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:
Aug. 14, 2007
Filed:
Dec. 23, 1999
Yuval Bachrach, Haifa, IL;
Yuval Bachrach, Haifa, IL;
Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
A word-based interface between a MAC and a PHY, allowing for variable pin counts, variable PHY and MAC data speeds, and variable numbers of connected PHYs. The word-based interface allows for the PHY to provide PHY-to-MAC words to the MAC, and for the MAC to provided MAC-to-PHY words to the PHY, where the PHY-to-MAC words are synchronized with the MAC-to-PHY words. Data and commands are provided in fields of the words, and may be time multiplexed over the interface. Circuits within the MAC and PHY allow for the MAC to detect if a PHY is present, the number of active pins, and the number of PHYs connected. The reset and synchronization signals are integrated into a single reset/sync signal. Identification data is exchanged between the MAC and PHY so that the proper device driver for the PHY may be loaded independently of the BIOS.