16-port CPEX gigabit Ethernet switching module

Abstract

The invention relates to a 16-port CPEX gigabit Ethernet switching module, and belongs to the technical field of gigabit Ethernet switching modules. The module adopts a three-layer switching mode, a user can change the working mode of the switching module through a debugging interface, and the state of each network port can be monitored online or configuration parameters of the network port can be changed. Gigabit network signals are output to the CPEX connector after being isolated by the transformer, and a hardware interface is stable and reliable. The switching module is provided with a single-chip microcomputer management module, so that reliable management of power-on and reset of the switching module can be realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of gigabit network switching modules, specifically relating to a 16-port CPEX gigabit Ethernet switching module. Background Technology

[0002] Gigabit network switching modules are used to connect all network transceiver nodes in the system, providing a network switching channel for the system. Gigabit network switching modules are characterized by their versatility, miniaturization, and low power consumption. Summary of the Invention

[0003] (a) Technical problems to be solved This invention provides a 16-port CPEX gigabit network switching module to overcome the following shortcomings of previous industrial Ethernet switch modules: 1. It has limited versatility, mostly appearing in the form of switch boxes, and is difficult to embed into computer cases; 2. Most are two-layer switching modes, with simple functions and a single mode; 3. Black-box mode: When a network failure occurs in the system, the only solutions are to unplug and plug in the network cable and restart the switch.

[0004] (II) Technical Solution

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a 16-port CPEX Gigabit Ethernet switching module. The 16-port CPEX Gigabit Ethernet switching module is a Layer 3 Ethernet switching module, including a switching chip minimum system module, a PHY and transformer interface module, a microcontroller module, a power supply module, and a connector module. The minimum system module of the switching chip can provide 16 SGMII interfaces and 2 PHY management ports; the debugging ports of the minimum system module of the switching chip include a gigabit network port and an RS232 debugging port, which are used to burn Uboot, system files and applications; The connection ports between the PHY and transformer interface module and the minimum system of the switching chip include data communication ports and management ports. The data communication ports include 8 SGMII interfaces and 8 Gigabit Ethernet ports, and the management ports include 2 PHY management ports. The PHY and transformer interface module is connected to the CPEX connector of the connector module through 16 Gigabit Ethernet ports. The microcontroller module is connected to the minimum system of the switching chip via a UART interface. It is responsible for obtaining the firmware information of the switching module itself, the network port Link status, the network communication packet loss rate, and the module working time information. The microcontroller module also monitors the temperature, voltage, and current information of the switching module itself. Finally, it is aggregated to the external host computer module via the IIC bus and the CPEX connector. The power module is responsible for converting DC12V into the power required by other modules and supplying power. The power module is connected to the microcontroller module through the power-on enable signal and the power-on completion signal. The microcontroller module is responsible for controlling the power-on timing and reset timing of other modules. The connector module includes a CPEX connector, which connects to the PHY and transformer interface module and is responsible for bringing out 16 gigabit Ethernet ports. In addition, the CPEX connector connects to the IIC interface and RS232 interface of the microcontroller module, and to the RS232 debugging port of the minimum system module of the switching chip.

[0006] The present invention also provides a network switching method based on the aforementioned module.

[0007] (III) Beneficial Effects This invention provides a 16-port CPEX Gigabit Ethernet switching module, which has the following advantages: 1. It adopts a three-layer switching mode. Users can change the working mode of the switching module through the debugging interface, and can also monitor the status of each network port or change its configuration parameters online.

[0008] 2. The gigabit network signal is isolated by a transformer before being output to the CPEX connector, ensuring a stable and reliable hardware interface. The switching module itself is equipped with a microcontroller management module, enabling reliable management of the switching module's power-on and reset.

[0009] 3. The microcontroller module interacts with the minimum system module of the switching chip to obtain important parameters such as the status of each port, communication rate, and packet loss rate in real time. At the same time, it summarizes the voltage, current and temperature parameters of the switching module itself and reports them to the monitoring system to realize the online automatic monitoring function of the switching module.

[0010] 4. It adopts a standard 3U CPEX board, equipped with a cooling plate, locking strip and puller, which makes assembly simple and quick, reliable connection with the base plate, suitable for standard industrial 3U chassis, and has good interchangeability.

