The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 23, 1999
Filed:
Jul. 28, 1997
Andrew Mills, Coto de Caza, CA (US);
Conexant Systems, Inc., Newport Beach, CA (US);
Abstract
A multi-communication rate switching physical device for a port of a mixed communication rate Ethernet repeater network. The present invention includes a physical device for recovering bits from a wire connection (e.g., fiber, twisted pair, etc.) that is coupled to computer system adapter. The physical device can be implemented on a single chip integrated within an Ethernet repeater hub within each hub port. The physical device chip of the invention includes a front end multiplexer coupled to channel information between a 10 Base T physical device circuit and a 100 Base T physical device circuit, depending on the result of an auto-negotiation circuit also on the physical device chip. The physical device chip also advantageously employs a second, back end multiplexer, that is coupled to channel data between either the 10 Base T physical device circuit or the 100 Base T physical device circuit and one of a multiple of media independent interfaces (MIIs). The back end multiplexer is controlled by a combination of signals including the auto-negotiation circuit result and a system management interface override signal. By providing multiple MII (or giga MII) interface connections, the invention provides a low cost solution to allow the associated port to be automatically associated with a number of different collision domains within the Ethernet network. Port assignment to one domain or another is flexible and can be based on: (1) the result of an auto-negotiation session; (2) a manual override; or (3) detected errors in the fastest attempted rate.