Network physical layer transceiver with single event effect detection and response

A network node, comprising:

• a network node processor;
• a media access control coupled to the network node processor;
• a physical layer transceiver comprising:
• a media independent interface coupled to the media access control;
• a media dependent interface adapted to couple to a network communications medium;
• a converter circuit block coupled to the media dependent interface and comprising circuitry configured to convert digital signals to analog signals for transmission over the network communications medium, and to convert analog signals received over the network communications medium to digital signals;
• at least one processing block coupled to the converter circuit block comprising circuitry configured to process data communicated between the media independent interface and the converter circuit block according to a network protocol;
• management and control circuitry, coupled to the at least one processing block, and comprising power management circuitry and reset circuitry for the physical layer transceiver;
• and
• at least one single event effect (SEE) monitor configured to detect and respond to an SEE effect, wherein the SEE monitor includes an ambience monitor, the SEE monitor is configured to:
• sample and digitize a value of one or more of a power supply voltage or one or more of a power supply current applied to the transceiver, to generate a digital value;
• and
• compare the digital value with previous digital values of the one or more power supply voltage and one or more power supply current.

A method, comprising:

• operating a processing block in a physical layer transceiver in a network node processor to process data communicated at a media independent interface of the physical layer transceiver;
• converting digital signals from the processing block to analog signals for transmission over a media dependent interface adapted to couple to a network communications medium, and converting analog signals received over the network communications medium to digital signals;
• detecting a single event effect (SEE) by an SEE monitor occurring in the physical layer transceiver, the SEE monitor selected from a group including an ambience monitor, a register monitor, a state machine monitor and a phase locked loop (PLL) out-of-lock monitor;
• and
• responsive to the detection of an SEE, resetting the physical layer transceiver wherein the SEE monitor includes the ambience monitor, the SEE monitor configured to:
• sampling and digitizing a value of one or more of a power supply voltage or one or more of a power supply current applied to the physical layer transceiver, to generate a digital value;
• and
• comparing the digital value with previous digital values of the one or more power supply voltage and one or more power supply current.