VITESSE
SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Advance Product Information
VSC7186
Features
• Four Complete Transceiver Functions in One IC
• Full Gigabit Ethernet (IEEE 802.3z) Compliance
• Pin-Compatible With Agilent HDMP-1686A
• 5-Volt Tolerant TTL Inputs
• Uses Reference Clock to Latch Tx Data
• 1/10
th
or 1/20
th
Baud Rate Recovered Clocks
• Common Local Loopback Control
Quad Transceiver
for Gigabit Ethernet
• Single Comma Detect Enable
• Cable Equalization in Receivers
• Automatic Lock-to-Reference
• JTAG Access Port
• 2kV ESD Protection on All Pins
• 3.3V Power Supply, 2.67 W Max Dissipation
• 208 pin, 23 mm BGA Packaging
General Description
The VSC7186 is a Quad Gigabit Ethernet Transceiver IC. Each of the four transmitters has a 10-bit wide
bus, running at 125 MHz, which accepts 8b/10b encoded transmit characters and serializes the data onto high
speed differential outputs at rates between 1.05 and 1.36 Gb/s. The transmit data must be synchronous to the
reference clock. Each receiver samples serial receive data, recovers the clock and data, deserializes it into 10-bit
receive characters, outputs a recovered clock and detects “Comma” characters. The VSC7186 contains on-chip
PLL circuitry for synthesis of the baud-rate transmit clock and extraction of the clocks from the received serial
streams.
VSC7186 Block Diagram (1 of 4 Channels)
RXi(0:9)
10
QD
Serial to
Q Parallel D
QD
0
Clock
Recovery
÷10
Unit
1
SI+
SI-
RCM
RCi1
RCi0
SYNi
SYNC
LOOP
Comma
Detect
SEL
÷10/
÷20
TXi(0:9)
10
DQ
Parallel
to Serial
DQ
SO+
SO-
RFC1
CAP0
CAP1
Clock
Multiply
Unit
x10
G52306-0, Rev. 2.0
3/27/00
VITESSE
SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
741 Calle Plano, Camarillo, CA 93012 • 805/388-3700 • FAX: 805/987-5896
Page
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VITESSE
SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Quad Transceiver
for Gigabit Ethernet
Advance Product Information
VSC7186
Functional Description
Notation
In this document, each of the four channels are identified as Channel 0, 1, 2 or 3. When discussing a signal
on any specific channel, the signal will have the Channel number embedded in the name, i.e. “T3(0:9)”. When
referring to the common behavior of a signal which is used on each of the four channels, the notation “i” is used.
Differential signals, i.e. SOi+ and SOi-, may be referred to as a single signal, i.e. SOi, by dropping reference to
the “+” and “-”.
Clock Synthesizer
The VSC7186 Clock Multiplier Unit (CMU) multiplies the reference frequency provided on the RFC1
input by 10 to achieve a baud rate clock between 1.05 and 1.36 GHz. The RFC1 input is TTL. The on-chip PLL
uses a single external 0.1uF capacitor, connected between CAP0 and CAP1, to control the Loop Filter. This
capacitor should be a multilayer ceramic dielectric, or better, with at least a 5V working voltage rating and a
good temperature coefficient, i.e., NPO is preferred but X7R may be acceptable. These capacitors are used to
minimize the impact of common mode noise on the Clock Multiplier Unit, especially power supply noise.
Higher value capacitors provide better robustness in systems. NPO is preferred because if an X7R capacitor is
used, the power supply noise sensitivity will vary with temperature.
For best noise immunity, the designer may use a three capacitor circuit with one differential capacitor
between CAP0 and CAP1, C1, a capacitor from CAP0 to ground, C2, and a capacitor from CAP1 to ground,
C3. Larger values are better but 0.1uF is adequate. However, if the designer cannot use a three capacitor circuit,
a single differential capacitor, C1, is adequate. These components should be isolated from noisy traces.
