read from said elastic buffer, delayed by said m clock periods, during the second predetermined number of clock periods preceding generation of said signal generated by step (e).

Claim 7

An apparatus for synchronizing the decoding of packets of symbols stored in a n-bit register, said symbols serially received from a network and serially stored in an elastic buffer, said elastic buffer being responsive to a buffer reset signal and including a read pointer means, coupled to said elastic buffer, for determining a buffer read location of signals to be serially read from said elastic buffer, said elastic buffer, responsive to said buffer reset signal providing a read pointer initialization signal to said read pointer means to initialize said read pointer means in response to said buffer reset signal, said elastic buffer and said read pointer means responsive to a source of clock signals having a predetermined period, said apparatus comprising: means for generating a signal from said read pointer initialization signal; means for delaying said generating signal for a predetermined time period; means for generating a synchronization signal during a clock period; means for detecting a predetermined start-of-packet delimiter upon serial reception of signals from said elastic buffer, delayed by a first predetermined number of said clock periods m, said packet delimiter comprising signals received over a second predetermined number of said clock periods n, said synchronization signal generating means generating a signal during the next clock period following said detection by said detecting means and at every second predetermined number of clock periods thereafter; and means for loading into said n-bit register, in parallel, synchronized by said signal generated by said signals representing said symbols serially read from said elastic buffer, delayed by said m clock periods, during the second predetermined number of clock periods preceding operation of said signal generated by said synchronization signal generating means.

Claim 8

An apparatus for synchronizing the decoding of packets of symbols stored in a n-bit register, said symbols serially received from a network and serially stored in an elastic buffer, said elastic buffer being responsive to a buffer reset signal and including a read pointer means, coupled to said elastic buffer, for determining a buffer read location of signals to be serially read from said elastic buffer, said elastic buffer, responsive to said buffer reset signal providing a read pointer initialization signal to said read pointer means to initialize said read pointer means in response to said buffer reset signal, said elastic buffer and said read pointer means responsive to a source of clock signals having a predetermined period, said apparatus comprising: means for generating a signal from said read pointer initialization signal; means for delaying said generating signal for a predetermined time period; means for generating a synchronization signal during a clock period; means for detecting a predetermined start-of-packet delimiter upon serial reception of signals from said elastic buffer, delayed by a first predetermined number of said clock periods m, said packet delimiter comprising signals received over a second predetermined number of said clock periods n, said synchronization signal generating means generating a signal during the next clock period following said detection by said detecting means and at every second predetermined number of clock periods thereafter; and means for loading into said n-bit register, in parallel, synchronized by said signal generated by said signals representing said symbols serially read from said elastic buffer, delayed by said m clock periods, during the second predetermined number of clock periods preceding operation of said signal generated by said synchronization signal generating means.