Computing network physical layer device including port expander, and method of using same

A switch system of a computing network, the switch system including:

• a retimer device having a first physical retimer input/output (I/O), and a second physical retimer (I/O), and retimer circuitry coupled between the first retimer I/O and the second retimer I/O, the retimer circuitry to:
• implement a plurality of retimer ports at the first retimer I/O, and a data link at the second retimer I/O;
• access a plurality of retimer data flows from the plurality of retimer ports at the first retimer I/O;
• determine a multiplexed data stream from the plurality of retimer data flows by implementing a multiplexing algorithm;
• and
• send the multiplexed data stream for transmission from the data link at the second retimer I/O;
• and
• a switch device coupled to the retimer device by way of the data link, the switch device having a first physical switch input/output (I/O), and a second physical switch (I/O), and switch circuitry coupled between the first switch I/O and the second switch I/O, the switch circuitry to:
• implement the data link at the second switch I/O and a plurality of switch ports at the first switch I/O;
• access the multiplexed data stream at the data link;
• determine a plurality of switch data flows from the multiplexed data stream by implementing a demultiplexing algorithm, the demultiplexing algorithm based on the multiplexing algorithm, the plurality of switch data flows corresponding to a demultiplexing of the plurality of retimer data flows from the multiplexed data stream;
• and
• send respective ones of the plurality of switch data flows for transmission from respective ones of the plurality of switch ports at the first switch I/O.

One or more tangible non-transitory machine readable storage media storing instructions that, when executed at a PHY device including one of a retimer circuitry or a switch circuitry of a computing network switch system, causes the PHY device to perform operations including:

• implementing a plurality of ports at a first I/O of the PHY device, and a data link at a second I/O of the PHY device;
• accessing a plurality of data flows from the plurality of ports at the first I/O;
• determining a multiplexed data stream from the plurality of data flows by implementing a multiplexing algorithm;
• and
• sending the multiplexed data stream for transmission from the data link at the second I/O.

A method to be performed at a physical layer (PHY) circuitry of a PHY device of a computing network switch system, the PHY circuitry including one of a retimer circuitry or a switch circuitry, the method including:

• implementing a plurality of ports at a first I/O of the PHY device, and a data link at a second I/O of the PHY device;
• accessing a plurality of data flows from the plurality of ports at the first I/O;
• determining a multiplexed data stream from the plurality of data flows by implementing a multiplexing algorithm;
• and
• sending the multiplexed data stream for transmission from the data link at the second I/O.