FDDI

Welcome to the FDDI Tutorial!

This tutorial has been written by the FDDI Consortium of the InterOperability Lab at the
University of New Hampshire. The purpose of this tutorial is to provide basic information about FDDI,
a networking protocol used in Local Area Networks (LAN’s) .
FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface) has found its niche as a reliable, high-speed backbone
for mission critical and high traffic networks. It can transport data at a rate of 100 megabits per second,
and can support up to 500 stations on a single network. FDDI was designed to run through fiber cables,
transmitting light pulses to convey information back and forth between stations, but it can also run on
copper using electrical signals.
FDDI maintains a high reliability because FDDI networks consist of two counter-rotating rings.
These rings work to back each other up, so should something go wrong on the network, an alternate way
to get the data can be found. FDDI is also considered reliable because it has mechanisms to fix its own
problems.
 Basic Ring

Primary Ring
Secondary Ring

A B

B A
A B

B A
 Dual Attached Station:
Primary Ring
Secondary Ring

MAC
A MAC
B
 Wrapped Ring
Primary Ring
Secondary Ring

A B

B A
A B

B A
Dual Attached Station - Wrapped_A

Primary Ring
Secondary Ring

MAC
A MAC
B
 Dual Attached Station - Wrapped_B

Primary Ring
Secondary Ring

MAC

A MAC
B
 FDDI Basics:
FDDI uses a dual ring topology, which is to say that it is comprised of two counter-rotating rings.
A dual-attached rooted station on the network is attached to both of these rings.
A dual-attached station on the ring has at least two ports - an A port, where the primary ring
comes in and the secondary ring goes out, and a B port where the secondary ring comes in, and the
primary goes out. A station may also have a number of M ports, which are attachments for single-
attached stations. Stations with at least one M port are called concentrators.
The sequence in which stations gain access to the medium is predetermined. A station generates
a special signaling sequence called a Token that controls the right to transmit. This Token is continually
passed around the network from one node to the next. When a station has something to send, it captures
the Token, sends the information in well formatted FDDI frames, then releases the token. The header of
these frames includes the address of the station(s) that will copy the frame. All nodes read the frame as it
is passed around the ring to determine if they are the recipient of the frame. If they are, they extract the
data, retransmitting the frame to the next station on the ring. When the frame returns to the originating
station, the originating station strips the frame. The token-access control scheme thus allows all stations
to share the network bandwidth in an orderly and efficient manner.
 Single Attached Station:

Primary or Secondary Ring

MAC
 Dual Attached Concentrator
Primary Ring
Secondary Ring

A MAC
B

M M M M

To other stations
 FDDI DEFINITIONS

attachment: The capability of a station or concentrator for connection into an FDDI network. Stations
and concentrators are classified as dual attachment, single attachment or null attachment.

bypass: The ability of a node to optically isolate itself from the FDDI network while maintaining the
continuity of the cable plant.

concentrator: An FDDI node that has additional Ports beyond those required for its own attachemnt to an
FDDI network. These additional ports (type M) are for attaching other FDDI nodes (including other
concentrators) in a tree topology.

counter-rotation: An arrangement whereby two signal paths, one in each direction, exist in a ring
topology.

Dual Attachment Concentrator (DAC): A concentrator that offers a dual attachement to the FDDI
network and is capable of accommodating a dual (counter-rotating) ring.

Dual Attachment Station (DAS): A station that offers a dual attachment to the FDDI network and is
capable of accomodating a dual (counter-rotating) ring.

dual ring (FDDI dual ring): A pair of counter-rotating logical rings.

entity: An active service or management element within an Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) layer or
sublayer.

fibre optic cable: A cable containing one or more optical fibers.

logical ring: The set of MACs serially connected to form a single ring. A fault-free FDDI network
provides two logical rings.

Media Interface Connector (MIC): A mated connector pair that provides an attachment between an
FDDI node and a fibre optic cable plant. The MIC consists of two parts: A MIC plug and a MIC
receptacle.
MIC plug: The male part of the MIC which terminates a fibre optic cable.

