
4 Links
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4
Links
INMOS bi-directional serial linksprovide synchronized communication between transputer productsand
with the outsideworld. Each link comprises an input channel and output channel. A link between two de-
vices is implemented by connecting a link interface on one device to a link interface on the other device.
Everybyteof datasentona linkis acknowledgedontheinput ofthesamelink, thuseachsignalline carries
both data and control information.
The quiescent state of a link output is low. Each data byte is transmitted as a high start bit followed by a
one bit followed by eight data bits followed by a low stopbit. The leastsignificant bitof data is transmitted
first. After transmittinga data byte the sender waits for the acknowledge,which consists of a high startbit
followed by a zero bit. The acknowledge signifies both that a process was able to receive the acknowl-
edged data byte and that the receiving link is able to receive another byte.
Links are not synchronised with
ClockIn
and are insensitive to its phase. Thus links from independently
clockedsystemsmaycommunicate,providingonlythattheclocksarenominally identicaland withinspeci-
fication.
Links are TTL compatible and intendedto be usedin electrically quiet environments, between devices on
a singleprinted circuitboard orbetween two boardsviaa backplane. Direct connectionmay be madebe-
tween devices separated by a distance of less than 300 millimetres. For longer distances a matched
100 ohm transmission line should be used with series matching resistors
RM
. Whenthis is done the line
delay should be less than 0.4 bit time to ensure that the reflection returns before thenext data bit is sent.
Buffers may be used for very long transmissions. If so, their overall propagation delay should be stable
within the skew tolerance of the link, although the absolute value of the delay is immaterial.
The IMS C011 link supportsthe standardINMOS communicationspeed of10 Mbits/sec. In additionit can
be usedat 20Mbits/sec.Link speedcanbe selectedin one oftwo ways.InMode 1it isaltered by
Separa-
teIQ
(page 6). In Mode 2 it is selected by
LinkSpeed
; when the
LinkSpeed
pin is low,the link operates
at the standard 10 Mbits/sec; when high it operates at 20 Mbits/sec.
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Data
Ack
H
H
L
L
H
Figure 4.1
IMS C011 link data and acknowledge packets