Method and device to transmit a busy medium signal to another device
View Patent ↗The present invention concerns a device comprising a medium access control module for performing functions of a medium access control sublayer, noted MAC module, the device comprising a MAC interface module connected to the MAC module, the MAC interface module being adapted to connect in a first mode with a connector to a second MAC interface module or in a second mode with a connector to a physical interface module, the second MAC interface module being located in a second device comprising a MAC module connected to the second MAC interface module. In the first mode, the device comprises means for communicating in a half-duplex manner with the second device, and means for sending a medium busy signal to the second device.
1. Device comprising:
a Medium Access Control Media Independent Interface, noted MAC MII interface configured to connect said device, either to a second MAC MII interface of a second device, in a mode noted a MAC-to-MAC mode, or to a MII physical interface of a third device, in a mode noted a MAC-to-PHY mode,
an Ethernet medium Access Control module, noted MAC module, connected to said MAC MII interface, for performing functions of an Ethernet MAC layer, for communicating either with a second MAC module of said second device in said MAC-to-MAC mode, or with an Ethernet physical module of said third device in said MAC-to-PHY mode; and
a back pressure module connected to said MAC MII interface and said MAC module, for performing, in half-duplex mode, either back pressure functions of an Ethernet physical layer towards said second MAC module in said MAC-to-MAC mode or back pressure functions of an Ethernet MAC layer towards said physical module in said MAC-to-PHY mode.
2. Device according to claim 1 , wherein said MAC module comprises means for indicating a busy medium duration to said second MAC module.
3. Device according to claim 1 , wherein said MAC module comprises means for receiving data from said second MAC module up to a maximum data rate, and means for sending a busy medium signal to said second MAC module on a reception of data at a data rate higher than the maximum data rate.
4. Device according to claim 2 , wherein said MAC module comprises means for sending data to said second MAC module during said duration.
5. Device according to claim 1 , wherein said busy medium signal is a carrier sense signal.
6. Integrated circuit wherein it comprises a device according to claim 1 .
7. Device according to claim 1 , said back pressure functions comprising sending medium busy signal either to said second MAC module in a MAC-to-MAC mode or to said physical module in a MAC-to-PHY mode.