Method and apparatus for performing wake on LAN power management
View Patent ↗A single integrated circuit includes logic that supports 10BASE-T, 100BASE-T and 1000BASE-T transceiver functionality. The invention implements power management techniques by placing unused functionality in sleep mode. When the functionality is required later, then that functionality may be awakened again and used as required for the particular situation. A processor is able to interact with the media access controller (MAC), and the MAC then communicates with the physical layer (PHY). The invention is adaptable to various devices that are capable to operating using 10BASE-T, 100BASE-T and 1000BASE-T, even those the PHY of these devices may be somewhat different.
1. A method to operate a system that is operable to support 10 megabit functionality, 100 megabit functionality, and gigabit functionality, the method comprising:
concurrently operating the 10 megabit functionality, the 100 megabit functionality and the gigabit functionality within a device of the system when determining a mode of operation by which to establish and operate a communication link communicatively coupled to each and operable to be supported by one of the 10 megabit functionality, the 100 megabit functionality and the gigabit functionality within the device;
putting two functionalities selected from the 10 megabit functionality, the 100 megabit functionality and the gigabit functionality into sleep mode; and
continuing to operate a remaining functionality selected from the 10 megabit functionality, the 100 megabit functionality and the gigabit functionality to initiate and subsequently support the determined mode of operation for the communication link, the remaining functionality not being put into sleep mode.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the two functionalities comprise the 10 megabit functionality and the 100 megabit functionality; and
the remaining functionality comprises the gigabit functionality.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the two functionalities comprise the 10 megabit functionality and the gigabit functionality; and
the remaining functionality comprises the 100 megabit functionality.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the two functionalities comprise the 100 megabit functionality and the gigabit functionality; and
the remaining functionality comprises the 10 megabit functionality.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
waking up one functionality selected from the two functionalities that are initially put into sleep mode; and
putting the remaining functionality, that is initially not put into sleep mode, into sleep mode.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one functionality, selected from the two functionalities that are initially put into sleep mode and that is now awakened, comprises 10 megabit functionality; and
the remaining functionality, originally not put into sleep mode, that is now put into sleep mode comprises the 100 megabit functionality.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one functionality, selected from the two functionalities that are initially put into sleep mode and that is now awakened, comprises 10 megabit functionality; and
the remaining functionality, originally not put into sleep mode, that is now put into sleep mode comprises the gigabit functionality.
8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one functionality, selected from the two functionalities that are initially put into sleep mode and that is now awakened, comprises 100 megabit functionality; and
the remaining functionality, originally not put into sleep mode, that is now put into sleep mode comprises the 10 megabit functionality.
9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one functionality, selected from the two functionalities that are initially put into sleep mode and that is now awakened, comprises 100 megabit functionality; and
the remaining functionality, originally not put into sleep mode, that is now put into sleep mode comprises the gigabit functionality.
10. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one functionality, selected from the two functionalities that are initially put into sleep mode and that is now awakened, comprises gigabit functionality; and
the remaining functionality, originally not put into sleep mode, that is now put into sleep mode comprises the 10 megabit functionality.
11. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one functionality, selected from the two functionalities that are initially put into sleep mode and that is now awakened, comprises gigabit functionality; and
the remaining functionality, originally not put into sleep mode, that is now put into sleep mode comprises the 100 megabit functionality.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system comprises a device, the device comprising a high level processor, a media access controller, and a physical layer; and
wherein the high level processor communicates with the physical layer via the media access controller.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing auto-negotiation between at least two devices within the system; and
wherein the remaining functionality, selected from the 10 megabit functionality, the 100 megabit functionality and the gigabit functionality, that is not put into sleep mode, is identified during the auto-negotiation between the at least two devices within the system.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the remaining functionality comprises the 10 megabit functionality.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the remaining functionality comprises the 100 megabit functionality.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the remaining functionality comprises the gigabit functionality.
17. A method to put an integrated circuit into sleep mode, the integrated circuit comprises a plurality of management registers, the plurality of management registers comprising a wake on LAN bit, a restart auto-negotiation bit, and an advertisement register, the method comprising:
setting the wake-on-LAN bit;
changing the advertisement register;
setting the restart auto-negotiation bit;
waking up each logic of a plurality of logics associated with each capability set of a plurality of capability sets when determining a mode of operation by which to establish and operate a communication link communicatively coupled to the integrated circuit that is operable to be supported by one capability set of the plurality of capability sets;
auto-negotiating a capability set of a plurality of capability sets; and
gating-off logic associated with each capability set of the plurality of capability sets, except the auto-negotiated capability set that is operable to support the established communication link, after completing auto-negotiation.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the auto-negotiated capability set comprises at least one of a 10 megabit functionality set, a 100 megabit functionality set, and a gigabit functionality set.
19. A method to wake an integrated circuit from sleep mode, the integrated circuit comprises a plurality of management registers, the plurality of management registers comprising a wake on LAN bit, a restart auto-negotiation bit, and an advertisement register, the method comprising:
clearing the wake-on-LAN bit using a media access controller;
changing the advertisement register in a physical layer by using the media access controller;
setting the restart auto-negotiation bit in the physical layer by using the media access controller;
turning on a plurality of clocks using the physical layer;
waking up each logic of a plurality of logics associated with each capability set of a plurality of capability sets when determining a mode of operation by which to establish and operate a communication link communicatively coupled to the integrated circuit that is operable to be supported by one capability set of the plurality of capability sets; and
starting auto-negotiation, at the physical layer, after turning on the plurality of clocks and waking up each logic of the plurality of logics.
20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising auto-negotiating a capability set of the plurality of capability sets; and
wherein the capability set comprises at least one of a 10 megabit functionality set, a 100 megabit functionality set, and a gigabit functionality set.