Patent ID: 8595583

Claim:
A physical layer device for the transmission of data over a twisted pair copper cable, comprising: a media access control layer interface that supports a first data transmission rate of greater than 10 Gbit/s; a first forward error correction coder that supports the generation of forward error correction code blocks for transmission at said first data transmission rate over said twisted pair copper cable; a second forward error correction coder that supports the generation of forward error correction code blocks for transmission at a second data transmission rate of 10 Gbit/s over said twisted pair copper cable; a medium interface that supports transmission over said twisted pair copper cable; and an autonegotiation sublayer that is configured to facilitate a selection of one of a plurality of operating modes that has a negotiated transmission rate selected from a plurality of transmission rates that includes said first data transmission rate and said second data transmission rate, wherein said selection of said one of said plurality of operating modes is based on an analysis of discovered communication characteristics that enables identification of a type of twisted pair copper cable and/or a length of said twisted pair copper cable, wherein one of said plurality of operating modes is a short reach mode of communication that enables said first transmission rate for a twisted pair copper cable of a first type and having a first cable length less than 100 meters, and a second of said plurality of operating modes enables said second transmission rate for a twisted pair copper cable of said first type and a second cable length of up to 100 meters.