Messages in this thread | | | Subject | Re: [PATCH 1/5] remove TxStartThresh and RxEarlyThresh | From | Alan Cox <> | Date | Sun, 15 Oct 2006 23:59:20 +0100 |
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Ar Llu, 2006-10-16 am 07:26 +1000, ysgrifennodd Benjamin Herrenschmidt: > On Sat, 2006-10-14 at 15:55 -0400, Jesse Huang wrote: > > From: Jesse Huang <jesse@icplus.com.tw> > > > > Change Logs: > > For patent issue need to remove TxStartThresh and RxEarlyThresh. This patent > > is cut-through patent. If use this function, Tx will start to transmit after > > few data be move in to Tx FIFO. We are not allow to use those function in > > DFE530/DFE550/DFE580/DL10050/IP100/IP100A. It will decrease a little > > performance. > > Somebody patented FIFO thresholds ? Gack ?
3COM hold several patents on certain kinds of early interrupt/early start for network FIFOs. At least historically they also had a GPL Linux driver that didn't use that feature on their own cards which I'm told was fear of patent "leakage"
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