MIC receptacle: The female part of the MIC which is contained in an FDDI node.

network (FDDI network): A collection of FDDI nodes interconnected to form a trunk, or a tree or a
trunk with multiple trees. This topology is sometimes called a dual ring of trees.

node: A generic term applying to an active element in a FDDI network (station or concentrator).

Null Attachment Concentrator (NAC): A concentrator that does not contain an A, B, or S Port.

Physical Connection: The full-duplex physical layer association between adjacent PHY entites (in
adjacent nodes) in an FDDI network, i.e. a pair of Physical Links.

Physical Link: The simplex path (via PMD and attached medium) from the transmit function of one
PHY entity to the receive function of an adjacent PHY entity (in adjacent nodes) in an FDDI network.

Port: A PHY entity and a PMD entity in a node, together creating a PHY/PMD pair, that may connect to
the fibre media and provide one end of a physical connection with another node.

primitive: An element of the sevices provided by one enitity to another.

receiver (optical): An opto-electronic circuit that converts an optical signal to an electrical local signal.

repeater: A physical-layer relay in an FDDI network.

ring: A set of nodes wherein information is passed sequentially between nodes, each node in turn
examining or copying the information, finally returning it to the originating node.

rooted node: A node that does not have any active A, B, or S Ports in tree mode.

services: The services provided by one entity to another. Data services are provided to a higher layer
entity: management sevices are provided to a management entity in the same or another layer.
Single Attachment Concentrator (SAC): A concentrator that offers a single attachment to the FDDI
network.

Single Attachment Station (SAS): A station that offers a single attachment to the FDDI network.

station: An addressable node on an FDDI network capable of transmitting, repeating, and receiving
information. A station has exactly one SMT, at least one MAC, at least one PHY, and at least one PMD.

symbol: The smallest signalling element used by the Data Link Layer (DLL). The symbol set consists
of 16 data symbols and 8 control symbols.

transmitter (optical): An optic electronic circuit that converts an electrical logic signal to an optical
signal.

trunk: A physical loop topology, either open or closed, employing two optical fibre signal paths, one in
each direction (e.g. counter-rotating), forming a sequence of peer connections between FDDI nodes.
When the trunk forms a closed loop it is sometimes called a trunk ring.

tree: A physical topology consisting of a hierarch of master-slave connections between a concentrator

and other FDDI nodes (including subordinate concentrators).
 Bit Transmission

FDDI uses light pulses to transmit information from one station to the next station. The smallest unit
of information that FDDI (or networks in general) deal with is the bit. Before you can do any higher
level activities, you have to be able to send a bit across a fiber (or wire) and have the other side
recognize the bit for what it is.

A bit can have one of two values. It is either a zero or a one. In FDDI, this is expressed by the change
of state of the light on the other side. Approximately every 8 nanoseconds, the station will take a sample
of the light coming from the other machine. The light will either be on or off. If it has changed since
the last sample, that translates into a bit of one. If the light has not changed since last sample, the bit is a
zero.

Time --> 8 nanoseconds

On

Off

Bits- 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0
Thus each time that there is a transition in light (from off to on or on to off), it is translated as a one. If
there is not, it is translated as a zero.
 Symbol Encoding
FDDI communicates all of its information using symbols. Symbols are 5 bit sequences that,
when taken with another symbol, is one byte.
This five bit encoding provides 16 data symbols (0-F), 8 control symbols (Q, H, I, J, K, T, R, S),
and 8 violation symbols (V). The coding of these symbols is done such that in normal situations, you
will not ever have 4 consecutive zeros in a row. This is necessary to ensure that each station’s clock is
in sync with the others (in FDDI each station has its own clock). The violation symbols (V) are the
symbols which may allow the reception of 4 or more zero bits in a row. They are not used by FDDI.

