Standby mode for use in a device having a multiple channel physical layer

A method for reducing power consumption in a first transceiver in communication with a remote transceiver and having a physical layer (PHY) with a multi-channel architecture, the method comprising:n(a) initiating standby mode of operation when a period during which the first transceiver has no data to transmit exceeds a value of a wait timer; and(b) if it is determined in step (a) that standby mode should be initiated,n(1) transmitting a standby code on a channel of the PHY to maintain a link between the first transceiver and the remote transceiver, and(2) powering down at least one circuit in the first transceiver.

A method for reducing power consumption in a first transceiver in communication with a remote transceiver and having a 1000BASE-T physical layer (PHY) with a multi-channel architecture, the method comprising:n(a) initiating standby mode of operation when a period during which the first transceiver has no data to transmit exceeds a value of a wait timer;(b) if it is determined in step (a) that standby mode should be initiated,n(1) transmitting a standby code on a channel of the PHY to maintain a link between the first transceiver and the remote transceiver, and(2) powering down at least one circuit in the first transceiver;(c) determining whether standby mode of operation should be discontinued; and(d) if it is determined in step (c) that standby mode should be discontinued,n(1) ending transmission of the standby code,(2) transmitting an IDLE code, and(3) powering up at least one circuit that was powered down.

A method for reducing power consumption in a first transceiver in communication with a remote transceiver and having a S800BASE-T physical layer (PHY) with a multi-channel architecture, the method comprising:n(a) initiating standby mode of operation when a period during which the first transceiver has no data to transmit exceeds a value of a wait timer;(b) if it is determined in step (a) that standby mode should be initiated,n(1) transmitting a standby code on a channel of the PHY to maintain a link between the first transceiver and the remote transceiver, and(2) powering down at least one circuit in the first transceiver;(c) determining whether standby mode of operation should be discontinued; and(d) if it is determined in step (c) that standby mode should be discontinued,n(1) ending transmission of the standby code,(2) transmitting an IDLE code, and(3) powering up at least one circuit that was powered down.

A method for reducing power consumption in a first transceiver in communication with a remote transceiver and having an Ethernet physical layer (PHY), the method comprising:n(a) initiating standby mode of operation when a period during which the first transceiver has no data to transmit exceeds a value of a wait timer;(b) if it is determined in step (a) that standby mode should be initiated,n(1) transmitting a standby code on a channel of the PHY to maintain a link between the first transceiver and the remote transceiver, and(2) powering down at least one circuit in the first transceiver;(c) determining whether standby mode of operation should be discontinued; and(d) if it is determined in step (c) that standby mode should be discontinued,n(1) ending transmission of the standby code,(2) transmitting an IDLE code, and(3) powering up at least one circuit that was powered down.

A method for reducing power consumption in a first transceiver in communication with a remote transceiver and having a physical layer (PHY) with three or more channels, the method comprising:n(a) initiating standby mode of operation when a period during which the first transceiver has no data to transmit exceeds a value of a wait timer;(b) if it is determined in step (a) that standby mode should be initiated,n(1) transmitting a standby code on a channel of the PHY to maintain a link between the first transceiver and the remote transceiver, and(2) powering down at least one circuit in the first transceiver;(c) determining whether standby mode of operation should be discontinued; and(d) if it is determined in step (c) that standby mode should be discontinued,n(1) ending transmission of the standby code,(2) transmitting an IDLE code, and(3) powering up at least one circuit that was powered down.

A system for reducing power consumption in a first transceiver during data communication with a remote transceiver and having a physical layer (PHY) with a multi-channel architecture, the system comprising:nmeans for initiating standby mode of operation when a period during which the first transceiver has no data to transmit exceeds a value of a wait timer;means for transmitting a standby code continuously on a channel of the PHY to maintain a logical link between the first transceiver and the remote transceiver, andmeans for powering down at least one circuit.

A first transceiver in communication with a remote transceiver for reducing power consumption during data communications, the first transceiver comprising:na physical layer (PHY), wherein the PHY includes:nan auto-negotiation sublayer;a physical coding sublayer (PCS);a physical medium attachment (PMA) sublayer, wherein the PMA layer includes:a PHY control including a standby mode module, wherein the standby mode module is configured to:ninitiate standby mode of operation when a period during which the first transceiver has no data to transmit exceeds a value of a wait timer,control standby mode operation, anddetermine whether standby mode of operation should be discontinued.