Microchip Technology Incorporated
INTERFACE FOR IMPROVED MEDIA ACCESS, AND RELATED SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND DEVICES

Abstract:

Disclosed are systems and devices for interfacing media access tuning circuitry that implements collision handling or traffic shaping with a reduced media independent interface (RMII). In some embodiments, an interface circuitry manages emulated signals generated by a media access tuning circuitry in response to detecting that the emulated signals would cause incorrect operation of an RMII. Also disclosed is a physical layer (PHY) device for a multidrop network. In some embodiments the PHY device implements physical layer collision techniques and operable to communicate with a media access control (MAC) device via an RMII, where the MAC is configured for carrier-sense multiple access (CSMA), CSMA with collision detection (CSMA/CD), or CSMA with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA). Also disclosed are processes for managing signaling at a PHY that implements physical layer collision avoidance (PLCA) or traffic shaping, as the case may be.