Universal SFP support
AssigneeCisco Technology, Inc.
InventorJames T. Theodoras, II
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Techniques for supporting optical and electrical protocols, such as on the ports of a line card in a network device, are provided. A port on a line card supports optical and electrical connections. The PHY monitors a signal to determine if the transmission connection at the port has changed, such as from optical to electrical, or vice versa. If there has been a change, the PHY is directed to reset a port to correspond to the appropriate transmission connection. By resetting the port, the PHY changes the protocol that is utilized with the signals (e.g., NRZI or 3-Level MLT3).
Claims22
A method of selecting optical or electrical transmissions on a port of a line card in a network device, the line card including an integrated circuit that supports optical and electrical transmissions, comprising:
- monitoring the integrated circuit to determine whether the port has a transmission connection to a transceiver module that is different than the port is configured, wherein the port comprises a single transmission connection to the transceiver module which is configured for either optical or electrical transmission;
- determining that the port has the transmission connection that is different than the port is configured;
- and
- instructing the integrated circuit to reset the port to the transmission connection at the port.
A computer program product for selecting optical or electrical transmissions on a port of a line card in a network device, the line card including an integrated circuit that supports optical and electrical transmissions, comprising:
- computer code that configures a processor to monitor the integrated circuit to determine whether the port has a transmission connection to a transceiver module that is different than the port is configured, wherein the port comprises a single transmission connection to the transceiver module which is configured for either optical or electrical transmission;
- computer code that determines that the port has the transmission connection that is different than the port is configured;
- computer code that configures a processor to instruct the integrated circuit to reset the port to the transmission connection at the port;
- and
- a computer readable medium that stores the computer codes.
An apparatus that selects optical or electrical transmissions on a port of a line card in a network device, the line card including an integrated circuit that supports optical and electrical transmissions, comprising:
- means for monitoring the integrated circuit to determine whether the port has a transmission connection to a transceiver module that is different than the port is configured, wherein the port comprises a single transmission connection to the transceiver module which is configured for either optical or electrical transmission;
- means for determining that the port has the transmission connection that is different than the port is configured;
- and
- means for instructing the integrated circuit to reset the port to the transmission connection at the port.
A line card for a network device that selects optical or electrical transmissions on a port of a line card in a network device, the line card including an integrated circuit that supports optical and electrical transmissions, comprising:
- computer code that configures a processor to monitor the integrated circuit to determine whether the port has a transmission connection to a transceiver module that is different than the port is configured, wherein the port comprises a single transmission connection to the transceiver module which is configured for either optical or electrical transmission;
- computer code that determines that the port has the transmission connection that is different than the port is configured;
- computer code that instructs the integrated circuit to reset the port to the transmission connection at the port;
- and
- a computer readable medium that stores the computer codes.
A method of selecting optical or electrical transmissions on a port of a line card in a network device, the line card including an integrated circuit that supports optical and electrical transmissions, comprising:
- monitoring a first register of the integrated circuit to determine whether the port has a transmission connection to a transceiver module that is different than the port is configured, wherein the port comprises a single transmission connection to the transceiver module which is configured for either optical or electrical transmission;
- determining that the port has the transmission connection that is different than the port is configured;
- modifying a second register of the integrated circuit to specify the port that has the transmission connection that is different than the port is configured;
- and
- instructing the integrated circuit to reset the port specified by the second register to the transmission connection at the port.
A computer program product for selecting optical or electrical transmissions on a port of a line card in a network device, the line card including an integrated circuit that supports optical and electrical transmissions, comprising:
- computer code that configures a processor to monitor a first register of the integrated circuit to determine whether the port has a transmission connection to a transceiver module that is different than the port is configured, wherein the port comprises a single transmission connection to the transceiver module which is configured for either optical or electrical transmission;
- computer code that determines that the port has the transmission connection that is different than the port is configured;
- computer code that configures a processor to modify a second register of the integrated circuit to specify the port that has the transmission connection that is different than the port is configured;
- computer code that configures a processor to instruct the integrated circuit to reset the port specified by the second register to the transmission connection at the port;
- and
- a computer readable medium that stores the computer codes.
An apparatus that selects optical or electrical transmissions on a port of a line card in a network device, the line card including an integrated circuit that supports optical and electrical transmissions, comprising:
- means for monitoring a first register of the integrated circuit to determine whether the port has a transmission connection to a transceiver module that is different than the port is configured, wherein the port comprises a single transmission connection to the transceiver module which is configured for either optical or electrical transmission;
- means for determining that the port has the transmission connection that is different than the port is configured;
- means for modifying a second register of the integrated circuit to specify the port that has the transmission connection that is different than the port is configured;
- and
- means for instructing the integrated circuit to reset the port specified by the second register to the transmission connection at the port.
A line card for a network device that selects optical or electrical transmissions on a port of a line card in a network device, the line card including an integrated circuit that supports optical and electrical transmissions, comprising:
- computer code that configures a processor to monitor a first register of the integrated circuit to determine whether the port has a transmission connection to a transceiver module that is different than the port is configured, wherein the port comprises a single transmission connection to the transceiver module which is configured for either optical or electrical transmission;
- computer code that determines that the port has the transmission connection that is different than the port is configured;
- computer code that configures the processor to modify a second register of the integrated circuit to specify the port that has the transmission connection that is different than the port is configured;
- computer code that configures the processor to instruct the integrated circuit to reset the port specified by the second register to the transmission connection at the port;
- and
- a computer readable medium that stores the computer codes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.