Method and apparatus for high speed parallel communications

Claim 1

A method of transmitting data in parallel from a sending computer to a receiving computer over a communications link that includes a data bus and a strobe line, the method comprising the steps of: determining an optimum time for which the sending computer must set a strobe signal on the strobe line so that the receiving computer can read the data transmitted without error; placing the data to be transmitted from the sending computer to the receiving computer on the data bus disposed between the sending computer and the receiving computer; and setting the strobe signal for at least the optimum time to alert the receiving computer that data are being transmitted over the communications link.

Claim 2

A method of transmitting data in parallel from a sending computer to a receiving computer over a communications link that includes a data bus and a strobe line, the method comprising the steps of: determining an optimum time for which the sending computer must set a strobe signal on the strobe line so that the receiving computer can read the data transmitted without error; placing the data to be transmitted from the sending computer to the receiving computer on the data bus disposed between the sending computer and the receiving computer; and setting the strobe signal for at least the optimum time to alert the receiving computer that data are being transmitted over the communications link.

Claim 9

A method for increasing a rate of parallel data transmission between a sending computer and a receiving computer over a communications link that includes a data bus and a strobe line comprising the steps of: (a) determining a faster transmission rate at which data can be sent by the sending computer and received by the receiving computer without error, wherein the step of determining the faster transmission rate further comprises the steps of: (i) providing the sending computer and receiving computer with a known pattern of data; (ii) transmitting a copy of the known pattern of data from the sending computer to the receiving computer using an initial strobe pulse duration; (iii) comparing a received copy of the known pattern of data received by the receiving computer with the known pattern of data provided to the receiving computer; (iv) setting a flag to alert the sending computer of an error if the received pattern of data contains an error as compared to the known pattern of data provided the receiving computer; (v) checking to see if the sending computer has set the flag; (vi) repeating steps (ii)-(v) using a plurality of strobe pulse durations until a shorter strobe pulse duration is determined for which the flag signal is not set; and (b) transmitting data from the sending computer to the receiving computer using the shorter strobe pulse duration.

Claim 10

A method for increasing a rate of parallel data transmission between a sending computer and a receiving computer over a communications link that includes a data bus and a strobe line comprising the steps of: (a) determining a faster transmission rate at which data can be sent by the sending computer and received by the receiving computer without error, wherein the step of determining the faster transmission rate further comprises the steps of: (i) providing the sending computer and receiving computer with a known pattern of data; (ii) transmitting a copy of the known pattern of data from the sending computer to the receiving computer using an initial strobe pulse duration; (iii) comparing a received copy of the known pattern of data received by the receiving computer with the known pattern of data provided to the receiving computer; (iv) setting a flag to alert the sending computer of an error if the received pattern of data contains an error as compared to the known pattern of data provided the receiving computer; (v) checking to see if the sending computer has set the flag; (vi) repeating steps (ii)-(v) using a plurality of strobe pulse durations until a shorter strobe pulse duration is determined for which the flag signal is not set; and (b) transmitting data from the sending computer to the receiving computer using the shorter strobe pulse duration.

Claim 19

A method of transmitting data one bit at a time from a sending computer that includes a sending serial communications port to a receiving computer that includes a receiving serial communications port wherein each serial communications port includes a transmit line, a receive line, a request to send line (RTS), a register that controls the RTS line, a clear to send line (CTS), a register that reads the CTS line, and a data terminal ready line (DTR), the method comprising: placing a bit to be transmitted from the sending computer to the receiving computer in the register that controls the RTS line in the sending serial communications port; setting the DTR line on the sending serial communications port for an optimum time to alert the receiving computer that a bit is being transmitted; and reading the register that reads CTS line on the receiving serial communications port to determine the bit being transmitted.

Claim 20

A method of transmitting data one bit at a time from a sending computer that includes a sending serial communications port to a receiving computer that includes a receiving serial communications port wherein each serial communications port includes a transmit line, a receive line, a request to send line (RTS), a register that controls the RTS line, a clear to send line (CTS), a register that reads the CTS line, and a data terminal ready line (DTR), the method comprising: placing a bit to be transmitted from the sending computer to the receiving computer in the register that controls the RTS line in the sending serial communications port; setting the DTR line on the sending serial communications port for an optimum time to alert the receiving computer that a bit is being transmitted; and reading the register that reads CTS line on the receiving serial communications port to determine the bit being transmitted.