Selectable repeater port reconnection method and apparatus

摘要

An apparatus and method for providing a selectable novel reconnection algorithm for a repeater partition state machine to use in reconnecting a partitioned port. The reconnection algorithm permits selection of one of a first or a second partitioning/reconnection algorithm from a set of partitioning/reconnection algorithms. The first partitioning/reconnection algorithm corresponds to the IEEE 802.3 Standard partitioning/reconnection algorithm. The second partitioning/reconnection algorithm reconnects a partitioned port only upon minimum duration collision-free transmit activity from a partitioned port. The apparatus includes a partition state machine responsive to a counter controlled by a signal indicating the particular partitioning/reconnection algorithm selected and a device for selecting the algorithm. The signal determines whether the counter responds to receive and transmit activity or only to transmit activity. When the counter times that the minimum duration of the appropriate activity has elapsed and the partition state machine has seen activity without a collision, the port is reconnected as appropriate.