Figure 1: Loop Filter Capacitors (Best Circuit)
CAP0
C2
C1
C3
VSC7186
CAP1
C1=C2=C3= >0.1uF
MultiLayer Ceramic
Surface Mount
NPO (Prefered) or X7R
5V Working Voltage Rating
Serializer
The VSC7186 accepts TTL input data as four parallel 10 bit characters on the Ti(0:9) buses which are
latched into the input registers on the rising edge of RFC1. The 10-bit parallel transmission character will be
serialized and transmitted on the SOi+/- PECL differential outputs at the baud rate with bit Ti0 (bit a) transmit-
ted first. User data should be encoded using 8b/10b or an equivalent code. The mapping to 10b encoded bit
nomenclature and transmission order is illustrated below, along with the recognized comma pattern.
Page 2
VITESSE
SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
741 Calle Plano, Camarillo, CA 93012 • 805/388-3700 • FAX: 805/987-5896
G52306-0, Rev. 2.0
3/27/00
VITESSE
SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Advance Product Information
VSC7186
Table 1: Transmission Order and Mapping of a 10b Character
Quad Transceiver
for Gigabit Ethernet
Data Bit
10B Bit Position
Comma Character
T9
j
x
T8
h
x
T7
g
x
T6
f
1
T5
i
1
T4
e
1
T3
d
1
T2
c
1
T1
b
0
T0
a
0
Clock Recovery
The VSC7186 accepts differential high speed serial input from the selected source (either the PECL SIi+/-
pins or the internal SOi+/- data), extracts the clock and retimes the data. Equalizers are included in the receiver
to open the data eye and compensate for Intersymbol Interference (ISI) which may be present in the incoming
data. The serial bit stream should be encoded so as to provide DC balance and limited run length by an 8b/10b
encoding scheme. The digital Clock Recovery Unit (CRU) is completely monolithic and requires no external
components. For proper operation, the baud rate of the data stream to be recovered should be within +200 ppm
of ten times the REF frequency. For example, Gigabit Ethernet systems use 125 MHz oscillators with a +/-
100ppm accuracy resulting in +/-200 ppm between VSC7186 pairs.
Deserializer
The recovered serial bit stream is converted into a 10-bit parallel output character. The VSC7186 provides
complementary TTL recovered clocks, RCi0 and RCi1, at one-twentieth of the serial baud rate if RCM=LOW,
or a single clock at one-tenth the serial baud rate, on RCi1 only, if RCM=HIGH. The clocks are generated by
dividing down the high-speed recovered clock which is phase locked to the serial data. The serial data is
retimed, deserialized and output on Ri(0:9).
If serial input data is not present, or does not meet the required baud rate, the VSC7186 will continue to
produce a recovered clock so that downstream logic may continue to function. The RCi0/RCi1 output frequency
under these circumstances will differ from its expected frequency by no more than +1%.
Word Alignment
The VSC7186 provides 7-bit comma character recognition and data word alignment. Word synchronization
is enabled on all channels by asserting SYNC HIGH. When synchronization is enabled, the receiver examines
the recovered serial data for the presence of the “Comma” pattern. This pattern is “0011111XXX”, where the
leading zero corresponds to the first bit received. The comma sequence is not contained in any normal 8b/10b
coded data character or pair of adjacent characters. It occurs only within special characters, known as K28.1,
K28.5 and K28.7, which are defined for synchronization purposes. Improper comma alignment is defined as
any of the following conditions:
1) The comma is not aligned within the 10-bit transmission character such that Ri(0..6) = “0011111”.
2) The comma straddles the boundary between two 10-bit transmission characters.
3) The comma is properly aligned but occurs in the received character presented during the rising edge of
RCi0 rather than RCi1.
When an improperly aligned comma is encountered, the recovered clock is stretched, never slivered, so that
the comma character and recovered clocks are aligned properly to Ri(0:9). This results in proper character and
word alignment. When the parallel data alignment changes in response to a improperly aligned comma pattern,
G52306-0, Rev. 2.0
3/27/00
VITESSE
SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
741 Calle Plano, Camarillo, CA 93012 • 805/388-3700 • FAX: 805/987-5896
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VITESSE
SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Quad Transceiver
for Gigabit Ethernet
Advance Product Information
VSC7186
data which would have been presented on the parallel output port prior to the comma character, and possibly the
comma character itself, may be lost. Possible loss of the comma character is data dependent, according to the
relative change in alignment. Data subsequent to the comma character will always be output correctly and prop-
erly aligned.
