Abstract:

The KS8999 contains eight 10/100 physical layer transceiv ers, nine MAC (Media Access Control) units with an inte grated layer 2 switch. The device runs in two modes. The first mode is an eight port integrated switch and the second is as a nine port switch with the ninth port available through an MII (Media Independent Interface). Useful configurations include a stand alone eight port switch as well as a eight port switch with a routing element connected to the extra MII port. The additional port is also useful for a public network interfacing.The KS8999 is designed to reside in an unmanaged design not requiring processor intervention. This is achieved through I/O strapping or EEPROM programming at system reset time.On the media side, the KS8999 supports 10BaseT, 100BaseTX and 100BaseFX as specified by the IEEE 802.3 committee. Physical signal transmission and reception are enhanced through use of analog circuitry that makes the design more efficient and allows for lower power consumption and smaller ch