[0011] 5. Based on points 2 and 3, the microcontroller module can achieve more precise control over the power-on sequence of each module. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a system block diagram of the gigabit network switching module of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0013] To make the objectives, contents, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples.

[0014] refer to Figure 1The 16-port CPEX Gigabit Ethernet switching module of the present invention is a Layer 3 Ethernet switching module, which mainly includes a switching chip minimum system module, a PHY and transformer interface module, a microcontroller module, a power supply module, a connector module and a structural module.

[0015] The minimum system module for the switching chip includes circuits for clock, DDR, SPI FLASH, EEPROM, eMMC, debug Ethernet port, and debug serial port. It provides 16 SGMII interfaces and 2 PHY management ports. The debug ports include a Gigabit Ethernet port and an RS232 debug port, which can be used to program U-boot, system files, and application programs.

[0016] The PHY and transformer interface module mainly includes a PHY chip circuit and a network transformer circuit. The connection ports between the PHY and transformer interface module and the minimum system of the switching chip include data communication ports and management ports. The data communication ports include 8 SGMII interfaces and 8 Gigabit Ethernet ports, and the management ports include 2 PHY management ports. The PHY and transformer interface module connects to the CPEX connector of the connector module through 16 Gigabit Ethernet ports.

[0017] The microcontroller module mainly includes the microcontroller minimum system circuit and module information acquisition circuit. The microcontroller module connects to the switching chip minimum system via a UART interface, responsible for acquiring information such as the switching module's firmware information, network port link status, network communication packet loss rate, and module operating time. The microcontroller module also monitors the switching module's own temperature, voltage, and current, ultimately transmitting this information to the host computer module via the IIC bus and CPEX connector. Furthermore, the microcontroller module is also responsible for the power-on and reset timings of the entire switching module board.

[0018] The power module is responsible for converting DC12V into the power required by other modules and supplying power. The power module is connected to the microcontroller module through the power-on enable signal (RUN) and the power-on complete signal (PowerGood), and the microcontroller module is responsible for controlling the power-on sequence of other modules.

[0019] The connector module mainly includes the CPEX connector, which connects to the PHY and transformer interface module and is responsible for bringing out 16 gigabit network ports. In addition, the CPEX connector connects to the IIC interface and RS232 interface of the microcontroller module; and connects to the RS232 debugging port of the minimum system module of the switching chip.

[0020] The structural module mainly includes a cold plate, locking strips, and pull-out pullers. The components requiring heat dissipation in the switching module are primarily the switching chip minimum system module and the power supply module. Structural engineers will design boss structures based on the location of the heat dissipation components and the 3D model to ensure a proper fit between the switching chip minimum system module and the power supply module. The locking strips and pull-out pullers are standard parts, secured to the cold plate with screws, making installation convenient and quick.

[0021] 1. The specific implementation method of the minimum system module of the switching chip is as follows: The MAC chip for the 16-port CPEX gigabit network switch module is the Beijing Wuxin Technology KD5128. The DDR chip is the Shenzhen Guowei SM41J256M8M. The eMMC chip is the Shenzhen Guowei SMFC32GBMP. The SPI FLASH chip is the Shenzhen Guowei SM25QH256MX. The EEPROM chip is the Chengdu Huahui HWD24C256ESOP8. The reset chip is the Beijing Zhixinwei SCCK08706BTB. The debug port PHY chip is the Beijing Dongtu Technology KD3002.

[0022] The KD5128 configuration file is stored in EEPROM. Upon power-up, the reset timing is provided by the reset chip SCCK08706BTB. When the switching module powers on for the first time, the boot mode can be selected via the RSS32 serial port. When the boot mode is serial, the KD5128 loads U-Boot via RS232. After U-Boot boots, the user can load the system image and user application from the debug network port via serial terminal commands. During normal KD5128 boot, it first loads the configuration from the IIC interface, then loads the U-Boot file stored in the SPI FLASH via the SPI interface. The U-Boot program is responsible for loading the kernel file and application from the eMMC into the DDR for execution.

