System and method to access and address high-speed interface converter devices
View Patent ↗High-speed transceiver devices, such as GBIC-type transceivers, are accessed and addressed. Identification information (including manufacturer name, model, compliance codes) is placed in data fields of the transceivers. An algorithm checks each port in each module of a host system to determine if a transceiver is present. If a particular transceiver is present, then algorithms store the port address of the transceiver in memory and enable the transceiver to be read from or written to. Reading from the transceiver includes reading the identification information, and writing to the transceiver includes writing the identification information. If a transceiver is initially determined not to be present or if the reading/writing/enabling processes fail, then a recovery process determines if the transceiver was present the last time it was checked. If it was present the last time, then the process continues to try to recover the transceiver data—otherwise, the port is marked as empty.
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a transceiver device that includes:
a memory to store data; and
a data field, in said memory, that includes 4 serial bit positions that each respectively correspond to an electronic or optical interface and that each respectively identify whether the corresponding electronic or optical interface is supported by said transceiver, and
wherein said data field further include at least another bit position, subsequent to said 4 serial bit positions, that corresponds to another electronic or optical interface that is supported by said transceiver.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said another electronic or optical interface includes a manufacturer-specific electronic or optical interface with which said transceiver is configured to operate.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said transceiver includes a Gigabit Interface Converter (GBIC) device.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said GBIC device includes a mini-GBIC device.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said electronic or optical interface, which corresponds respectively to said 4 serial bit positions, is defined by at least one standard and includes:
a 1000BASE-SX interface corresponding to a first bit position;
a 1000BASE-LX interface corresponding to a second bit position;
a 1000BASE-CX interface corresponding to a third bit position; and
a 1000BASE-T interface corresponding to a fourth bit position.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a bit, in a particular bit position among the 4 serial bit positions, is set if the electrical or optical interface corresponding to said particular bit position is supported by said transceiver, and is unset if not supported by said transceiver.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said data field relates to an Ethernet compliance code.
8. An apparatus, comprising:
a host device having a plurality of ports and configured to check each port for a transceiver;
wherein if said check determines that said transceiver is present at one of said ports, the host device is configured to read data from a memory of said transceiver;
wherein said ports are configured to have pluggable therein respective transceivers that include different transceiver types of different manufacturers;
wherein the host device is configured to identify, based on said data that is read from said memory of said transceiver, a manufacturer and a transceiver type of said transceiver; and
a management module in said host device and configured to, based on said identified manufacturer and transceiver type, operate said host device to meet an operating requirement of said transceiver;
wherein said transceiver includes:
said memory to store data; and
a data field, in said memory, that includes 4 serial bit positions that each respectively correspond to an electronic or optical interface and that each respectively identify whether the corresponding electronic or optical interface is supported by said transceiver, and
wherein said data field further include at least another bit position, subsequent to said 4 serial bit positions, that corresponds to another electronic or optical interface that is supported by said transceiver.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said transceiver includes a Gigabit Interface Converter (GBIC) device.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said GBIC device includes a mini-GBIC device.
11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said electronic or optical interface, which corresponds respectively to said 4 serial bit positions, is defined by at least one standard and includes:
a 1000BASE-SX interface corresponding to a first bit position;
a 1000BASE-LX interface corresponding to a second bit position;
a 1000BASE-CX interface corresponding to a third bit position; and
a 1000BASE-T interface corresponding to a fourth bit position.
12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein a bit, in a particular bit position among the 4 serial bit positions, is set if the electrical or optical interface corresponding to said particular bit position is supported by said transceiver, and is unset if not supported by said transceiver.
13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said another electronic or optical interface includes a manufacturer-specific electronic or optical interface with which said transceiver is configured to operate.
14. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said data field relates to an Ethernet compliance code.
15. A method for a host device, the method comprising:
checking a plurality of ports of said host device for a transceiver;
if said checking determines that said transceiver is present at one of said ports, reading data from a memory of said transceiver, wherein said ports are configured to have pluggable therein respective transceivers that include different transceiver types of different manufacturers;
identifying, based on said data that is read from said memory of said transceiver, a manufacturer and a transceiver type of said transceiver; and
based on said identified manufacturer and transceiver type, operating said host device to meet an operating requirement of said transceiver,
wherein said transceiver includes:
said memory to store data; and
a data field, in said memory, that includes 4 serial bit positions that each respectively correspond to an electronic or optical interface and that each respectively identify whether the corresponding electronic or optical interface is supported by said transceiver, and
wherein said data field further include at least another bit position, subsequent to said 4 serial bit positions, that corresponds to another electronic or optical interface that is supported by said transceiver.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein said another electronic or optical interface includes a manufacturer-specific electronic or optical interface with which said transceiver is configured to operate.
17. The method of claim 15 wherein said electronic or optical interface, which corresponds respectively to said 4 serial bit positions, is defined by at least one standard and includes:
a 1000BASE-SX interface corresponding to a first bit position;
a 1000BASE-LX interface corresponding to a second bit position;
a 1000BASE-CX interface corresponding to a third bit position; and
a 1000BASE-T interface corresponding to a fourth bit position.
18. The method of claim 15 wherein a bit, in a particular bit position among the 4 serial bit positions, is set if the electrical or optical interface corresponding to said particular bit position is supported by said transceiver, and is unset if not supported by said transceiver.
19. The method of claim 15 wherein said transceiver includes a Gigabit Interface Converter (GBIC) device.
20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said GBIC device includes a mini-GBIC device.