Communication interface unit employing two multiplexer circuits and

Abstract

A communication interface unit (128) facilitates data word exchanges between a parallel driven bus (210) and a serial driven communication channel (136) by performing both parallel-to-serial and serial-to-parallel data conversion functions. A transmitter circuit (200) is included in the communication interface unit (128), which performs parallel-to-serial data conversion employing a multiplexer circuit (204) and control logic circuitry (208). The multiplexer circuit (204) concurrently receives a plurality of data bits of a data word being transferred, and the control logic circuitry (208) thereupon causes the plurality of data bits of the data word to be successively passed through the multiplexer circuit (204) so as to perform parallel-to-serial conversion. A receiver circuit (300) may also be included in the communication interface unit (128), which performs serial-to-parallel data conversion employing a plurality of flip-flops (304) and control logic circuitry (308). The plurality of flip-flops (304) each receive a plurality of data bits of a data word being transferred, and the control logic circuitry (308) thereupon causes the plurality of data bits of the data word to be successively latched into the plurality of flip-flops (304) so as to perform serial-to-parallel conversion.