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:
Apr. 11, 2000
Filed:
Dec. 08, 1997
Brian Alan Youngman, Cary, NC (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A programmable output interface in an Open System Interconnection (OSI) enables a Media Access (MAC) Layer to access a variety of Physical (PHY) Layer implementations without redesign of the interface. The programmable interface includes a control signal generator; an output clock gating generator, and an output polarity control device coupled to the PHY layer. The interface receives media access Start; media access Done signals; a Data Rate clock signal and a data signal. The control signal generator provides control signals for the physical layer components via the polarity control device. The active signal polarity and the relative timing of the control signals are controlled by programmable registers. The output clock gating generator provides clock signals to the physical layer components via the polarity control in response to the Start; Done and Data Rate signals. The output generator clock includes programmable interval registers for the various frame intervals including a User Pause Interval (UPI); Preamble Interval (PI); User Send Interval (USI), etc. The polarity control provides the correct signal polarity for each control, clock, and data signal.