The Previous Chapter
The previous chapter provided a detailed description of the Link Layer. This included:
Link Layer functional overview.
Link state machine.
Detailed description of LRH.
QoS within the subnet: SL and VLs.
Detailed description of VL arbitration.
Link-Level Flow Control.
Packet CRCs.
Intro to the packet delimiters.
Packet receive state machine.
Data packet check.
Link packet (Flow Control packet) check.
Switch performs packet forwarding.
Overview of router port's Link Layer.
This Chapter
This chapter provides a detailed description of the Physical Layer and includes:
Module basics.
Port types.
Signal naming conventions.
Electrical signaling and copper cable.
Link Layer to Physical Layer interface.
Transmit logic functions.
Receiver logic functions.
Link training.
Physical Layer error handling.
Repeaters.
Performance counters.
This chapter concludes the part of the book that focuses on the Link and Physical Layers (i.e., Part 5).
The Next Chapter
The next chapter provides a detailed descripion of the Subnet Management Interface (SMI). It includes:
Purpose of the SMI (QP0).
The SMI on a CA and a router.
The SMI on switches.
Detailed switch handling of SMPs.
Detailed CA or router handling of SMPs.
SM accessing an attribute in its local device.
SM can reside in a switch.
SMI is a privileged resource.
SMI only communicates with other SMIs.
The port states in which SMPs can be sent and received.
SMPs never leave the subnet.
Setting up an HCA port's SMI.
How the SM sends a message and handles a response.
An SMP's source and destination.
The SMI and the Q_Key.
The SMI and partitions.
Additional reference material.