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RE: [EFM] Interesting headline / copper / ITU-T specs




Vladimir

There are many 'meanings' in my message here ;-). My main interest is 1GE
optical, so I have no axe to grind as a vendor here. I sat in the copper
track because I wanted so learn what was going on there. My votes in the
optics and EPON tracks were not going to matter, and OAM was not having a
break-out.

One of the meanings is that I am sympathetic to Ethernet to copper modem
implementations based on ITU-T PHYs, but I don't think that they need to be
totally standardised within 802 and branded as EFM in order to succeed in
the market. The reference case for this would be a router with a 10M
Ethernet interface on one side and an ITU or ANSI circuit interface on the
WAN side, say T1 or E1 historically. Such products succeeded in the market
without all of the functionality being totally standardised within 802. I
see the same being true for lower cost copper based circuit interfaces that
are standardised in other bodies. These 'new' systems are just cheaper
versions (by reason of being more integrated) of the routers of the early
1990s that can run over some other coding scheme rather than T1 / E1.
Cannibalising the T1 market for data is now less of an issue to the SPs,
because the business T1 market now needs to move to higher data rates.

Another is that I am sympathetic to the Ethernet 'old guard', and like
'them' I do not want to see a data rate of less than 10M branded as
'Ethernet', just for the marketing benefit. I am also sympathetic to the
needs of the SPs for reach, and to Geoff Thompson and his respect for the
laws of physics. I would like to see a new PHY defined that can do 10M to
22k feet so that all system vendors at least can start a next generation of
product from a 'level commercial playing field'. That's the only way I see a
greater than 75% vote coming out of the copper PHY / coding track. Enhanced
/ bonded PHYs based on ITU-T specs is one way of addressing the issue.
Personally I would like to see EFM take advantage of some of the newer
coding schemes that are rumoured to be working in the university research
labs at this time. That is why I think Scott was on the right track to
request chip vendors to bring forth the results of their research projects
in July.

I don't think there is any chance of EFM getting 75% for a current copper
coding scheme, so I don't think it matters if it takes longer to go through
the process for a brand new coding scheme. I think a new coding scheme will
stand more chance of being accepted in EFM if it is not already part of the
work of another standards body.

Best regards

Bob





-----Original Message-----
From: owner-stds-802-3-efm@majordomo.ieee.org
[mailto:owner-stds-802-3-efm@majordomo.ieee.org]On Behalf Of Vladimir
Oksman
Sent: 23 May 2002 21:09
To: bob.barrett@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: stds-802-3-efm@ieee.org
Subject: Re: [EFM] Interesting headline



Bob,

      does it mean you have a sympathy to the idea of EFM based on standard
ITU-T PHYs? This is what I concluded from your message.

Vladimir

Bob Barrett wrote:

> Those that remained in Edinburgh until the bitter end of the interim at
> seven PM Wednesday, would have woken to see the headline on the business
> section of The Scotsman on Thursday morning reporting:
>
> EFM future in doubt .....
>
> The EFM in this instance is the Edinburgh Fund Managers. If I was at home
I
> would scan the headline and post it on my web site, not post it as a zip
> file :^). I'll bring it to the July meeting.
>
> However, given the deadlock in the copper track these may be prophetic
> words.
>
> It all comes down to rate and reach. So to cut to the chase what is
required
> is a copper PHY and coding scheme that can support 10Mbit/s and a reach of
> 22k feet, and preferably a new specification, so that no major
manufacturer,
> industry body or other standards body has an axe to grind.
>
> So I guess I am supporting Scott's call for the chip vendors to bring
their
> finest forward at the July meeting.
>
> There are plenty of Ethernet over copper products out there today based on
> existing non-IEEE PHYs that work at sub-rates with long reach. There is
> little point in trying to shoe-horn one of these into EFM. The fighting is
> all about not letting the other camp win, because we all know that none
will
> get 75% unless everybody bar one camp quits, and that will not happen. So
> can we let them go as first generation, or whatever, and get on with the
> next generation please?
>
> These products can already be labelled Ethernet as they have a conformant
> Ethernet port, so the marketing argument doesn't fly, and I don't buy the
> 'buy it at Frys' argument either. I have never seen a Fry's outside of
> California ;-). Seriously, the copper to your home and your service
provider
> will define what type of product you can use. The nearest that we will get
> to an open market is the SP providing a list of products that will work on
> the end of their copper.
>
> Best regards
>
> Bob