Extended link monitoring channel for 10 Gb/s Ethernet
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A transceiver between an Ethernet media access control (MAC) layer device and a 10 Gb/s Ethernet link, comprising:
- a 10 Gigabit attachment unit interface (XAUI) for providing a connection between the transceiver and the Ethernet media access control (MAC) layer device;
a media dependent interface (MDI) for providing the 10 Gb/s Ethernet link to the transceiver; and
a physical coding sublayer (PCS) extension circuit for implementing an extended link monitoring channel for said link for communicating link related information during Inter Packet Gaps (IPG) between user data packets, the PCS extension circuit comprising a processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising;
initializing the extended link monitoring channel by determining Inter Packet Gaps (IPGs) between blocks of user data, substituting selected IPG with ping blocks that are control blocks to be sent to a far end such that only each (N1+1)-th idle block is substituted with the ping block until a total of Nx ping blocks has been substituted, and receiving ping blocks from the far end such that at least NR ping blocks are separated by no more than NJ idle blocks, NR are less or equal to NX, and NJ are equal to or greater than NJ, wherein NJ=16, NX=16, NR=8, NJ=32;
communicating link monitoring information over the extended link monitoring channel by determining Inter Packet Gaps (IPG) between blocks of user data, and substituting, for the extended link monitoring channel, selected Inter Packet Gaps (IPG) with extended link monitoring blocks including blocks to carry link related information and control blocks constructed using selected reserved codes of IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standard; and
splitting the extended link monitoring channel by multiplexing a number of virtual link monitoring channels over the same link at the physical layer, each of the virtual link monitoring channels intended for communicating a different type of the link related information.
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Abstract
The invention provides a method for utilizing the Inter Packet Gaps (IPGs) to create an Extended Link Monitoring Channel in a physical layer transceiver for a 10 Gb/s Ethernet link for communicating link related information, thus providing an extensive link maintenance capability. A corresponding transceiver between an Ethernet media access control (MAC) layer device and a 10 Gb/s Ethernet link, comprising a physical coding sublayer (PCS) extension circuit for implementing the Extended Link Monitoring Channel is also provided.
6 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A transceiver between an Ethernet media access control (MAC) layer device and a 10 Gb/s Ethernet link, comprising:
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a 10 Gigabit attachment unit interface (XAUI) for providing a connection between the transceiver and the Ethernet media access control (MAC) layer device; a media dependent interface (MDI) for providing the 10 Gb/s Ethernet link to the transceiver; and a physical coding sublayer (PCS) extension circuit for implementing an extended link monitoring channel for said link for communicating link related information during Inter Packet Gaps (IPG) between user data packets, the PCS extension circuit comprising a processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising; initializing the extended link monitoring channel by determining Inter Packet Gaps (IPGs) between blocks of user data, substituting selected IPG with ping blocks that are control blocks to be sent to a far end such that only each (N1+1)-th idle block is substituted with the ping block until a total of Nx ping blocks has been substituted, and receiving ping blocks from the far end such that at least NR ping blocks are separated by no more than NJ idle blocks, NR are less or equal to NX, and NJ are equal to or greater than NJ, wherein NJ=16, NX=16, NR=8, NJ=32; communicating link monitoring information over the extended link monitoring channel by determining Inter Packet Gaps (IPG) between blocks of user data, and substituting, for the extended link monitoring channel, selected Inter Packet Gaps (IPG) with extended link monitoring blocks including blocks to carry link related information and control blocks constructed using selected reserved codes of IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standard; and splitting the extended link monitoring channel by multiplexing a number of virtual link monitoring channels over the same link at the physical layer, each of the virtual link monitoring channels intended for communicating a different type of the link related information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A physical coding sublayer (PCS) extension circuit for a 10 Gb/s Ethernet transceiver, providing signal adaptation between an Ethernet media access control (MAC) layer device and a 10 Gb/s Ethernet link, the PCS extension circuit comprising:
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a first interface for connecting the PCS extension circuit to a PCS 64B/66B coder circuit; a second interface for connecting the PCS extension circuit to a PCS scrambler circuit; and a processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising; initializing an extended link monitoring channel for the link by determining Inter Packet Gaps (IPGs) between blocks of user data, substituting selected IPG with ping blocks that are control blocks to be sent to a far end such that only each (N1+1)-th idle block is substituted with the ping block until a total of Nx ping blocks has been substituted, and receiving ping blocks from the far end such that at least NR ping blocks are separated by no more than NJ idle blocks, NR are less or equal to NX, and NJ are equal to or greater than NJ, wherein NJ=16, NX=16, NR=8, NJ=32; communicating link monitoring information over the extended link monitoring channel by determining Inter Packet Gaps (IPG) between blocks of user data, and substituting, for the extended link monitoring channel, selected Inter Packet Gaps (IPG) with extended link monitoring blocks including blocks to carry link related information and control blocks constructed using selected reserved codes of IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standard; and splitting the extended link monitoring channel by multiplexing a number of virtual link monitoring channels over the same link at the physical layer, each of the virtual link monitoring channels intended for communicating a different type of the link related information. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A link system in an a 10 Gb/s Ethernet network, comprising at least two nodes connected by a 10 Gb/s Ethernet link, the link system having a transceiver between an Ethernet media access control (MAC) layer device and the 10 Gb/s Ethernet link, the transceiver comprising:
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a 10 Gigabit attachment unit interface (XAUI) for providing a connection between the transceiver and the Ethernet media access control (MAC) layer device; a media dependent interface (MDI) for providing the 10 Gb/s Ethernet link to the transceiver; and a physical coding sublayer (PCS) extension circuit for implementing an extended link monitoring channel for said link for transmitting link related information during Inter Packet Gaps (IPG) between user data packets, the PCS extension circuit comprising a processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising; initializing the extended link monitoring channel by determining Inter Packet Gaps (IPGs) between blocks of user data, substituting selected IPG with ping blocks that are control blocks to be sent to a far end such that only each (N1+1)-th idle block is substituted with the ping block until a total of Nx ping blocks has been substituted, and receiving ping blocks from the far end such that at least NR ping blocks are separated by no more than NJ idle blocks, NR are less or equal to NX, and NJ are equal to or greater than NJ, wherein NJ=16, NX=16, NR=8, NJ=32; communicating link monitoring information over the extended link monitoring channel by determining Inter Packet Gaps (IPG) between blocks of user data, and substituting, for the extended link monitoring channel, selected Inter Packet Gaps (IPG) with extended link monitoring blocks including blocks to carry link related information and control blocks constructed using selected reserved codes of IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standard; and splitting the extended link monitoring channel by multiplexing a number of virtual link monitoring channels over the same link at the physical layer, each of the virtual link monitoring channels intended for communicating a different type of the link related information. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A method for implementing an extended link monitoring channel for a 10 Gb/s Ethernet link carrying an Ethernet signal in the form of blocks of N bits, the method comprising:
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initializing the extended link monitoring channel by determining Inter Packet Gaps (IPGs) between blocks of user data, substituting selected IPG with ping blocks that are control blocks to be sent to a far end such that only each (N1+1)-th idle block is substituted with the ping block until a total of Nx ping blocks has been substituted, and receiving ping blocks from the far end such that at least NR ping blocks are separated by no more than NJ idle blocks, NR are less or equal and NX, and NJ are equal to or great than NJ, wherein NJ=16, NX=16, NR=8, NJ=32; communicating link monitoring information over the extended link monitoring channel by determining Inter Packet Gaps (IPG) between blocks of user data, and substituting, for the extended link monitoring channel, selected Inter Packet Gaps (IPG) with extended link monitoring blocks including blocks to carry link related information and control blocks constructed using selected reserved codes of IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standard; and splitting the extended link monitoring channel by multiplexing a number of virtual link monitoring channels over the same link at the physical layer, each of the virtual link monitoring channels intended for communicating a different type of the link related information. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A system for implementing an extended link monitoring channel for a 10 Gb/s Ethernet link carrying an Ethernet signal in the form of blocks of N bits, the system comprising:
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means for initializing the extended link monitoring channel by determining Inter Packet Gaps (IPGs) between blocks of user data, substituting selected IPG with ping blocks that are control blocks to be sent to a far end such that only each (N1+1)-th idle block is substituted with the ping block until a total of Nx ping blocks has been substituted, and receiving ping blocks from the far end such that at least NR ping blocks are separated by no more than NJ idle blocks, NR are less or equal to NX, and NJ are equal to or greater than NJ, wherein NJ=16, NX=16, NR=8, NJ=32; means for communicating link monitoring information over the extended link monitoring channel by determining Inter Packet Gaps (IPG) between blocks of user data, and substituting, for the extended link monitoring channel, selected Inter Packet Gaps (IPG) with extended link monitoring blocks including blocks to carry link related information and control blocks constructed using selected reserved codes of IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standard; and means for splitting the extended link monitoring channel by multiplexing a number of virtual link monitoring channels over the same link at the physical layer, each of the virtual link monitoring channels intended for communicating a different type of the link related information. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification