Pico Communications E-14 - Manual (Page 10)

E‐14 Hardware Reference Manual www.picocomputing.com Pico Computing, Inc.
10
Tri‐Mode Ethernet Interface
The Pico E‐14 features the Marvell Alaska series 88E1111 tri‐mode Ethernet transceiver. On EP series
parts the MAC (Middle access controller) is implemented on the FPGA die. On LO series parts the MAC
must be implemented in firmware. Communication between the MAC and PHY takes place over an
industry standard MII/GMII interface.
The Ethernet transceiver features 10/100/1000 full/half duplex operation. It will automatically
configure the physical interface on the fly for crossover or straight through operation. The PHY can
even automatically correct for common wiring mistakes. The PHY has a built in Time Domain
Reflectometer that can diagnose cable problems and pinpoint their distance away from the
transceiver.
In contrast to the Pico E‐12, the Ethernet interface on the Pico E‐14 is magnetically isolated allowing
direct connections to an industry standard hub or switch.
The Marvell 88E1111 is the only chip on the Pico E‐14 that requires an NDA for access to the
datasheets. If you are interested in some of the advanced features not supported by the native driver,
contact Pico Computing for assistance in obtaining an NDA from Marvell. Users are warned not to
contact Marvell directly.
Ethernet Resources:
Marvell 88E1111 Webpage http://www.marvell.com/products/transceivers/singleport/88e1111.jsp