APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR AUTO-NEGOTIATION

摘要

Methods, systems, and apparatuses, including electrical circuitry, are described for auto-negotiation. Active cables, active backplanes, and line cards may include one or more instances of electrical circuitry and/or integrated circuits that intercept advertisements of standard auto-negotiation protocol signaling from an initiating device for establishment of communication links with a receiving device. Auto negotiation information in the intercepted signaling may be translated and encoded into signaling in accordance with the capabilities of the receiving device. Active cables and active backplanes may also include one or more connection components between instances of electrical circuitry and/or integrated circuits to provide high-speed transmission of data packets encapsulating the auto-negotiation information in a format that differs from the standard auto-negotiation protocol.

主权项

1. An active cable that comprises:
a first connection component; first electrical circuitry; and second electrical circuitry; the first electrical circuitry being communicatively coupled to the first connection component, and configured to:
receive auto-negotiation information encoded in first physical layer signaling from an initiating device;generate a data packet that includes the auto-negotiation information; andtransmit the data packet via the first connection component; the second electrical circuitry being communicatively coupled to the first connection component, and configured to:
receive the data packet from the first electrical circuitry via the first connection component;encode the auto-negotiation information included in the data packet for second physical layer signaling; andtransmit the second physical layer signaling to a receiving device.