[0023] The KD5128 integrates eight Gigabit Ethernet PHYs, meaning Gigabit Ethernet ports 0-7 are directly coupled to the CPEX connector via a transformer. It also integrates eight SerDes PHYs, with SerDes ports 0-7 connecting to two service port PHY chips, and Gigabit Ethernet ports 8-16 connected to the CPEX connector via a transformer. Furthermore, the KD5128 can monitor the link status of all ports and network communication packet loss rate, and the statistical data is aggregated to the microcontroller module via the UART port.

[0024] 2. The specific implementation methods for the PHY and transformer interface modules are as follows: The service port PHY chip of the 16-port CPEX gigabit network switch module is Beijing Dongtu Technology KD3004. The network transformer is Liantaixing HST-24022SXCR.

[0025] The KD3004 chip integrates four 1000M Ethernet interface PHYs, which connect to the KD5128 via the SGMII interface. The KD5128 configures the KD3004 registers via the SMI bus. All 16 Gigabit Ethernet ports are isolated by an HST-24022SXCR transformer before being output to the connector module.

[0026] 3. The specific implementation method of the microcontroller module is as follows: According to one embodiment of the 16-port CPEX gigabit network switching module of the present invention, the coprocessor of the 16-port CPEX gigabit network switching module is SCM620L064MJA0 from Beijing Zhixin Microelectronics. The RS232 transceiver is LC3232E24B from the 47th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation. The temperature sensor is SCCK33117H6A from Beijing Zhixin Microelectronics. The EEPROM chip is HWD24C256ESOP8 from Chengdu Huahong Automation Technology Co., Ltd.

[0027] The switching module's own temperature monitoring is acquired by the SCCK33117H6A chip and connected to the SCM620L064MJA0 processor via the IIC interface. The switching module's input voltage, core operating temperature, and module input current are acquired through the SCM620L064MJA0 processor's AD port. The online duration statistics of the switching module ports are stored in the HWD24C256ESOP8 and are periodically updated by the SCM620L064MJA0 microcontroller to ensure data retention even after power loss. The KD5128 chip transmits the link / up status of each network port, network communication packet loss rate, firmware version information, etc., to the SCM620L064MJA0 microcontroller via the UART interface. All of this information is packaged by the SCM620L064MJA0 processor and uploaded to the host computer module via the IIC bus. Furthermore, the SCM620L064MJA0 microcontroller manages the power-on and reset timings of the entire board.

[0028] 4. The specific implementation method of the connector module is as follows: The CPEX connectors for the 16-port CPEX gigabit network switching module are AVIC Optoelectronic GFⅡ-1107-2011P, GFⅡ-1310-2111 and PH2CZ40FSC.

[0029] 5. The specific implementation method of the power supply module is as follows: The power supply module for the 16-port CPEX gigabit network switch module is the ZDF644YS ​​from Zhongdian Xinyuan. The ZD4644YS ​​can provide 4×4A current output and is mainly responsible for converting DC12V power to the power input required by each module. The power module enable signal (RUN) and power-on completion signal (PowerGood) are both connected to the microcontroller module, and the power-on sequence of the power module is managed by the microcontroller module.

[0030] The present invention provides a 16-port CPEX gigabit network switching module, the main innovations of which are as follows: 1. It adopts a three-layer switching mode. Users can change the working mode of the switching module through the debugging interface, and can also monitor the status of each network port or change its configuration parameters online.

[0031] 2. The gigabit network signal is isolated by a transformer before being output to the CPEX connector, ensuring a stable and reliable hardware interface. The switching module itself is equipped with a microcontroller management module, enabling reliable management of the switching module's power-on and reset.

[0032] 3. The microcontroller module interacts with the minimum system module of the switching chip to obtain important parameters such as the status of each port, communication rate, and packet loss rate in real time. At the same time, it summarizes the voltage, current and temperature parameters of the switching module itself and reports them to the monitoring system to realize the online automatic monitoring function of the switching module.

[0033] 4. It adopts a standard 3U CPEX board, equipped with a cooling plate, locking strip and puller, which makes assembly simple and quick, reliable connection with the base plate, suitable for standard industrial 3U chassis, and has good interchangeability.

