Interface for improved media access, and related systems, methods, and devices

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and devices for interfacing media access tuning circuitry that implements collision handling or traffic shaping with a reduced media independent interface (RMII). In some embodiments, an interface circuitry manages emulated signals generated by a media access tuning circuitry in response to detecting that the emulated signals would cause incorrect operation of an RMII. Also disclosed is a physical layer (PHY) device for a multidrop network. In some embodiments the PHY device implements physical layer collision techniques and operable to communicate with a media access control (MAC) device via an RMII, where the MAC is configured for carrier-sense multiple access (CSMA), CSMA with collision detection (CSMA/CD), or CSMA with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA). Also disclosed are processes for managing signaling at a PHY that implements physical layer collision avoidance (PLCA) or traffic shaping, as the case may be.