
2-16
Functional Description
function, which, upon timeout, allows the MAC transmit function to
restart. The Gigabit MAC Flow Control module also implements a control
input signal that allows the receiver to ignore and drop pause frames.
This control function is required because the use of the pause function
is network topology dependent. A network interface card (NIC) is
required to act on pause frames, while a switch may ignore them except
for switch-to-switch links.
The host controls transmission of IEEE 802.3 pause ow control frames.
The host assembles and formats the frames, including the calculation
and insertion of the pause time value in units of slot time. Once
assembled, the pause frames are transmitted by means of the host
transmit function interface similar to any normal host data frame. The
host may assert the MTX_HIGH_PRIORITY input signal to expedite
timely transmission of pause ow control frames. Alternatively, the MAC
can assemble and send ow control frames through transmit ow control
operation.
The high priority (MTX_HIGH_PRIORITY) input signal, when asserted,
instructs the MAC transmit function to transmit the requested frame
regardless of the pause state of the transmit function. The
MTX_HIGH_PRIORITY input signal is sampled during the CLK125 clock
cycle when the MTX_SOP input signal is asserted. The
MTX_HIGH_PRIORITY input signal is synchronous with the rising edge
of the CLK125 output signal.
When the receive enable pause (FLCTRL_CFG[1]) input signal is
asserted, the Gigabit MAC’s IEEE 802.3 receive ow control scheme is
enabled. When the ow control block receives a properly formatted
pause control frame from the MAC’s receive function, the pause timer is
started and frame transmission pauses. The transmit function remains in
the pause state until the pause timer expires, at which time normal frame
transmission resumes. When the Accept Control Frames
(ACCEPT_CONTROL) input signal is asserted, MAC passes all received
IEEE 802.3 ow control pause frames to the host by means of the host
receive function interface. When the ACCEPT_CONTROL signal is
deasserted, the MAC asserts the REJECT bit (RXSV36) in the receive
status to lter all IEEE 802.3 ow control pause frames that are received
at the receive function interface. The MAC also provides the DA_MATCH
signal along with the status to indicate that the received pause control
frame has a destination address match for the unicast or reserved
multicast address for the pause frames.