An implementation of protocol converter for RPR(resilient packet ring) module

As an investment in metro area network which connects the access network and the backbone network was relatively small, the metro area network became a bottleneck in the whole network. The RPR (resilient packet ring) protocol is proposed as a solution of the metro area network's problems. In this paper, we propose a design scheme of the RPR module using a NP which does not support the RPR protocol and implement a protocol converter. To implement the proposed RPR module, the protocol converter is needed. The main functions of the protocol converter are RPR/Ethernet frame conversion, SPI/FlexBus conversion, and frame classification. We describe the structure and function of the proposed protocol converter and also discuss about the implementation and validation of it. The protocol converter is an essential part of the proposed RPR module.