Configurable fast ethernet and gigabit ethernet data port
US8064471B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 6, 2002 |
| Grant date | Nov 22, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 19, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L49/65
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An Ethernet switch has at least one ingress/egress port 1 which is operable in two modes, in a first mode as a GE port and in a second mode as a plurality of FE ports. The port has 8 MAC interfaces 3 each of which is capable of receiving/transmitting FE packets, and at least one of the MAC interfaces can be configured to receive/transmit GE packets. Thus, the port has two modes of operation. The port further includes receive and transmit modules 5, 7 which receive GE and FE packets from, and transmit GE and FE packets to, the interfaces. If there are 8 such ports in the Ethernet switch, then by switching different numbers of the ports between the two modes, the switch may operate in 9 different modes: as 8 GE ports, 7 GE ports and 8 FE ports, 2 GE ports and 48 FE ports, 1 GE port and 56 FE ports, or simply as 64 FE ports.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.