IP Library Granted Patent US 11,271,712
Granted Patent B2
US 11,271,712 · App. 16/827,624 · Granted Mar 8, 2022

Daisy-chained synchronous ethernet clock recovery

Inventors: Thomas Joergensen (Soeborg, DK); Brian Branscomb (Hopkinton, MA)
Assignee: Microchip Technology Inc.
H04L7/0079H04L49/351
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,271,712
App. No.
16/827,624
Granted
Mar 8, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A PHY chip for a synchronous Ethernet system includes N network input/output (I/O) ports, a first external recovered clock input, a first recovered clock output, and a first clock multiplexer having a plurality of data inputs, a select input, and an output coupled to the first recovered clock output, at least one of the data inputs coupled to a first recovered clock from a respective one of the N network I/O ports, a first additional data input coupled to the first external recovered clock input.

Claims (48)

1. A physical layer (PHY) chip for a synchronous Ethernet system comprising:

N network input/output (I/O) ports where N is an integer;

a first external recovered clock input;

a first recovered clock output; and

a first clock multiplexer having a plurality of data inputs, a select input, an output coupled to the first recovered clock output and a first additional data input coupled to the first external recovered clock input, a recovered clock from each of the N network I/O ports coupled to respective ones of the plurality of data inputs.

2. The PHY chip of claim 1 where N=4.

3. The PHY chip of claim 1 further comprising:

a first source of configuration bits coupled to the select input of the first clock multiplexer.

4. The PHY chip of claim 3 wherein:

the first source of configuration bits is a first configuration bits register.

5. A physical layer (PHY) chip for a synchronous Ethernet system comprising:

N network input/output (I/O) ports connected to a first set of I/O pins on the PHY chip, where N is an integer;

M system interfaces connected to a second set of I/O pins on the PHY chip, where M is an integer;

a first external recovered clock input connected to a third set of I/O pins on the PHY chip;

a first recovered clock output connected to a fourth set of I/O pins on the PHY chip; and

a first clock multiplexer having a plurality of data inputs, a select input, an output coupled to the first recovered clock output and first additional data input coupled to the first external recovered clock input, at least one of the data inputs coupled to a first recovered clock from a respective one of the N network I/O ports,

wherein the sets of I/O pins are arranged radially around a periphery of the PHY chip in the order of one of the first and second sets of I/O pins, one of the third and fourth sets of I/O pins, the other of the first and second sets of I/O pins, and the other of the third and fourth sets of I/O pins.

6. The PHY chip of claim 5 wherein the third and fourth sets of I/O pins and at least one of the first and second sets of I/O pins are physically located on a same side of a package containing the PHY chip.

7. A physical layer (PHY) chip for a synchronous Ethernet comprising:

N network input/output (I/O) ports where N is an integer;

a first external recovered clock input;

a first recovered clock output;

a first clock multiplexer having a plurality of data inputs, a select input, an output coupled to the first recovered clock output and a first additional data input coupled to the first external recovered clock input, at least one of the data inputs of the first clock multiplexer coupled to a first recovered clock from a respective one of the N network I/O ports;

a second external recovered clock input;

a second recovered clock output; and

a second clock multiplexer having a plurality of data inputs, a respective select input, an output coupled to the second recovered clock output and a second additional data input coupled to the second external recovered clock input, at least one of the data inputs of the second clock multiplexer coupled to a second recovered clock from a respective one of the N network I/O ports.

8. The PHY chip of claim 7 further comprising:

a second source of configuration bits coupled to the respective select input of the second clock multiplexer.

9. The PHY chip of claim 8 wherein:

the second source of configuration bits is a second configuration bits register.

10. The PHY chip of claim 7 wherein the second external recovered clock input is coupled to a second additional data input of the first clock multiplexer.

11. A physical layer (PHY) chip for a synchronous Ethernet system comprising:

N network input/output (I/O) ports where N is an integer;

a first external recovered clock input;

a first recovered clock output;

a first clock multiplexer having a plurality of data inputs, a select input, and output and a first additional data input coupled to the first external recovered clock input, at least one of the data inputs coupled to a first recovered clock from a respective one of the N network I/O ports; and

a first clock output divider having an input coupled to the output of the first clock multiplexer, and an output coupled to the first recovered clock output, the first clock output divider controlled by configuration bits supplied by a configuration bits register.

12. A method for providing a recovered clock in a PHY chip for a synchronous Ethernet system having a plurality of network interface ports, the method comprising:

receiving an external recovered clock signal from at least one of the plurality of network interface ports of the PHY chip;

receiving first and second recovered clock signals from sources outside the PHY chip;

selecting a first output clock signal from among the first and second recovered clock signals from the source outside the PHY chip and the external recovered clock signals from the at least one of the plurality of network interface ports of the PHY chip; and

selecting a second output clock signal from among the first and second recovered clock signals from the source outside the PHY chip and the external recovered clock signals from the at least one of the plurality of network interface ports of the PHY chip.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising dividing the output clock signal by a divisor.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

dividing the first output clock signal by a first divisor; and

dividing the second output clock signal by a second divisor.

15. The method of claim 14 where the first divisor and the second divisor are equal.

16. The method of claim 14 where the first divisor and the second divisor are not equal.

Assignments (11)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 14, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 060894/0437 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 11, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059363/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 10, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059863/0400 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 9, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059358/0335 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2022
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059263/0001 →
GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT RIGHTS Recorded Nov 19, 2021
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 058214/0625 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 4, 2021
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 057935/0474 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 24, 2020
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055671/0612 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 053468/0705 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 052856/0909 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 23, 2020
From: JOERGENSEN, THOMAS; BRANSCOMB, BRIAN
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.
Reel/Frame 052200/0010 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62958225 · Jan 7, 2020
Related Publication 20210211267A1 · Jul 8, 2021