Deinterleaving 10G Virtual Channels in 40G Ethernet
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Solution Overview
Problem
In 40G Ethernet networks, there is no effective means to deinterleave 10G virtual channels into 5G subchannels and reassemble them without altering the signal specification or adding overhead, particularly due to latency skew between transmission and reception.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that deinterleave 10G virtual channels into two 5G lanes by alternating block order and reversing the deinterleaving process upon detecting alignment markers, ensuring proper alignment and reassembly at the receiver, and vice versa for interleaving at the transmitter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If 10G virtual channels are deinterleaved into 5G subchannels and reassembled, then MAC modules supporting only 5G can be used in 40G networks, but latency skew between transmission and reception lanes occurs due to buffering differences and medium electrical length variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by inserting alignment markers at predetermined positions in the deinterleaved 5G lanes before reassembly. These markers serve as reference points that enable the receiver to detect and compensate for latency skew, ensuring proper signal alignment despite the deinterleaving operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback through the alignment marker mechanism. The receiver detects the position of alignment markers in each lane, determines the skew amount, and uses this information to adjust the reassembly process, thereby compensating for latency differences and maintaining signal integrity.
2Device complexity
If alignment markers are spaced by an even number of blocks in standard interleaving, then the interleaving process is simple, but the marker appears in only one lane rather than regularly distributed across lanes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies inversion by reversing the traditional approach: instead of placing alignment markers at positions that result in single-lane appearance, it deliberately positions markers at intervals that cause them to appear in different lanes after deinterleaving. This is achieved by placing markers at block positions that, when deinterleaved according to the patent's method, distribute them evenly across the 5G lanes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the alignment marker distribution across multiple lanes by using a deinterleaving pattern that distributes markers from a single 10G lane into multiple 5G lanes. This segmentation allows markers to appear regularly in each lane, providing distributed reference points for skew compensation.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method are provided for deinterleaving differential inverse multiplexed (DIM) virtual channels in a 40G Ethernet receiver. The method accepts a 10.3125 gigabits per second (Gbps) (10G) Ethernet virtual channel with 64B/86B blocks, including periodic Lane Alignment Marker (LAM) blocks. The 10G virtual channel is deinterleaved into two 5.15625 Gbps (5G) virtual channels by: 1) deinterleaving consecutive blocks from the 10G virtual channel into the 5G virtual channels in an alternating order, and 2) reversing the order of deinterleaving in response to each detected LAM block. Then, the method supplies the 5G virtual channels (i.e. to a MAC module).