Intel Corporation

Level One Communications, Inc.

David W Vogel

Daniel Nemiroff

Anoop Mukker

Zhenyu Zhu

Nobuyuki Suzuki

Mark T Feuerstraeter

Michael A Sokol

N Patrick Kelly

An example includes detecting receiving a bus turn-around (BTA) sequence after detecting a voltage level; sending a BTA acknowledgement in response to the BTA sequence; and sending a configuration command to a peripheral device after the interface is initialized based on the BTA acknowledgement.

Method for interface initialization using bus turn-around

An example method for initializing an interface includes driving a low voltage signal on data lanes and clock lanes. The method further includes performing a reset sequence and an initialization of a link configuration register. The method also includes driving a high voltage signal to the clock lanes and the data lanes. The method further includes driving a bus turn-around (BTA) sequence on the data lanes. The method also includes detecting that the BTA is acknowledged by a host controller.

An example method for power management of a user interface includes initiating a low power entry at a data lane of the user interface. The method further includes coordinating with a peripheral device to enter into an ultra-low power state. The peripheral device is to initiate a low power entry at the clock lane to enter the user interface into an ultra-low power state in response to detecting the low power entry at the data lane.

Power management of user interfaces with coordinated ultra-low power states

A PHY having a media independent interface (MII) providing connections to a MAC or to another PHY is disclosed. The invention provides a mechanism for connecting a first PHY with a second PHY, wherein the PHY may act as the media access control side of the MII. The system includes a selection means for selecting the mode of operation for the PHY, a MII for providing a synchronous digital interface carrying un-encoded data over separate transmit and receive paths and a translation entity for generating output enables for controlling the flow of the data, wherein the translation entity establishes in response to mode being selected a first flow of data for connecting the PHY to a Media Access Control entity or a second flow of data for connecting the PHY to a second PHY. The translation entity muxes data and control signals based upon the mode selection. A translation synchronization entity is provided. The synchronization entity may includes a 10 Mbps synchronization entity and/or a 100 Mbps synchronization entity. The MII receives a transmit and receive clock from a second PHY when the PHY is connected to a second PHY, and the translation synchronization entity synchronizes the internal clocks and the MII transmit and receive clocks. An interface to a 10 or 100 Mbps repeater entity is provided wherein the interface maps a transmit data path from the translation entity to the repeater entity and receive data paths from the repeater entity to the translation entity.

Physical layer device having a media independent interface for

A Physical Layer Device is disclosed having power savings features operable during auto-negotiation for multiple technologies. Excessive power consumption is alleviated by decreasing the power required by the receiver(s) during parallel detection. The Physical Layer Device includes at least one port, with each port including a parallel detection receiver for receiving data and messages from a connected device, the data and messages including autonegotiation fast link pulses indicating a technology capability of the connected device, a cycler for enabling the parallel detection receiver for a fraction of an autonegotiation period and a controller for controlling the cycler. The enabling of the receiver for each port, whether a multiple or single port device, is staggered to prevent more than one receiver from being enabled at one time. Accordingly, the receivers are enabled for a brief period of time to check for the presence of the required signals, and then disabled for a much greater period of time before being enabled again. Further, the Physical Layer Devices contains multiple ports that can stagger the enabling of their receivers so that only one port's receiver is active at any given time.

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Sacramento, CA, United States of America

David W Vogel