Frame assembly in dequeuing block

Claim 2

A multiport data communication system for switching data packets between ports, the data communication system comprising: a plurality of ports for receiving and transmitting data packets, each transmit port having a transmit queue; a memory storing received data packets; a plurality of queues, each corresponding to a respective port and storing frame pointers that point to where the data packets are stored in the memory; and a plurality of logic circuitry corresponding to the plurality of transmit ports and each logic circuitry configured for reading respective frame pointers from the plurality of queues, reading from the memory the respective data packets corresponding to the respective frame pointers, reassembling the data read from the memory including performing inserting or modifying a virtual local area network (VLAN) tag, and performing inserting or stripping a Device ID into the data read from the memory, and writing the reassembled data to the corresponding transmit queue.

Claim 3

The system of claim 1 , wherein reassembling the data read from the memory further includes performing stripping a VLAN tag where necessary.

Claim 4

The system of claim 2 , further comprising: circuitry configured to retrieve the plurality of received data packets from each port; and circuitry configured to monitor the retrieved data packets prior to storing in the memory and determine whether a respective data packet should have the VLAN tag inserted, stripped or modified, and/or whether the Device ID should be inserted or stripped, wherein inserting, stripping or modifying the VLAN tag, and inserting or stripping the Device ID in said reassembling the data read from memory is based on a result of said determining by said monitor circuitry.

Claim 5

The system of claim 2 , wherein each logic circuitry comprises: a first buffer connected to the memory and coupled to the corresponding transmit queue; a second buffer connected to a corresponding first buffer memory and the corresponding transmit queue; and a data reassembly logic connected to the memory, the corresponding first and second buffers, and the corresponding transmit queue and configured for reassembling the data to be transferred to the corresponding transmit queue in accordance with the determination made by the monitoring circuit as to whether a respective data packet should have the VLAN tag inserted, stripped or modified, and whether the Device ID should be inserted or stripped.

Claim 6

The system of claim 4 , wherein said each logic circuitry is further configured to read data from the memory to the corresponding data reassembly logic and first buffer, and then transfer from the corresponding first buffer to the corresponding data reassembly logic and second buffer, transfer the data in the second buffer also to the corresponding data reassembly logic, and transfer the data in the corresponding data reassembly logic to the corresponding transmit queue.

Claim 7

The system of claim 2 , wherein each logic circuitry comprises: a reading control for controlling reading of frame pointers from the corresponding queue; a memory control receiving read frame pointers from the reading control, controlling reading from the memory the respective data packets corresponding to received frame pointers, and generating a command signal; and a steering control receiving the command signal from the memory, sequencing writing of each read data packet to the corresponding transmit queue and performing inserting, stripping or modifying a virtual local area network (VLAN) tag, and performing inserting or stripping a Device ID into the data read from the memory.

Claim 10

The system of claim 7 , wherein reassembling the data read from the memory further includes performing stripping a VLAN tag where necessary.

Claim 11

The method according to claim 8 , further comprising: monitoring the data packets prior to storing in the memory; and determining whether a respective data packet should have the VLAN tag inserted, stripped or modified, and whether the Device ID should be inserted or stripped, wherein inserting, stripping or modifying the VLAN tag, and inserting or stripping the Device ID in said reassembling the data read from memory being based on a result of said determining.

Claim 12

In a communication system having a plurality of ports for receiving and transmitting data packets, memory storing the received data packets, a plurality of queues, each corresponding to a respective port and storing frame pointers that point to where the data packets are stored in the memory, and a plurality of logic circuitry corresponding to the plurality of ports, a method of processing a data packet for transfer from the memory to a transmit queue comprising: reading respective frame pointers from the plurality of queues; reading from memory the respective data packets corresponding to the respective frame pointers; reassembling the data read from the memory including performing inserting or modifying a virtual local area network (VLAN) tag, and performing inserting or stripping a Device ID into the data read from the memory; and writing the reassembled data to the corresponding transmit queue.

Claim 13

In a communication system having a plurality of ports for receiving and transmitting data packets, memory storing the received data packets, a plurality of queues, each corresponding to a respective port and storing frame pointers that point to where the data packets are stored in the memory, and a plurality of logic circuitry corresponding to the plurality of ports, a method of processing a data packet for transfer from the memory to a transmit queue comprising: reading respective frame pointers from the plurality of queues; reading from memory the respective data packets corresponding to the respective frame pointers; reassembling the data read from the memory including performing inserting or modifying a virtual local area network (VLAN) tag, and performing inserting or stripping a Device ID into the data read from the memory; and writing the reassembled data to the corresponding transmit queue.

Claim 14

The system of claim 10 , wherein reassembling the data read from the memory further includes performing stripping a VLAN tag where necessary.

Claim 15

The method according to claim 11 , further comprising: monitoring the data packets prior to storing in the memory; and determining whether a respective data packet should have the VLAN tag inserted, stripped or modified, and whether the Device ID should be inserted or stripped.

Claim 16

In a communication system having a plurality of ports for receiving and transmitting data packets, memory storing the received data packets, a plurality of queues, each corresponding to a respective port and storing frame pointers that point to where the data packets are stored in the memory, a plurality of first buffers corresponding to the plurality of ports, a plurality of second buffers corresponding to the plurality of transmit ports, and a plurality of data reassembly logic corresponding to the plurality of ports, a method of processing a data packet for transfer from the memory to a transmit queue comprising: reading respective frame pointers from the plurality of queues; reading from memory the respective data packets corresponding to the respective frame pointers to a corresponding data reassembly logic and a corresponding first buffer; transferring the data from the corresponding first buffer to the corresponding data reassembly logic and a corresponding second buffer while reading next data from the memory to the corresponding data reassembly logic and the corresponding first buffer; transferring data in the corresponding second buffer to the corresponding data reassembly logic while transferring the data from the corresponding first buffer to the corresponding data reassembly logic and the corresponding second buffer and reading next data from the memory to the corresponding data reassembly logic and the corresponding first buffer; reassembling the data in the corresponding data reassembly logic including performing inserting or modifying a virtual local area network (VLAN) tag, and performing inserting or stripping a Device ID into the data read from the memory; and transferring reassembled data in the corresponding data reassembly logic to the corresponding transmit queue.

Claim 17

In a communication system having a plurality of ports for receiving and transmitting data packets, memory storing the received data packets, a plurality of queues, each corresponding to a respective port and storing frame pointers that point to where the data packets are stored in the memory, a plurality of first buffers corresponding to the plurality of ports, a plurality of second buffers corresponding to the plurality of transmit ports, and a plurality of data reassembly logic corresponding to the plurality of ports, a method of processing a data packet for transfer from the memory to a transmit queue comprising: reading respective frame pointers from the plurality of queues; reading from memory the respective data packets corresponding to the respective frame pointers to a corresponding data reassembly logic and a corresponding first buffer; transferring the data from the corresponding first buffer to the corresponding data reassembly logic and a corresponding second buffer while reading next data from the memory to the corresponding data reassembly logic and the corresponding first buffer; transferring data in the corresponding second buffer to the corresponding data reassembly logic while transferring the data from the corresponding first buffer to the corresponding data reassembly logic and the corresponding second buffer and reading next data from the memory to the corresponding data reassembly logic and the corresponding first buffer; reassembling the data in the corresponding data reassembly logic including performing inserting or modifying a virtual local area network (VLAN) tag, and performing inserting or stripping a Device ID into the data read from the memory; and transferring reassembled data in the corresponding data reassembly logic to the corresponding transmit queue.

Claim 18

The system of claim 13 , wherein reassembling the data read from the memory further includes performing stripping a VLAN tag where necessary.

Claim 19

The method according to claim 14 , further comprising: monitoring the data packets prior to storing in the memory; and determining whether a respective data packet should have the VLAN tag inserted, stripped or modified, and whether the Device ID should be inserted or stripped.