DATA SYMBOLS bit stream

0 (binary 0000) 11110
1 (binary 0001) 01001
2 (binary 0011) 10100
3 (binary 0101) 10101
4 (binary 0100) 01010
5 (binary 0101) 01011
6 (binary 0110) 01110
7 (binary 0111) 01111
8 (binary 1000) 10010
9 (binary 1001) 10011
A (binary 1010) 10110
B (binary 1011) 10111
C (binary 1100) 11010
D (binary 1101) 11011
E (binary 1110) 11100
F (binary 1111) 11101
CONTROL SYMBOLS
Q 00000
H 00100 (some V symbols may also be taken as H)
I 11111
J 11000
K 10001
T 01101
R 00111
S 11001
VIOLATION SYMBOLS
V or H 00001
V or H 00010
V 00011
V 00101
V 00110
V or H 01000
V 01100
V or H 10000
 Token Format
2+ bytes 1 byte 1 byte 1 byte

PA SD FC ED

PA --- Preamble: 4 or more symbols of Idle.

SD --- Starting Delimiter: The symbols ’J’ and ’K’.
FC --- Frame Control: 2 symbols describing what type the token is.
ED --- Ending Delimiter: two ’T’ symbols.

2+ bytes 1 byte 1 byte 1 byte

PA SD FC ED

PA
Preamble

Token Detail: PA
From ANSI X3.139-1987 Section 4.2.1

The preamble is transmitted by the Token originator as a minimum of 16 symbols of Idle.

Physical Layers of subsequent repeating stations may change the length of the Idle pattern consistent
with Physical Layer clocking requirements. Thus, repeating stations may see a variable length preamble
that is shorter or longer than the originally transmitted preamble. Tokens shall be recognized and acted
upon when received with a preamble of zero or greater length, independent of previously established
symbol boundaries. If a valid token is received but cannot be repeated (owing to ring timing or latency
constraints), the station shall issue a new token.
 2+ bytes 1 byte 1 byte 1 byte

PA SD FC ED

SD
Starting Delimiter

Token Detail: SD
The Starting Delimiter of a token is an indicator of the start of the token. It consists of the
symbols ’J’ and ’K’ and these symbols will not be seen anywhere else but at the start of a frame or
token.
 2+ bytes 1 byte 1 byte 1 byte

PA SD FC ED

FC
Frame Control

Token Detail: FC
The frame control tells what kind of token it is. A frame control of (hex) 80 is a Nonrestricted
Token, while a frame control of (hex) C0 is a Restricted Token.
 2+ bytes 1 byte 1 byte 1 byte

PA SD FC ED

ED
Ending Delimiter

Token Detail: ED
The Ending Delimiter consists of two ’T’ symbols. These ’T’ symbols indicate that the token is
complete. Any data sequence that does not end with these ’T’ symbols is not a considered a token.
 MAC header
2+ bytes 1 byte 1 byte 6 bytes 6 bytes N bytes 4 bytes 1 symbol 3 symbols

PA SD FC DA SA INFO FCS ED FS
FCS Coverage

Frame Format
PA --- Preamble: 4 or more symbols of Idle.
SD --- Starting Delimiter: The symbols ’J’ and ’K’.
FC --- Frame Control: 2 symbols describing what the INFO field will be.
DA --- Destination Address: 12 symbols indicating who the recipient of the frame will be.
SA --- Source Address: 12 symbols indicating who sourced the frame.
INFO --- Information Field: 0 to 4478 bytes of information.
FCS --- Frame Check Sequence: 8 symbols of Cyclic Redundancy Check.
ED --- Ending Delimiter: a ’T’ symbol.
FS --- End of Frame Sequence: 3 indicator symbols.
 MAC header
2+ bytes 1 byte 1 byte 6 bytes 6 bytes N bytes 4 bytes 1 symbol 3 symbols

PA SD FC DA SA INFO FCS ED FS

PA
Preamble

Frame Detail: PA
From ANSI X3.139-1987 Section 4.3.1

Preamble (PA). The PA of a frame shall be transmitted by the frame originator as a minimum of
16 symbols of Idle. Physical Layers of subsequent repeating stations may change the length of the Idle
pattern consistent with Physical Layer clocking requirements. Thus, repeating stations may see a
variable length preamble that is shorter or longer than the originally transmitted preamble. A given
MAC implementation is not required to be capable of copying frames received with less than 12
symbols of preamble; however if it cannot correctly repeat such a frame, then it shall not repeat any part
of the frame (including the starting delimiter).
 MAC header
2+ bytes 1 byte 1 byte 6 bytes 6 bytes N bytes 4 bytes 1 symbol 3 symbols

