Patent ID: 7328270
Filing Date: 2008-02-05
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A communication protocol processor, comprising: an interface port; and a first plurality of microprocessor cores connected in series to receive a serial data stream from said interface port and to perform a protocol processing operation upon said serial data stream; wherein a first one of said first plurality of microprocessor cores is configured to determine whether a code packet is embedded in said serial data stream and whether said code packet designates said first one of said first plurality of processor cores, to perform a first part of said protocol processing operation upon said serial data stream, and to transmit a resultant serial data stream of said first part to a second one of said first plurality of microprocessor cores; wherein said second one of said first plurality of microprocessor cores is configured to perform a second part of said protocol processing operation upon said resultant serial data stream; and wherein in response to said first one of said first plurality of microprocessor cores determining that said code packet is embedded in said serial data stream and designates said first one of said first plurality of microprocessor cores, said first part of said protocol processing operation is configured dependent upon said code packet without said first one of said first plurality of microprocessor cores forwarding said code packet to a subsequent one of said first plurality of microprocessor cores.