Synchronized data transmission between elements of a processing system

Claim 1

A method of synchronizing data sent by a pair of data transmitting sources and to receive from each identical data in the form of pairs of multi-bit symbols, the multi-bit symbols including a SYNC symbol, and each one of the pair of multi-bit symbols being identical to the other of the pair of multi-bit symbols, and each one of the pair of multi-bit symbols being transmitted by a one of the pair of data transmitting sources at substantially the same moment in time as an identical one of the pair of multi-bit symbols, the method, comprising the steps of: providing a periodic SYNC clock signal, a transmit clock signal, and a local clock signal; receiving the data from the pair of data transmitting sources with corresponding ones of a pair of storage elements, each of the storage elements including, multiple storage locations, a first pointer counter identifying a one of the multiple storage locations at which received ones of the multi-bit symbols are stored in synchronism with the transmit clock signal, a second pointer counter identifying another of the multiple storage locations from which stored ones of the symbols are retrieved in synchronism with the local clock signal; sequentially retrieving the multi-bit symbols from the another of the multiple storage locations; detecting the SYNC symbol; setting the first and second pointers corresponding to the one of the pair storage elements from which the SYNC symbol was retrieved to a reset state on a predetermined first transition of the SYNC clock signal subsequent to retrieval of the SYNC symbol; and releasing the first and second pointers corresponding to the one of the pair storage elements from which the SYNC symbol was retrieved from the reset state on a predetermined second transition of the SYNC clock signal subsequent in time to the first transition in a manner that leaves such first and second pointers respectively identifying ones of a pair of the multiple storage locations a predetermined amount of the multiple storage locations apart.

Claim 2

A method of synchronizing data sent by a pair of data transmitting sources and to receive from each identical data in the form of pairs of multi-bit symbols, the multi-bit symbols including a SYNC symbol, and each one of the pair of multi-bit symbols being identical to the other of the pair of multi-bit symbols, and each one of the pair of multi-bit symbols being transmitted by a one of the pair of data transmitting sources at substantially the same moment in time as an identical one of the pair of multi-bit symbols, the method, comprising the steps of: providing a periodic SYNC clock signal, a transmit clock signal, and a local clock signal; receiving the data from the pair of data transmitting sources with corresponding ones of a pair of storage elements, each of the storage elements including, multiple storage locations, a first pointer counter identifying a one of the multiple storage locations at which received ones of the multi-bit symbols are stored in synchronism with the transmit clock signal, a second pointer counter identifying another of the multiple storage locations from which stored ones of the symbols are retrieved in synchronism with the local clock signal; sequentially retrieving the multi-bit symbols from the another of the multiple storage locations; detecting the SYNC symbol; setting the first and second pointers corresponding to the one of the pair storage elements from which the SYNC symbol was retrieved to a reset state on a predetermined first transition of the SYNC clock signal subsequent to retrieval of the SYNC symbol; and releasing the first and second pointers corresponding to the one of the pair storage elements from which the SYNC symbol was retrieved from the reset state on a predetermined second transition of the SYNC clock signal subsequent in time to the first transition in a manner that leaves such first and second pointers respectively identifying ones of a pair of the multiple storage locations a predetermined amount of the multiple storage locations apart.