Redundant signal transmission

Abstract

Signal transmission apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed. In various embodiments, a signal transmission system includes a transmission network having signal paths configured to communicate signals from an input to an output, a first steering network coupled to the input that communicates with the transmission network, and a second steering network coupled to the output that communicates with the transmission network. A steering control network that receives error signals corresponding to an inoperable signal path and that generates steering signals directed to the first steering network and the second steering network is included, so that the steering signals shift signals to an alternate, operable signal path from the inoperable signal path. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a transmission network having signal paths, the signal paths configured to communicate network signals from an input to an output, the signal paths located between redundant signal paths; and   a steering control network operable to receive an error signal corresponding to an inoperable signal path in the transmission network and to generate a steering signal, wherein, when at least two of the signal paths are determined to be inoperable, the steering control network is operable to steer at least two of the network signals corresponding to the at least two inoperable signal paths simultaneously in opposite directions towards the redundant signal paths.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a driver network coupled to the transmission network and configured to drive the network signals onto the input of the transmission network; and   a receiver network coupled to the transmission network and configured to receive the network signals communicated from the output of the transmission network.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the steering control network is operable to steer the network signals from the inoperable signal path to an operable one or more of the signal paths. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the operable one or more of the signal paths comprises at least two adjacent signal paths. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the steering control network is operable to steer the at least two of the network signals corresponding to the at least two inoperable signal paths simultaneously in opposite directions towards the redundant signal paths from the at least two of the inoperable signal paths. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the steering control network includes a multiplexing unit. 
     
     
         7 . A system comprising:
 a plurality of signal paths operatively coupled to an input, the plurality of signal paths configured to communicate network signals to an output, the plurality of signal paths located between a first redundant signal path and a second redundant signal path;   a driver steering network operatively coupled to the input and the plurality of signal paths; and   a receiver steering network operatively coupled to the output and the plurality of signal paths,   wherein, when at least two of the plurality of signal paths are determined to be inoperable, the driver steering network is operable to steer the network signals corresponding to the at least two inoperable paths simultaneously in opposite directions towards the first redundant signal path and second redundant signal paths.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the driver steering network and the receiver steering network are configured to receive steering control signals generated by at least one steering control network. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one steering control network is configured to generate the steering control signals to shift the network signals in response to an error input. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one steering control network includes a multiplexing unit. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of signal paths includes a plurality of conductive vias that extend between a driver network coupled to the driver steering network, and a receiver network coupled to the receiver steering network. 
     
     
         12 . A method comprising:
 determining that a first signal path in a signal transmission system including a driver steering network and a receiver steering network is inoperable;   transferring a signal from the first signal path to an alternate signal path;   propagating the signal along the alternate signal path; and   directing, by the receiver steering network, the system to transfer the signal back to the first signal path after propagating the signal along the alternate signal path,   wherein, when the first signal path and a second signal path located between a first alternate signal path and a second alternate signal path are determined to be inoperable, signals from the first signal path and the second signal path are steered simultaneously in opposite directions towards the first alternate signal path and the second alternate signal path.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein determining that the first signal path in the signal transmission system is inoperable includes performing an electrical continuity test to determine if a transmission element is interrupted. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein determining that the first signal path in the signal transmission system is inoperable includes determining if a selected number of resend requests along the first signal path is exceeded. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein determining that the first signal path in the signal transmission system is inoperable includes dynamically determining that the first signal path is inoperable. 
     
     
         16 . A processing system comprising:
 a processing unit;   a memory unit operatively coupled to the processing unit;   a plurality of signal paths operatively coupled to an input, and configured to communicate network signals to an output;   a driver steering network operatively coupled to the input and the plurality of signal paths, wherein the driver steering network is operable to shift the network signals from a first signal path to a second signal path when the first signal path is determined to be inoperable; and   a receiver steering network operatively coupled to the output and the plurality of signal paths,   wherein, when the first signal path and the second signal path, located between a first redundant signal path and a second redundant signal path, are determined to be inoperable, the receiver steering network is operable to simultaneously steer signals from the first signal path and the second signal path in opposite directions towards the first redundant signal path and the second redundant signal path.   
     
     
         17 . The processing system of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of signal paths includes a plurality of through vias extending through at least a portion of a three-dimensional multi-chip package. 
     
     
         18 . The processing system of  claim 17 , wherein the three-dimensional multi-chip package includes one of a system-in-package (SiP) or a chip stack multi-chip module (MCM). 
     
     
         19 . The processing system of  claim 16 , wherein the driver steering network and the receiver steering network are configured to receive steering signals generated by at least one steering control network. 
     
     
         20 . The processing system of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one steering control network, in response to an error input, is operable to generate steering control signals to shift the network signals.