Period based bidirectional communication including transfer of control information via low power refresh signaling

A method of operating a network device, the network device including a transceiver for coupling to a link partner transceiver over a wired bidirectional channel, the transceiver including a transmitter and a receiver, the method comprising communicating between the network device and the link partner transceiver over the wired bidirectional channel in a plurality of operating periods, and the communicating including:

• transmitting first data signals during a first operating period in which the transmitter is configured in a data transfer mode to transmit data signals from the transmitter to the link partner transceiver along a downstream path over the wired bidirectional channel at a first signaling rate;
• receiving, during a second operating period in which the receiver is configured in a low-power mode of operation, low-power refresh signals that are encoded with information, the low-power refresh signals received along an upstream path over the wired bidirectional channel at a second signaling rate that is different than the first signaling rate;
• decoding the information from the low-power refresh signals during the second operating period;
• and
• controlling, during the second operating period, an operation of the transceiver in response to the information.

A networking system within a closed operating environment, comprising:

• a wired signaling medium;
• a network hub comprising a First transceiver coupled to at least one bidirectional channel over the wired signaling medium;
• and
• at least one network device, the at least one network device comprising a second transceiver communicatively coupled to the network hub via a respective bidirectional channel over the wired signaling medium,
• wherein the network hub and the at least one network device are configured to communicate with each other over the bidirectional channel in a plurality of operating periods, the operating periods including
• a first operating period in which the network device is configured in a data transfer mode to transmit data signals to the network hub along a downstream path over the bidirectional channel at a first signaling rate, and
• a second operating period in which the network hub is configured in a low-power mode to transmit low-power refresh signals that are encoded with information to the network device along an upstream path over the bidirectional channel at a second signaling rate that is different than the first signaling rate, and
• wherein the network device is configured to decode the information from the low-power refresh signals and is responsive to the information to control an operation of the second transceiver.