On encountering a comma character, SYNi is driven HIGH. The SYNi pulse is presented simultaneously
with the comma character and has a duration equal to the data. The SYNi signal is timed such that it can be cap-
tured by the adjoining protocol logic on the rising edge of RCi1. Functional waveforms for synchronization are
given in Figure 1. The first K28.5 shows the case where the comma is detected, but it is misaligned so a change
in the output data alignment is required. Note that up to three characters prior to the comma character may be
corrupted by the realignment process. The second K28.5 shows the case when a comma is detected and no
phase adjustment is necessary. It illustrates the position of the SYNi pulse in relation to the comma character on
Ri(0:9).
Figure 2: Misaligned and Aligned K28.5 Characters
RC
i
0
(RCM LOW)
RC
i
1
RC
i
0
(RCM HIGH)
RC
i
1
SYN
i
RX
i
(0:9)
Data
Corrupt
Corrupt
Corrupt
K28.5
Data1
Data2
Data3
K28.5
Misaligned Comma: Stretched
Aligned Comma
Loopback Operation
Loopback operation is controlled by the LOOP line. When this line is HIGH, the outgoing high-speed
serial data on each of the four channels is internally looped back into that channel’s high-speed serial receiver
section. This provides for in-circuit testing capability independent of the transmission medium.
JTAG Access Port
A JTAG access port is provided to assist in board-level testing. Through this port most pins can be accessed
or controlled and all TTL outputs can be tri-stated. A full description of the JTAG functions on this device is
available in “VSC7186 JTAG Access Port Functionality”. Circuits designed exclusively for the HDMP-1686A
will automatically disable the JTAG port. The pinout table in this data sheet shows the proper connections for
either HDMP-1686A emulation or for JTAG functionality (in parentheses).
VITESSE
SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
741 Calle Plano, Camarillo, CA 93012 • 805/388-3700 • FAX: 805/987-5896
Page 4
G52306-0, Rev. 2.0
3/27/00
VITESSE
SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Advance Product Information
VSC7186
AC Characteristics
Figure 3: Transmit Timing Waveforms
Quad Transceiver
for Gigabit Ethernet
RFC1
T
1
T
2
TXi(0:9)
10 Bit Data
Data Valid
Data Valid
Data Valid
+/-SOi
T
LAT
S0
S1
S2
RFC1
Table 2: Transmitter AC Characteristics
Parameter
T
1
T
2
T
SDR
,T
SDF
T
LAT
Description
Ti(0:9) Setup time to the rising
edge of RFC1
Ti(0:9) hold time after the
rising edge of RFC1
Ti+/Ti- rise and fall time
Latency from rising edge of
RFC1 to Ti0 appearing on SO
bit 0i
Min
1.5
1.0
—
7bc +
0.66ns
Typ
—
—
—
—
Max
—
—
300
7bc +
1.46ns
Units
ns.
ns.
ps.
Note:
Conditions
Measured between the valid data
level of Ti(0:9) to the 1.4V point of
RFC1
20% to 80%, 75 Ohm load to Vdd/
2, Tested on a sample basis
bc = bit clocks
ns = nanoseconds
Transmitter Output Jitter
RJ
DJ
Random jitter (RMS)
Serial data output deterministic
jitter (pk-pk)
—
—
5
35
8
80
ps.
ps.
Measured at SO+/-, 1 sigma
deviation of 50% crossing pt
IEEE 802.3Z Clause 38.68, Tested
on a sample basis
G52306-0, Rev. 2.0
3/27/00
VITESSE
SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
741 Calle Plano, Camarillo, CA 93012 • 805/388-3700 • FAX: 805/987-5896
Page
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