Part 2: The Ethernet MAC

In digital design, designers prefer to design digitally. The physical layer transceiver (PHY) handles the non-digital parts of Ethernet communication, and exposes a digital interface to the rest of the system.

The component that bridges the gap between the PHY and everything else is the Ethernet MAC (Media Access Controller). The digital interface between the MAC and the PHY is the Reduced Media Independent Interface (RMII). The datasheet section of my local public library had a document for it: RMII Specification.

50 MHz

The Wizard of The Clock

        

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