[0034] 5. Based on points 2 and 3, the microcontroller module can achieve more refined control over the power-on sequence of each module. Conventional hardware power-on sequence management mainly involves two methods: one is to use the power-on completion signal of the previous stage power supply to drive the enable signal of the next stage power supply, connected in series. Once the first power supply starts powering on, subsequent power supplies will power on sequentially, the power-on process is uncontrollable, and the power-on sequence cannot be changed. The other method is through controller management, where the microcontroller module controls the power-on sequence and interval of each power supply through a program. For example, a recommended power-on sequence is: VCC3V3 powers on before VCC1V5, and VCC1V1 powers on last. If the first power-on sequence control method is used, VCC3V3 will power on immediately after the input power supply VCC12V is established, followed by VCC1V5 and then VCC1V1, with no control over the interval between power supply power-on and no adjustable order. However, with the second method, the microcontroller can control the power-on sequence and interval. This invention optimizes the second approach: Generally, the specific method for microcontrollers to manage power-on timing is to collect the power-on completion signals of each power supply through GPIO, and then determine when the next power supply should start based on the user program. However, in actual processing, after collecting the power-on completion signal of the previous power supply, there is usually a delay (milliseconds) before controlling the next power supply to start through GPIO. Although this approach is flexible, it has certain risks: at the initial moment of power-on, the stabilization time of each power supply is not fixed. The microcontroller can only collect the power-on completion signal of the previous power supply, not the signal of when the previous power supply stabilizes. It can only rely on experience to delay for a period of time before starting the next power supply.

[0035] In this invention, when the power module supplies power to the minimum system module of the switching chip, the microcontroller module uses ADC to confirm when the power supply is stable at the initial power-on moment before starting the next stage power supply. Specifically, at the initial power-on moment, the microcontroller module collects the VCC12V voltage, determines that it is stable, and then triggers the power conversion output of VCC3V3. When the microcontroller module detects that VCC3V3 has completed power-on and is stable, it triggers the power conversion of VCC1V5, and so on for the power conversion process of VCC1V1. After all the power supplies of the power module are powered on and stable, the microcontroller module outputs the system reset logic.

[0036] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A 16-port CPEX Gigabit Ethernet switching module, characterized by, The 16-port CPEX gigabit Ethernet exchange module is a three-layer Ethernet exchange module, comprising a switching chip minimum system module, a PHY and transformer interface module, a single-chip microcomputer module, a power module, and a connector module. The switching chip minimum system module can provide 16 SGMII interfaces and 2 PHY management ports externally; the debugging port of the switching chip minimum system module comprises a gigabit network port and an RS232 debugging port, and is used for burning Uboot, system files and application programs. The connection port between the PHY and transformer interface module and the switching chip minimum system comprises a data communication port and a management port; the data communication port comprises 8 SGMII interfaces and 8 gigabit network ports, and the management port comprises 2 PHY management ports. The PHY and transformer interface module is connected with the CPEX connector of the connector module through 16 gigabit network ports. The single-chip microcomputer module is connected with the switching chip minimum system through a UART interface, is responsible for obtaining firmware information of the exchange module itself, network port Link state, network communication packet loss rate and module working time length information, and simultaneously monitors temperature, voltage and current information of the exchange module itself, and finally collects the information to an external host computer module through an IIC bus via the CPEX connector. The power module is responsible for converting DC 12V into power required by other modules and supplying power. The power module is connected with the single-chip microcomputer module through a power-on enable signal and a power-on completion signal, and the single-chip microcomputer module is responsible for controlling power-on timing and reset timing of other modules. The connector module comprises a CPEX connector, the CPEX connector is connected with the PHY and transformer interface module, is responsible for leading out 16 gigabit network ports, and in addition, the CPEX connector is connected with an IIC interface and an RS232 interface of the single-chip microcomputer module, and is connected with an RS232 debugging port of the switching chip minimum system module.

2. The module of claim 1, wherein, The structure module is further comprised; the structure module comprises a cold plate, a locking strip and a puller, devices requiring heat dissipation in the exchange module comprise the switching chip minimum system module and the power module, and a boss structure is designed in the structure module according to positions and three-dimensional models of the heat dissipation devices to fit the switching chip minimum system module and the power module; the locking strip and the puller are fixed to the cold plate through screws.

