Gigabit Ethernet

An Ethernet standard that transmits at 1 gigabit per second. Gigabit Ethernet (GbE, GE) connects PCs and servers in local networks and is commonly employed along with a mix of 10/100 Mbps devices. For example, a 10/100/1000 switch supports all three rates and adjusts to the highest speed between sender and receiver. All new computers and most network devices support Gigabit Ethernet.

GbE transmits full duplex from point to point using Ethernet switches and half duplex in a shared Ethernet hub environment (see CSMA/CD).

IEEE 1000Base-T (802.3ab)
The 1997 standard (IEEE 802.3z) required multimode fiber or shielded copper cables, but two years later, 1000Base-T enabled GbE to run on ordinary Cat 5 copper and be readily used in existing networks. Four wire pairs each transmit 250 Mbps in both directions.

TIA 1000Base-TX
A competing standard created by the TIA that never caught on used simpler electronics but required Cat 6 cabling. However, 1000Base-T is often erroneously labeled 1000Base-TX. See Ethernet and 10 Gigabit Ethernet.

COPPER CABLEEncoding   Cable  RangeStandard     Method     Type  (meters)1000Base-T802.3ab      4D-PAM5  Cat5-UTP  100

   1000Base-TXTIA/EIA-854  4D-PAM5  Cat6-UTP  100

   1000Base-CX802.3z       8B/10B   Cat1-STP   25


   OPTICAL CABLE (8B/10B Encoding)Fiber            ModalDiameter       Bandwidth   Range(microns)      (MHz-km)   (meters)1000Base-SX 802.3z
   62.5 multimode   160        220
   62.5 multimode   200        275
   50 multimode     400        500
   50 multimode     500        550

   1000Base-LX802.3z
   62.5 multimode   500        550
   50 multimode     400        500
   50 multimode     500        550
    9 singlemode    ---       5000

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References in periodicals archive

"While we are still very early in the migration towards 10 GE for server connectivity, we believe that we will see 10 Gigabit Ethernet as a catalyst for growth in the Ethernet Switch market," stated Weckel.

On the Fast Track

The Enable-IT 828 Gigabit Ethernet Extender standalone unit can be purchased at www.EthernetExtender.com.

World's First PoE-Enabled Gigabit Ethernet Extender Now Shipping

"Of all the available solutions in the market, we found National's Gigabit Ethernet PHY to best meet our product requirements," said Nirmal Saxena, chief technical officer of Alliance Semiconductor.

NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR LICENSES PHY CORE TO ALLIANCE

The theoretical maximum throughput for Gigabit Ethernet is 125 megabytes per second, equivalent to transferring an entire compact disc in less than six seconds.

Year of the gigabit

"As the leading provider of Gigabit Ethernet solutions, we have worked closely with AMD to enable high-performance, low-cost server and workstation solutions," said Thomas Lagatta, vice president and general manager of Broadcom's Client Server Networking Business Unit.

BROADCOM INTRODUCES NETXTREME GBE SOFTWARE DRIVERS

Wide acceptance of the Ethernet protocol and its adaptability, coupled with today's requirement for gigabit speeds, is driving deployment of Gigabit Ethernet. CTS CB3 clocks are precision oscillators that both synchronize the flow of data in network control devices, and deliver the economical performance that OEM's in the datacom market need for products serving Gigabit Ethernet applications.

CTS ADDS ETHERNET CLOCK OSCILLATORS TO CB3 FAMILY

Each of FiberCity's customers is provided with an unprecedented 1 billion bits-per-second gigabit Ethernet connection -- the equivalent of 65.0 T-1 digital phone lines.

FiberCity delivers ethernet services to 20% of 1251 Avenue of the Americas

is a fabless semiconductor company focused on cost effective 10Gb Ethernet Network Traffic Accelerators, which enable volume adoption of 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE).

TEHUTI DEPLOYS NBASE-TTM ADAPTER REFERENCE DESIGN

It currently can be equipped with 256 10-Gigabit Ethernet ports or 1,536 Gigabit Ethernet ports, all operating at line speed, he said.

Brocade readying 100G Ethernet for data centers