Input/Output Interfaces

5.8Network Interface Controller

These systems provide 10/100/1000 Mbps network support through an Intel 82579LM GbE network interface controller (NIC), a PHY component, and a RJ-45 jack with integral status LEDs (Figure 5-10). The support firmware is contained in the system (BIOS) ROM. The NIC can operate in half- or full-duplex modes, and provides auto-negotiation of both mode and speed. Half-duplex operation features an Intel-proprietary collision reduction mechanism while full-duplex operation follows the IEEE 802.3x flow control specification.

 

 

 

 

 

Activity (green) LED RJ-45

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Connector

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Intel

Tx/Rx Data

 

 

 

Tx/Rx Data

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

82579LM GbE

 

 

 

LAN I/F

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NIC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speed (yellow/green) LED

Figure 5-10. Network Interface Controller Block Diagram

Table 5-10. LAN LED Indications

Function

Activity LED

Speed LED

 

 

 

10 MB link

Green (steady)

Off

 

 

 

100 MB link

Green (steady)

Yellow (steady)

 

 

 

1000 MB link

Green (steady)

Green (steady)

 

 

 

10 MB data transfer

Green (blinking)

Off

 

 

 

100 MB data transfer

Green (blinking)

Yellow (steady)

 

 

 

1000 MB data transfer

Green (blinking

Green (steady)

 

 

 

The NIC includes the following features:

■VLAN tagging with Windows XP and Linux

■Multiple VLAN support with Windows XP (and later)

■Power management support for ACPI 1.1, PXE 2.0, WOL, ASF 1.0, and IPMI

■Adapter teaming including support for Cisco Etherchannel and open standard IEEE802.3ad

■Speed and Activity LED indicator drivers

The controller features high and low priority queues and provides priority-packet processing for networks that can support that feature. The controller's micro-machine processes transmit and receive frames independently and concurrently. Receive runt (under-sized) frames are not passed on as faulty data but discarded by the controller, which also directly handles such errors as collision detection or data under-run.

5-14

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Technical Reference Guide