Method and system for 10GBASE-T start-up

• US 20070076722A1
• Filed: 04/24/2006
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Powell, Scott, Ungerboeck, Gottfried
• Granted Patent: US 7,936,778 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50

Abstract

Certain aspects for the start-up procedure of transceivers supporting higher data rates over twisted-pair copper cabling are provided for 10 Gbit/sec Ethernet links (10GBASE-T). During a PMA (physical medium attachment) training period of the start-up procedure, long PMA training frames are exchanged periodically between link partners. A significant portion of each PMA training frame consists of known pseudo random sequences simultaneously transmitted over four wire pairs. PMA training frames include an InfoField for exchanging parameters and control information between link partners. For example, the InfoField'"'"'s payload comprises fields for indicating current transmit power backoff (PBO), next PBO, requested PBO, transition count, control information, and for communicating precoder coefficients. Information in InfoFields is repeated and is not necessary that a link partner decodes every InfoField. For example, by occasionally reading the transition count, a link partner can determine when a change in transmit PBO and/or a state transition is to occur.

Claims

1. A method for setting up communication devices, the method comprising:

exchanging physical medium attachment (PMA) training frames periodically between link partners during a training period, wherein a majority portion of each of said PMA training frames is comprised of pseudo random known sequences which are used for establishing transceiver operations for communication between said link partners, and wherein said link partners are communicatively coupled via a wired Ethernet link.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of said periodically transmitted PMA training frames comprises another portion for exchanging parameters and control information.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said another portion for exchanging parameters and control information comprises fields for sending a plurality of coefficients and associated index fields indicating which coefficients are currently being transmitted and which coefficients have already been received.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein said another portion for exchanging parameters and control information comprises one or more of a current power backoff (PBO) field, a next PBO field, a requested PBO field, a transition count field, and at least one control field.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising determining a power level change based on said current PBO field, said next PBO field, and said requested PBO field.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein said transition count field indicates a number of said periodically transmitted PMA training frames after which a power level change occurs in a signal of a transmitting link partner.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein said transition count field indicates a number of said periodically transmitted PMA training frames after which a state transition occurs in a transmitting link partner.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting PMA training frames periodically from a master link partner to a slave link partner from a start of said training period.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting PMA training frames periodically from a slave link partner to a master link partner after said slave link partner recovers a master clock during said training period.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising programming coefficients in a precoder in each of said link partners during said training period for said communication between said link partners.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said precoder is a Tomlinson-Harashima (TH) precoder.

12. A system for setting up communication devices, the system comprising:

a transceiver that enables exchanging physical medium attachment (PMA) training frames periodically between link partners during a training period, wherein a majority portion of each of said PMA training frames is comprised of pseudo random known sequences which are used for establishing transceiver operations for communication between said link partners, and wherein said link partners are communicatively coupled via a wired Ethernet link.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein each of said periodically transmitted PMA training frames comprises another portion for exchanging parameters and control information.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said another portion for exchanging parameters and control information comprises fields for sending a plurality of coefficients and associated index fields indicating which coefficients are currently being transmitted and which coefficients have already been received.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein said another portion for exchanging parameters and control information comprises one or more of a current power backoff (PBO) field, a next PBO field, a requested PBO field, a transition count field, and at least one control field.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein said transceiver enables determining a power level change based on said current PBO field, said next PBO field, and said requested PBO field.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein said transition count field indicates a number of said periodically transmitted PMA training frames after which a power level change occurs in a signal of a transmitting link partner.

18. The system according to claim 15, wherein said transition count field indicates a number of said periodically transmitted PMA training frames after which a state transition occurs in a transmitting link partner.

19. The system according to claim 12, further comprising transmitting PMA training frames periodically from a master link partner to a slave link partner from a start of said training period.

20. The system according to claim 12, wherein said transceiver enables transmitting PMA training frames periodically from a slave link partner to a master link partner after said slave link partner recovers a master clock during said training period.

21. The system according to claim 12, wherein said transceiver enables programming coefficients in a precoder in each of said link partners during said training period for said communication between said link partners.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein said precoder is a Tomlinson-Harashima (TH) precoder.