Importance

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Abstract

A system and method for controlling the transmission of frames or packets of data in a serial network which allows out-of-order delivery. The data frames transmitted by the initiator node to the recipient node include frame serial number or sequence count information. Acknowledgment frames, transmitted by the recipient node to indicate delivery of the data frame or packet, include matching serial number or sequence count information. According to one form of the present invention, the initiator node and recipient node include resources which relate the serial number or sequence count information, resources which include control information in the acknowledgment frame, and resources which determine the transmit status of all acknowledgment frames prior to that specified by serial number or sequence count in the acknowledgment frame. The status information is used at the initiator node to update the status of any data frames whose acknowledgment has not been received as a consequence of an out-of-order delivery to the recipient, a delay in processing by the recipient, a delay of the acknowledgment frame in the transmission back to the initiator node, or a complete loss of the acknowledgment frame.

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First Claim