The 1000BASE-X physical coding sublayer (PCS) borrows heavily from the ANSI X3T11 fiber channel standard, using the same 8B/10B code set. The 802.3z Task Force adapted the fiber channel code to the simpler world of frame-based LANs by stripping it down to the bare essentials. Starting with a mature and well-understood code saved considerable time in the standards-writing process, and will save vendors time in the product development process. The PCS includes a function referred to as Auto Negotiation, which is a link startup and initialization procedure first used in the IEEE 802.3u standard for 100BASE-T. .
TechFest's Ethernet Technical Summary is a great Ethernet resource. The Summary is composed of links divided into five chapters so that you can go directly to the subject that interests you. It also contains an Ethernet Glossary. Chapter one would be a good launching point for a student. It explains that Ethernet is Ethernet is the most widely used local area network (LAN) technology. The original and most popular version of Ethernet supports a data transmission rate of 10 Mb/s. Newer versions of Ethernet called "Fast Ethernet" and "Gigabit Ethernet" support data rates of 100 Mb/s and 1 Gb/s (1000 Mb/s). An Ethernet LAN may use coaxial cable, special grades of twisted pair wiring, or fiber optic cable. "Bus" and "Star" wiring configurations are supported. Ethernet devices compete for access to the network using a protocol called Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD). Chapter one goes on to talk about Ethernet's history and the Ethernet standards. Other chapters cover topics such as Ethernet frame structure, media access control, physical layer specifications, and cabling and connectors.
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