METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AN EXTENDED RANGE ETHERNET LINK DISCOVERY SIGNALING

• US 20080069014A1
• Filed: 03/15/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Powell, Scott, Conway, Bruce, Chang, Kuang-Chou
• Granted Patent: US 8,867,564 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/278
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1438 Negotiation of transmission parameters prior to communication modified according to link quality H04L1/0001
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities

Abstract

Aspects of a method and system for extended range Ethernet link discovery signaling are provided. A local PHY may detect of one or more active twisted-pair wires in a remote PHY in extended range applications. The local PHY may determine whether to operate as a master or slave based on detected pairs. When operating as a master device, the local PHY may correct twisted-pair wire swap information received from the remote PHY before communicating an encoded link length value to the remote PHY. When operating as a slave device, the local PHY may transmit encoded twisted-pair wire swap information to the remote PHY before recovering a link length value communicated from the remote PHY. The local PHY may communicate supported operating modes based on the link length value to the remote PHY. Moreover, the local PHY may enable establishing a common full duplex operating mode with the remote PHY.

Claims

1. A method for wired communication, the method comprising:

detecting in a local PHY whether one or more twisted-pair wires are active in a remote PHY, wherein said local PHY and said remote PHY are communicatively coupled via said one or more twisted-pair wires; and

establishing a full duplex operating mode common to said local PHY and said remote PHY via said detected one or more active twisted-pair wires.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising in said local PHY whether one or more twisted-pair wires are active in said remote PHY based on bursts comprising a plurality of tones generated by said remote PHY.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said bursts comprising said plurality of tones are separated by quiet intervals during a portion of one or more of the following:

a link discovery signaling and an autonegotiation operation.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising transferring control of said local PHY operation to an autonegotiation operation when one or more active twisted-pair wires are detected.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said one or more active twisted-pair wires comprise 1, 2, or 4 active twisted-pair wires.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said full duplex operating mode operates at a plurality of data rates.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising adjusting a phase of signals generated by a transmitter within said local PHY associated with a detected active twisted-pair wire.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising disabling a transmitter in said local PHY associated with an inactive twisted-pair wire.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising determining whether said local PHY operates as a master device or a slave device to said remote PHY based on said detected one or more active twisted-pair wires.

10. The method according to claim 1, comprising continuing said detecting in said local PHY after a first active twisted-pair wire is detected.

11. A method for wired communication, the method comprising:

detecting in a local PHY whether one or more twisted-pair wires are active in a remote PHY, wherein said local PHY and said remote PHY are communicatively coupled via said one or more twisted-pair wires;

determining whether said local PHY is a master or slave device to said remote PHY based on said detected one or more active twisted-pair wire;

when said local PHY is a master device, correcting twisted-pair wire swap information received from said remote PHY before communicating a link length value to said remote PHY;

when said local PHY is a slave device, transmitting twisted-pair wire swap information to said remote PHY before recovering a link length value communicated from said remote PHY;

communicating to said remote PHY operating modes supported by said local PHY based on said link length value; and

establishing a full duplex operating mode common to said local PHY and said remote PHY.

12. The method according to claim 11, comprising generating signals in one or more transmitters within said local PHY for transmission to said remote PHY to indicate which local PHY twisted-pair wires are active.

13. The method according to claim 11, comprising detecting signals in a receiver within said local PHY communicated by said remote PHY to indicate that a corresponding twisted-pair wire in said remote PHY is active.

14. The method according to claim 11, comprising encoding said twisted-pair wire swap information for transmission when said local PHY is a slave device.

15. The method according to claim 11, comprising encoding said link length value for transmission when said local PHY is a master device.

16. A system for wired communication, the system comprising:

a local PHY that enables detection of one or more active twisted-pair wires in a remote PHY, wherein said local PHY and said remote PHY are communicatively coupleable via said one or more twisted-pair wires; and

said local PHY enables establishing a full duplex operating mode common to said local PHY and said remote PHY via said detected one or more active twisted-pair wires.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein said local PHY enables detection of whether one or more twisted-pair wires are active in said remote PHY based on bursts comprising a plurality of tones generated by said remote PHY.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said bursts comprising said plurality of tones are separated by quiet intervals during a portion of one or more of the following:

a link discovery signaling and an autonegotiation operation.

19. The system according to claim 16, wherein said local PHY enables transfer of control of said local PHY operation to an autonegotiation operation when one or more active twisted-pair wires are detected.

20. The system according to claim 16, wherein said one or more active twisted-pair wires comprise 1, 2, or 4 active twisted-pair wires.

21. The system according to claim 16, wherein said full duplex operating mode operates at a plurality of data rates.

22. The system according to claim 16, wherein said local PHY enables adjustment of a phase of signals generated by a transmitter within said local PHY associated with a detected active twisted-pair wire.

23. The system according to claim 16, wherein said local PHY enables disabling a transmitter in said local PHY associated with an inactive twisted-pair wire.

24. The system according to claim 16, wherein said local PHY enables determining whether said local PHY operates as a master device or a slave device to aid remote PHY based on said detected one or more active twisted-pair wires.

25. The system according to claim 16, wherein said local PHY enables continuing said detection in said local PHY after a first active twisted-pair wire is detected.

26. A system for wired communication, the system comprising:

a local PHY that enables detection of one or more active twisted-pair wires in a remote PHY, wherein said local PHY and said remote PHY are communicatively coupleable via said one or more twisted-pair wires;

said local PHY enables determining whether said local PHY is a master or slave device to said remote PHY based on said detected one or more active twisted-pair wire;

when said local PHY is a master device, said local PHY enables correction of twisted-pair wire swap information received from said remote PHY before communicating a link length value to said remote PHY;

when said local PHY is a slave device, said local PHY enables transmission of twisted-pair wire swap information to said remote PHY before recovering a link length value communicated from said remote PHY;

said local PHY enables communication to said remote PHY of operating modes supported by said local PHY based on said link length value; and

said local PHY enables establishing a full duplex operating mode common to said local PHY and said remote PHY.

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein said local PHY enables generation of signals in one or more transmitters within said local PHY for transmission to said remote PHY to indicate which local PHY twisted-pair wires are active.

28. The system according to claim 26, wherein said local PHY enables detection of signals in a receiver within said local PHY communicated by said remote PHY to indicate that a corresponding twisted-pair wire in said remote PHY is active.

29. The system according to claim 26, wherein said local PHY enables encoding of said twisted-pair wire swap information for transmission when said local PHY is a slave device.

30. The system according to claim 26, wherein said local PHY enables encoding of said link length value for transmission when said local PHY is a master device.

31. A system for wired communication, the system comprising:

a local PHY that enables detection of an active communication medium that comprises a coaxial cable in a remote PHY, wherein said local PHY and said remote PHY are communicatively coupleable via said communication medium that comprises said coaxial cable; and

said local PHY enables establishing a full duplex operating mode common to said local PHY and said remote PHY via said detected active communication medium that comprises said coaxial cable.