System for physical layer controllers for performing automatic hardware

Abstract

A physical layer controller for use in a data transmission network is disclosed which includes an automatic scrubbing arrangement that is activated upon the occurrence of a physical layer controller reconfiguration. The transmitter output port as well as each channel output of the physical layer controller has an output dirty flag associated therewith. Similarly, the input port as well as each channel input has an associated input dirty flag. A scrubbing arrangement automatically scrubs certain outputs after a configuration change. More specifically, in the absence of a blocking condition after a configuration change, the scrubbing arrangement will automatically scrub each output which has a new source and one of: 1) its associated output dirty flag is set to a first level; and 2) it is connected to an new source which has its associated input dirty flag set to a first level. In a method aspect, output dirty flags are set for each output that has the potential to transmits a data frame. Outputs which have data frame detection available are considered to have the potential to transmit a data frame only when they sense a frame start. Outputs that do not have data frame detection available, are considered to have the potential of having transmitted a data frame anytime they are enabled and coupled to a valid input. The input dirty flags are set for each input that is connected to an output for which the output dirty flag is set.