Abstract: Methods and apparatus for selectively routing traffic from a port in a switch for use in a chassis-based server are provided. The switch may include a flexible physical layer component, allowing traffic from a channel (e.g., an Ethernet channel) to be routed to a connector on a front panel of the switch or to switch cross-connect routing in a backplane of the server system. The routing may be selectable by a user, for example, under software control, allowing flexibility to the user to select the routing that best fits an application, while conserving resources by not requiring a dedicated channel for each routing data path.

Abstract: A multiple segment network device configured for a stacked arrangement via a common backplane. The device is a repeater that includes a first repeater segment, a second repeater segment and a switch device disposed between the first and second repeater segments that enables communication therebetween within a single logical network domain. The device further includes a backplane connector coupled to the second repeater segment to enable extension of the second repeater segment to a common backplane with external devices while maintaining a single repeater domain. The first repeater segment operates at a first transmission rate and the second repeater segment operates at a second transmission rate. The switch device may be a learning bridge that filters information between the first and second repeater segments. The common backplane enables two or more repeaters to be coupled within the same logical network domain or LAN.

Abstract: An adaptive interface controller including a plurality of MII ports operable at either one of the first and second transmission rates, a corresponding plurality of Manchester ports operable at the first transmission rate and an MII interface operable at the second transmission rate. The adaptive interface controller includes first select logic that provides data from an active one of the MII ports for one of the Manchester ports or to the MII interface depending upon the transmission rate. Manchester encoding logic is provided to receive data from the first select logic for an active port, to convert the data to Manchester format and to provide the encoded data to a corresponding one of the Manchester ports. Second select logic provides data transmitted to the MII interface for a selected one of the MII ports. Manchester decoding logic detects Manchester encoded data transmitted to any of the Manchester ports and converts the encoded data a serial to bit stream.