Ethernet Link Monitoring Channel

Abstract

The invention provides a method for utilizing the Inter Packet Gaps (IPGs) to create an Extended Link Monitoring Channel in a physical layer transceiver for a 10 Gb/s Ethernet link for communicating link related information, thus providing an extensive link maintenance capability. A corresponding transceiver between an Ethernet media access control (MAC) layer device and a 10 Gb/s Ethernet link, comprising a physical coding sublayer (PCS) extension circuit for implementing the Extended Link Monitoring Channel is also provided.

1 - 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . A system for communicating link monitoring information in an Ethernet network, the system comprising:
 a transceiver having an Ethernet interface to transceive Ethernet communications via an Ethernet link, and a device interface; and,   a physical coding sublayer (PCS) module interposed between the device and Ethernet interfaces for inserting a link monitoring control channel into transmitted Ethernet communications.   
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 34  wherein the PCS module accepts Ethernet communications from the transceiver Ethernet interface and recovers a link monitoring control channel. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 35  wherein the PCS module accepts communications from the device interface, determines idle blocks in Ethernet communications to be transmitted, and replaces idle blocks with the link monitoring control channel. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 35  wherein the PCS module generates a pseudo-random bit sequence (PRBS) for the transmitted link monitoring control channel, and evaluates a PRBS in the received link monitoring control channel, for the purpose of determining an Ethernet link bit error rate (BER). 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 34  wherein the PCS module inserts a plurality of link monitoring control channels into transmitted Ethernet communications, where each channel is associated with a different link-related condition. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 34  wherein the PCS module inserts a link monitoring control channel for a purpose selected from a group consisting of monitoring BER, digital optical monitoring (DOM), bit interleaved parity (BIP), optical path identity, link states, alarms, and link far end local faults. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 34  further comprising:
 a conversion module interposed between the PBS module and the device interface for converting between Ethernet communications, in the form of 64B/66B blocks, and a 10 gigabit Ethernet attachment unit interface (XAUI) signal on the device interface.   
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 35  further comprising:
 a control module having an interface connected to the PCS module for initializing the transmitted link monitoring control channel, and extracting Ethernet link-related information from the received link monitoring control channel.   
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 36  wherein the PCS module inserts the link monitoring control channel by substituting selected idle blocks with link monitoring control channel blocks selected from a group consisting of a Q-start block, a channel data block, a Q-stop block, and combinations of the above-mentioned blocks, wherein the Q-start block and Q-stop block are control blocks, and the channel data block carries Ethernet link-related information. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 36  wherein the PCS module substitutes selected idle blocks with the ping blocks in the transmitted link monitoring control channel so that only each (N l +1)-th idle block is substituted with a ping block until a total of N x  ping blocks has been substituted; and,
 wherein the PCS module receives the link monitoring control channel with at least N R  ping blocks separated by no more than N J  idle blocks, NR being less or equal to N x , and N J  being equal to or greater than N I .   
     
     
         44 . A method for communicating link monitoring information in an Ethernet network, the method comprising:
 transceiving communications between an Ethernet link and a device interface; and,   inserting a link monitoring control channel into transmitted Ethernet communications.   
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44  further comprising:
 recovering a link monitoring control channel from received Ethernet communications.   
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45  wherein inserting the link monitoring control channel into transmitted Ethernet communications includes:
 accepting communications from the device interface;   determining idle blocks in Ethernet communications to be transmitted; and,   replacing idle blocks with the link monitoring control channel.   
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 45  wherein inserting the link monitoring control channel into transmitted Ethernet communications includes generating a pseudo-random bit sequence (PRBS) for the transmitted link monitoring control channel; and,
 wherein recovering the link monitoring control channel from received Ethernet communications includes evaluating a PRBS in a received link monitoring control channel, for the purpose of determining an Ethernet link bit error rate (BER).   
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 44  wherein inserting the link monitoring control channel into transmitted Ethernet communications includes inserting a plurality of link monitoring control channels into transmitted Ethernet communications, where each channel is associated with a different link-related condition. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 44  wherein inserting the link monitoring control channel into transmitted Ethernet communications includes inserting a link monitoring control channel for a purpose selected from a group consisting of monitoring BER, digital optical monitoring (DOM), bit interleaved parity (BIP), optical path identity, link states, alarms, and link far end local faults. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 44  further comprising:
 converting between Ethernet communications, in the form of 64B/66B blocks, and a 10 gigabit Ethernet attachment unit interface (XAUI) signal on the device interface.   
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 46  wherein replacing idle blocks with the link monitoring control channel includes substituting selected idle blocks with link monitoring control channel blocks selected from a group consisting of a Q-start block, a channel data block, a Q-stop block, and combinations of the above-mentioned blocks, wherein the Q-start block and Q-stop block are control blocks, and the channel data block carries Ethernet link-related information. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 46  wherein substituting selected idle blocks includes substituting selected idle blocks with the ping blocks in the transmitted link monitoring control channel so that only each (N l +1)-th idle block is substituted with a ping block until a total of N x  ping blocks has been substituted. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 52  wherein recovering the link monitoring control channel from received Ethernet communications includes receiving a link monitoring control channel with at least NR ping blocks separated by no more than N J  idle blocks, N R  being less or equal to N x , and N J  being equal to or greater than N I .