ICS1893BY-10 - Release
Chapter 5 Interface Overviews
5.2 100M Symbol Interface
The 100M Symbol Interface has a primary objective of supporting 100Base-TX repeater applications for
which the repeater requires only recovered parallel data and for which the repeater provides all the
necessary framing and control functions.
When the ICS1893BY-10 MAC/Repeater Interface is configured for 100M Symbol operations, the PHY and
the MAC/repeater exchange unframed 5-bit, parallel symbols at a 25-MHz clock rate.
The configuration functions of the ICS1893BY-10 determine the operation of its MAC/Repeater Interface.
The configuration functions are controlled by either input pins (in which case, the HW/SW pin is logic zero
to select the hardware mode) or Management Register bits (in which case, the HW/SW pin is logic one to
select the software mode).
• In hardware mode, the ICS1893BY-10 enables the 100M Symbol Interface when both of the following
are true:
– Its MII/SI input pin is sampled as a logic one (that is, the selection is for the Symbol Interface).
– Its 10/100SEL input pin is sampled as a logic one (that is, the selection is for 100M operations).
• In software mode, the ICS1893BY-10 enables the 100M Symbol Interface when both the following are
true:
– Its MII/SI input pin is sampled as a logic one (that is, the selection is for the Symbol Interface).
– Its Control Register Data Rate bit (bit 0.13) is set to logic one (that is, the selection is for selecting
100M operations)
The 100M Symbol Interface bypasses the ICS1893BY-10’s PCS and provides a direct, unscrambled,
unframed, 5-bit interface between the MAC/repeater and the PMA sublayer. A benefit of bypassing the
PCS is a reduction in the latency through the PHY. That is, when the ICS1893BY-10’s MAC/Repeater
Interface is configured as a 100M Symbol Interface, the bit delays through the PHY are smaller than the
standard MII Data Interface can allow. The ICS1893BY-10 provides this 100M Symbol Interface primarily
for Repeater applications, for which latency is a critical performance parameter.
In addition to the exchange of symbol data, an ICS1893BY-10 configured for 100M Symbol mode provides
ISO/IEC-compliant control signals (such as CRS) to the MAC/repeater. The ICS1893BY-10’s CRS signal
provides a fast look-ahead, which can benefit a repeater application.
In the 100M Symbol Interface mode, the ICS1893BY-10 continues to assert the CRS signal using its PCS
logic. This action does not affect the bit delay or latency because the PCS CRS logic examines the bits
received from the PMA sublayer serially. In fact, because the PCS CRS does not wait for a nibble or symbol
to be constructed, the PCS CRS is available in advance of the symbol generation. Therefore, by using the
PCS CRS generation logic, the ICS1893BY-10 can provide an ‘early’ indication of a Carrier Detect to the
MAC/repeater.
The 100M Symbol Interface consists of the following fourteen signals:
• SCRS
• SD
• SRCLK
• SRD[4:0]
• STCLK
• STD[4:0]
When the ICS1893BY-10 MAC/Repeater Interface is configured for 100M Symbol operations, its default
MII pin names and their associated functions are redefined. For more information, see Section 8.3.4.2,
“MAC/Repeater Interface Pins for 100M Symbol Interface”.
ICS1893BY-10 Rev A 3/24/04
March, 2004
Copyright © 2004, Integrated Circuit Systems, Inc.
All rights reserved.
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ICSI [ INTEGRATED CIRCUIT SOLUTION INC ]
