Where does XAUI fit
Rich,
I'm slightly confused by your comment:
> Rich Walker wrote:
> All PMD's could take their input from pure XGMII and convert back to
> XGMII at their output. It makes no sense to burden all the PMDs with
> complex rules for converting between the idiosyncrasies of
> other coding
> schemes.
I'm not sure how this fits with the PMD. I do agree that XGMII should be the
specified interface between the MAC/RS and the PCS. Further, if we treat
XAUI as an XGMII extender, then XAUI should take in XGMII and spit it back
out the other side (maybe 20" of copper later...).
On the other hand, if XAUI is to be used between the PCS and the PMA, then
its inputs and output can be whatever the group thinks is the best
signalling interface between those layers, but by definition (since it would
be below the PCS), in this instance XAUI would be transporting whatever
coding the PCS used. But even this could be done with an envelope as opposed
to a decode/recode.
Walt
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Walter Thirion
Chair, IEEE 802.3ae PMD Sub-Task Force
301 Congress Ave.
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