Patent ID: 7539887

Claim:
A method for saving electrical power for a physical layer (PHY) device including a plurality of sub-circuits, comprising the steps of: outputting a plurality of link pulses; asserting a plurality of disabling signals between two adjacent ones of said link pulses for disabling said sub-circuits, respectively; and deasserting said disabling signals for enabling said sub-circuits, respectively, wherein said disabling signals are asserted separately for disabling said sub-circuits at different time points, and an earliest one of said asserted disabling signals is not deasserted before a last one of said disabling signals is asserted, wherein said earliest one of said disabling signals is not asserted until a first guard period following a first of said two adjacent link pulses is up, and wherein said last one of said disabling signals is deasserted prior to a second guard period ahead of a second of said two adjacent link pulses.