Patent ID: 7787490

Claim:
A protocol multiplexer, comprising: a plurality of protocol handlers adapted to receive signals, each signal operating in accordance with one of a plurality of communication protocols and adapted to provide data and control streams in response to the received signals and each of the plurality of protocol handlers configured to process a different communication protocol, wherein the protocol handler comprises: a serializer/deserializer adapted to convert the signal from a serial format signal to a parallel format signal; and a channel processor configured to operate in accordance with one of the communication protocols to frame the parallel format signal in response to the communication protocol; and a port multiplexer adapted to receive the data and control streams and adapted to multiplex the data streams between a first path and one of the plurality of protocol handlers according to a communication protocol associated with the data stream and to multiplex the control streams into a second path, wherein the port multiplexer comprises: a decoder adapted to convert the parallel format signal from a first format to a second format; a first multiplexer adapted to receive the control streams of the second format from the decoder and to provide a control function in response to the controls streams; and a second multiplexer adapted to receive the data streams of the second format and to provide the data streams in response to the control function.