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US 8,553,720 B2Granted
Adaptive speed control for MAC-PHY interfaces
AssigneeMarvell World Trade Ltd.
InventorsNafea Bishara, William Lo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus having corresponding methods and computer programs comprise a first first-in first-out buffer (FIFO) to receive and store data from a media access controller (MAC); a physical-layer device (PHY) to transmit a signal representing the data; and a control circuit comprising a read circuit to transfer the data from the first FIFO to the PHY, and a transmit pause circuit to transmit a pause frame to the MAC when an amount of the data stored in the first FIFO exceeds a predetermined threshold.
Claims51
A network device comprising:
- a media access controller;
- a first first-in first-out buffer configured to (i) receive data from the media access controller, and (ii) store the data from the media access controller;
- a physical-layer device;
- and
- a control circuit comprising
- a read circuit configured to transfer the data from the first first-in first-out buffer to the physical-layer device, wherein the physical layer device is configured to transmit a signal representing the data transferred to the physical layer device, and
- a transmit pause circuit configured to transmit a pause frame to the media access controller when an amount of the data stored in the first first-in first-out buffer exceeds a predetermined threshold,
- wherein, based on the pause frame, the media access controller is configured to adjust a rate at which the media access controller transfers the data from the media access controller to the physical-layer device (i) via the first first-in first-out buffer, and (ii) within the network device, and
- wherein the control circuit is connected between the media access controller and the physical-layer device.
6 more elements
A network device comprising:
- a media access controller;
- first buffer means for (i) receiving data from the media access controller and (ii) storing the data from the media access controller;
- physical-layer mean;
- and
- means for controlling comprising
- read means for transferring the data from the first buffer to the physical-layer means, wherein the physical layer means is configured to transmit a signal representing the data transferred to the physical layer means, and
- transmit pause means for transmitting a pause frame to the media access controller when an amount of the data stored in the first buffer exceeds a predetermined threshold,
- wherein the media access controller is configured to adjust a rate at which the media access controller transfers the data from the media access controller to the physical-layer means (i) via the first buffer means, and (ii) within the network device based on the pause frame, and
- wherein the means for controlling is connected between the media access controller and the physical-layer means.
6 more elements
A method comprising:
- storing, in a first-in first-out buffer of a network device, data received at a first data rate from a media access controller, wherein the network device includes the media access controller;
- transferring, at a second data rate, the stored data from the first-in first-out buffer to a physical-layer device, wherein the physical-laver device is configured to transmit a signal representing the data transferred to the physical-layer device;
- and
- in response to an amount of the stored data in the first-in first-out buffer exceeding a predetermined threshold,
- generating, via a control circuit in the network device, a pause frame,
- transmitting the pause frame to the media access controller, and
- based on the pause frame, adjusting the rate at which the media access controller transfers the data from the media access controller to the physical-layer device (i) via the first-in first-out buffer, and (ii) within the network device,
- wherein the control circuit is connected between the media access controller and the physical-layer device.
5 more elements
A non-transitory computer-readable medium having tangibly stored thereon a computer program executable on a processor, the computer program comprising:
- instructions for storing, in a first-in first-out buffer of a network device, data received at a first data rate from a media access controller, wherein the network device includes the media access controller;
- instructions for transferring, at a second data rate, the stored data from the first-in first-out buffer to a physical-layer device, wherein the physical-layer device is configured to generate a signal representing the data transferred to the physical-laver device;
- and
- instructions for, in response to an amount of the stored data in the first-in first-out buffer exceeding a predetermined threshold,
- generating, via a control circuit in the network device, a pause frame,
- transmitting the pause frame to the media access controller, and
- adjusting, based on the pause frame, a rate at which the media access controller transfers the data from the media access controller to the physical-layer device (i) via the first-in first-out buffer, and (ii) within the network device,
- wherein the control circuit is connected between the media access controller and the physical-layer device.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.