Interface for a highly integrated ethernet network element

• US 6,061,362 A
• Filed: 06/02/1999
• Issued: 05/09/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Muller, Shimon, Berg, Curt
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VANDERPUYE, KENNETH N
• Application Number:
  US09/324,875
• Time in Patent Office: 342 Days
• Field of Search: 370/463, 370/535, 370/446, 370/469, 370/503, 370/419, 370/420, 370/421, 370/466, 370/425, 370/465, 370/445, 370/438, 370/439, 370/407, 370/434, 395/309
• US Class Current: 370/463
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/351 for local area network [LAN], e.g. Ethernet switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/352 Gigabit ethernet switching [GBPS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/40 Constructional details, e.g. power supply, mechanical construction or backplane
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/12 Protocol engines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/323 in the physical layer [OSI layer 1]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/324 in the data link layer [OSI layer 2], e.g. HDLC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The present invention provides a media-independent interface (MII) on a highly integrated network component by implementing the MII interface with a lower pin count, while reducing the timing budget. In another embodiment, the present invention functions to interface MII compatible devices while reducing pin count and the timing budget.

Claims

1. A method of communicating Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) standard 802.3u media independent interface (MII) signals between a media access control (MAC) and a physical layer (PHY) to allow decreased pin count per connection, the method comprising the steps of:

in a multiplexed mode, transferring a first subset of MII datapath signals from the MAC to the PHY through a first group of ports during a first interval of time and transferring a second subset of MII datapath signals from the MAC to the PHY through the first group of ports during a second interval of time by performing clock phase multiplexing; and

in a MII standard mode, transferring the MII datapath signals from the MAC to the PHY through the first group of ports and a second group of ports during the same interval of time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subset of MII datapath signals includes TXD0, TXD1, TXD2 and the second subset of MII datapath signals includes TXD3, TX_-- EN, and TX_-- ER.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first interval of time represents a first phase of a clock and the second interval of time represents a second phase of the clock.

4. A method of communicating Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) standard 802.3u media independent interface (MII) signals between a media access control (MAC) and a physical layer (PHY) to allow decreased pin count per connection, the method comprising the steps of:

in a multiplexed mode, transferring a first subset of MII datapath signals from the PHY to the MAC through a first group of ports during a first interval of time and transferring a second subset of MII datapath signals from the PHY to the MAC through the first group of ports during a second interval of time by performing clock phase multiplexing; and

in a MII standard mode, transferring the MII datapath signals from the PHY to the MAC through the first group of ports and a second group of ports during the same interval of time.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first subset of MII datapath signals includes RXD0, RXD1, RXD2 and the second subset of MII datapath signals includes RXD3, RX_-- DV, and RX_-- ER.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first interval of time represents a first phase of a clock and the second interval of time represents a second phase of the clock.