3. The module of claim 1, wherein, The switching chip minimum system module comprises a clock, a DDR, a SPIFLASH, an EEPROM, an eMMC and a debugging network port.

4. The module of claim 3, wherein, The switching chip minimum system module adopts a KD5128 of Beijing Wuxin Technology, a SM41J256M8M of Shenzhen Guomi as a DDR chip, a SMFC32GBMP of Shenzhen Guomi as an eMMC chip, a SM25QH256MX of Shenzhen Guomi as a SPI FLASH chip, and a HWD24C256ESOP8 of Chengdu Huami as an EEPROM chip. The KD5128 configuration file is stored in an EEPROM, and at the initial power-on moment, a reset timing is provided by a reset chip SCCK08706BTB in the single-chip microcomputer module; when the switching module is powered on for the first time, a starting mode is selected through an RSS32 serial port; when the starting mode is a serial port, the KD5128 loads the UBOOT through the RS232; after the UBOOT is started, the system image and the user application program are loaded from the debugging network port through a serial terminal command; when the KD5128 is normally started, the configuration is first loaded from the IIC interface, and then the UBOOT file stored in the SPI FLASH is loaded through the SPI interface; the UBOOT program is responsible for loading the kernel file and the application program in the eMMC into the DDR for running.

5. The module of claim 4, wherein, The KD5128 integrates eight gigabit electrical port PHYs, that is, the gigabit network ports 0-7 signals are directly coupled to the CPEX connector through a transformer; the KD5128 integrates eight SerDes PHYs, that is, the SerDes 0-7 ports are connected to two PHY chip circuits, and the gigabit network ports 8-16 are coupled to the CPEX connector through a transformer; in addition, the KD5128 can monitor the Link state and the network communication packet loss rate of all ports, and the statistical data is aggregated to the single-chip microcomputer module through the UART port.

6. The module of claim 1, wherein, In the PHY and transformer interface module, the PHY chip circuit adopts the KD3004 of Beijing Dongtu Technology, and the network transformer circuit is the HST-24022SXCR of Liantaixing; The KD3004 integrates four 1000M Ethernet interface PHYs on a chip, the KD3004 is connected with the KD5128 through an SGMII interface; the KD5128 configures the KD3004 register through an SMI bus; the 16 gigabit network ports are all output to the connector module after being isolated through the HST-24022SXCR transformer.

7. The module of claim 1, wherein, The single-chip microcomputer module includes a single-chip microcomputer minimum system circuit and a module information acquisition circuit; according to an embodiment of the 16-port CPEX gigabit network switching module, the single-chip microcomputer minimum system circuit includes the processor SCM620L064MJA0 of Beijing Zhixinwei, and the module information acquisition circuit includes a temperature sensor, which is the SCCK33117H6A of Beijing Zhixinwei; The switching module itself temperature monitoring is acquired through the SCCK33117H6A chip, and is connected with the processor SCM620L064MJA0 through an IIC interface; the switching module input voltage and input current monitoring are acquired through the AD port of the processor SCM620L064MJA0; the port online duration statistical value of the switching module is stored in the HWD24C256ESOP8, and the online duration value is updated by the processor SCM620L064MJA0 at a fixed time; the KD5128 transmits the network port link / up state, the network communication packet loss rate and the firmware version information to the processor SCM620L064MJA0 through the UART interface.

8. The module of claim 1, wherein, The CPEX connector of the connector module is one of GFII-1107-2011P, GFII-1310-2111 and PH2CZ40FSC of China Aviation Optoelectronics.

9. The module of claim 1, wherein, When the power module supplies power to the minimum system module of the switching chip, the single-chip microcomputer module confirms when the power supply is stably output at the initial power-on moment through ADC collection, and then starts the next stage of power supply; wherein at the initial power-on moment, the single-chip microcomputer module collects the VCC12V voltage, determines the stable output, and then triggers the power conversion output of VCC3V3; when the single-chip microcomputer module collects that the power-on of VCC3V3 is completed and stable, the power conversion of VCC1V5 is triggered; and the power conversion process of VCC1V1 is similar; after all the power supplies of the power module are powered on and stable, the single-chip microcomputer module outputs the reset logic.

10. A network switching method based on the module according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images