High speed isolated and optical USB

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10014957-B2
Application number	US-201615067410-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2016
Priority date	Mar 13, 2015
Publication date	Jul 3, 2018
Grant date	Jul 3, 2018

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for providing electrically isolated communications between two USB2 devices. Two isolating eUSB2 repeaters are utilized to implement a digital isolation barrier between the two USB2 devices. The isolating eUSB2 repeaters are configured to broker isolated communications between the two USB2 devices using a modified eUSB2 protocol that allows the two isolating eUSB2 repeaters to interoperate across the isolating barrier. The modified eUSB2 protocol allows the two isolating eUSB2 repeaters to broker isolating communications on behalf of the USB2 devices without the use of an accurate clock signal. The modified eUSB2 protocol utilized by the isolating eUSB2 repeaters is configured in particular to support certain end-of-packet translations between USB2 data and the modified eUSB2 protocol, management of certain USB2 bus state transitions and assignment of roles to the two isolating eUSB2 repeaters.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for providing electrically isolated communications, the system comprising:
a first digital transceiver operable to communicate with a second digital transceiver, wherein the digital transceiver communications are digital signals, and wherein the digital transceiver communications are conducted via an electrically isolating communication interface;
the second digital transceiver;
a first isolating embedded Universal Serial Bus 2.0 (eUSB2) repeater coupled to the first digital transceiver and further coupled to a first USB2 device, the first isolating eUSB2 repeater operable to translate between USB2 communications with the first USB2 device and the digital signals and further operable to communicate the digital signals to the first digital transceiver; and

a second isolating eUSB2 repeater coupled to the second digital transceiver and further coupled to a second USB2 device, the second isolating eUSB2 repeater operable to translate between USB2 communications with the second USB2 device and the digital signals and further operable to communicate the digital signals to the second digital transceiver;
wherein the first isolating eUSB2 repeater is operable to detect an extended high-speed idle state in the first USB2 device and further operable to derive bus state of the first USB2 device based on a detection of J state and chirp K signals by the first USB2 device, wherein the J state is a signaling state.

2. A system for providing electrically isolated communications, the system comprising:
a first digital transceiver operable to communicate with a second digital transceiver, wherein the digital transceiver communications are digital signals, and wherein the digital transceiver communications are conducted via an electrically isolating communication interface;
the second digital transceiver;
a first isolating embedded Universal Serial Bus 2.0 (eUSB2) repeater coupled to the first digital transceiver and further coupled to a first USB2 device, the first isolating eUSB2 repeater operable to translate between USB2 communications with the first USB2 device and the digital signals and further operable to communicate the digital signals to the first digital transceiver; and

a second isolating eUSB2 repeater coupled to the second digital transceiver and further coupled to a second USB2 device, the second isolating eUSB2 repeater operable to translate between USB2 communications with the second USB2 device and the digital signals and further operable to communicate the digital signals to the second digital transceiver;
wherein the first isolating eUSB2 repeater is operable to detect sleep state in the first USB2 device based on detection of handshake and token packets transmitted by the first USB2 device and the second USB2 device.

3. A method for providing electrically isolated communications, the method comprising:
receiving, at a first isolating embedded Universal Serial Bus 2.0 (eUSB2) repeater, analog differential pair USB2 communications from a first USB2 device;
translating, by the first isolating eUSB2 repeater, between the USB2 communications and digital signals;
communicating the digital signals to a second isolating eUSB2 repeater via an electrically isolating communication interface;
receiving the digital signals at the second isolating eUSB2 repeater;

translating, by the second isolating eUSB2 repeater, between the digital signals and USB2 communications for delivery to a second USB2 device;
wherein the first isolating eUSB2 repeater is operable to detect an extended high-speed idle state in the first USB2 device and further operable to derive bus state of the first USB2 device based on a detection of J state and chirp K signals by the first USB2 device, wherein the J state is a signaling state.

4. A method for providing electrically isolated communications, the method comprising:
receiving, at a first isolating embedded Universal Serial Bus 2.0 (eUSB2) repeater, analog differential pair USB2 communications from a first USB2 device;
translating, by the first isolating eUSB2 repeater, between the USB2 communications and digital signals;
communicating the digital signals to a second isolating eUSB2 repeater via an electrically isolating communication interface;
receiving the digital signals at the second isolating eUSB2 repeater;

translating, by the second isolating eUSB2 repeater, between the digital signals and USB2 communications for delivery to a second USB2 device;
wherein the first isolating eUSB2 repeater is operable to detect sleep state in the first USB2 device based on detection of handshake and token packets transmitted by the first USB2 device and the second USB2 device.

5. An isolating embedded Universal Serial Bus 2.0 (eUSB2) repeater for providing electrically isolated communications between a first USB2 device and a second USB2 device, the repeater comprising:
an eUSB2 port coupled to a digital transceiver, the eUSB2 port configured to communicate digital signals via an electrically isolating communication interface with a first isolating eUSB2 repeater configured to communicate the digital signals to the second USB2 device;
a USB2 port coupled to a first USB2 device, the USB2 port configured to receive analog differential pair USB2 communications from the first USB2 device;
a processor;
a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing computer-readable instructions that, upon execution by the processor, cause the repeater to:
translate between the USB2 communications received from the first USB2 device and the digital signals, wherein the translation utilizes a non-crystal oscillator;

communicate the translated digital signals to the second USB2 device via the eUSB2 port and the translated USB2 communications to the first USB2 device via the USB2 port;
wherein the translation of USB2 communications comprises translating an end-of-packet signal received from the first USB2 device to a single digital pulse;

wherein the translation of USB2 communications further comprises translating the single digital pulse received from the second USB2 device to an USB2 end-of-packet signal by driving an single-ended zero (SE0) state for the duration of the single digital pulse and by driving a J state for an unit interval approximated using the non-crystal oscillator, wherein the J state is a signaling state.

6. An isolating embedded Universal Serial Bus 2.0 (eUSB2) repeater for providing electrically isolated communications between a first USB2 device and a second USB2 device, the repeater comprising:
an eUSB2 port coupled to a digital transceiver, the eUSB2 port configured to communicate digital signals via an electrically isolating communication interface with a first isolating eUSB2 repeater configured to communicate the digital signals to the second USB2 device;
a USB2 port coupled to a first USB2 device, the USB2 port configured to receive analog differential pair USB2 communications from the first USB2 device;
a processor;
a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing computer-readable instructions that, upon execution by the processor, cause the repeater to:
translate between the USB2 communications received from the first USB2 device and the digital signals, wherein the translation utilizes a non-crystal oscillator;

communicate the translated digital signals to the second USB2 device via the eUSB2 port and the translated USB2 communications to the first USB2 device via the USB2 port;
the memory storing additional computer-readable instructions that, upon execution by the processor, cause the repeater to:
detect an extended high-speed idle state in the first USB2 device; and
derive bus state of the first USB2 device based on a detection of J state and chi

Assignees

• Texas Instruments Inc
• Texas Instruments Inc

Inventors

• Maung Win N
• Vining Suzanne M

Classifications

• H04B10/29

  Repeaters · CPC title

• H04B10/802 Primary

  for isolation, e.g. using optocouplers · CPC title

• H04B10/25

  Arrangements specific to fibre transmission · CPC title

• H04L12/40032

  Details regarding a bus interface enhancer · CPC title

• G06F13/4068

  Electrical coupling · CPC title