PA SD FC DA SA INFO FCS ED FS

SD
Starting Delimiter

Frame Detail: SD
The Starting Delimiter of a frame is an indicator of the start of the frame. It consists of the
symbols ’J’ and ’K’ and these symbols will not be seen anywhere else but at the start of a frame or a
token.
 MAC header
2+ bytes 1 byte 1 byte 6 bytes 6 bytes N bytes 4 bytes 1 symbol 3 symbols

PA SD FC DA SA INFO FCS ED FS

FC
Frame Control

Frame Detail: FC
The frame control tells what kind of frame is to follow in the INFO field. The most common
values are (in hex):

40 Void frame
41, 4F Station Management (SMT) frame
C2, C3 MAC frame
50, 51 LLC frame
60 Implementor frame
70 Reserved frame

Note: More types are possible than the ones listed here.
These are just the most common ones for 48 bit addressed,
asynch data frames.
 MAC header
2+ bytes 1 byte 1 byte 6 bytes 6 bytes N bytes 4 bytes 1 symbol 3 symbols

PA SD FC DA SA INFO FCS ED FS

DA
Destination Address

Frame Detail: DA
The Destination Address is a 12 symbol code that indicates which station the frame is destined
to. Each station has a unique 12 symbol address that identifies it. When a station receives a frame, it
compares the DA of that frame to its own address. If the two match, the station will copy the contents of
the frame into its buffers.
A frame can also be intended for more than one station using group addressing. The first bit
transmitted in the destination address is an indictor of whether the address is an individual address, or a
group address. If the first bit is set (1), the address is a group address. If it is not set (0), the address is
an individual address. Group addresses can be used to address a frame to multiple destination stations.
A broadcast address is a special type of group address which applies to all of the stations on the network.
In this address, all of the bits are set to one, so the broadcast address is 12 ’F’ symbols.
Addresses can either be locally or universally administered. If the addresses are universally
administered, then the first 6 symbols of the address is the manufacturer’s OUI. Each manufacturer is
assigned a unique OUI to use for all of its products. The last 6 symbols of the address differentiate
between stations with the same manufacturer. In a universally administered addressed network, each
station comes with a default address that it is to use.
In a locally administered addressing scheme, a network manager sets the address for each of the
stations. The second bit transmitted is the indicator of whether the address is a universal or a local
address. A set bit (1) means a locally administered address, while an unset bit (0) is a universally
administered address.
 MAC header
2+ bytes 1 byte 1 byte 6 bytes 6 bytes N bytes 4 bytes 1 symbol 3 symbols

PA SD FC DA SA INFO FCS ED FS

SA
Source Address

Frame Detail: SA
The Source Address is the address of the station that created and sourced the frame. In FDDI,
when a station sources a frame, the frame is passed from one station to the next until it gets back to the
originating station. The originating station then strips the frame (the station will remove the frame from
the physical medium). If a station receives a frame and the source address of that frame matches the
address of the station, then the station will strip the frame from the network. Each station is responsible
for removing its own frames from the ring.
 MAC header
2+ bytes 1 byte 1 byte 6 bytes 6 bytes N bytes 4 bytes 1 symbol 3 symbols

PA SD FC DA SA INFO FCS ED FS

INFO
Information Field

Frame Detail: INFO

The INFO field is the meat of the frame. The frame is essentially built around this field, and is
merely a mechanism for getting the info from one station to another. You can tell what kind of
information is contained in the INFO field by noting the Frame Control of the frame.
X’50’ indicates an LLC frame, so the INFO field of a frame with a FC of X’50’ will contain an
LLC header followed by other upper layer headers (i.e. SNAP, ARP, IP, TCP, SNMP, etc.).
A frame with an FC of X’41’ or X’4F’ will contain SMT (Station Management) information.
Thus, you will see an SMT header followed by SMT information.
A frame with an FC of X’C2’ or X’C3’ is a MAC frame, and the info field will contain
information relevent to the MAC protocol.
 MAC header
2+ bytes 1 byte 1 byte 6 bytes 6 bytes N bytes 4 bytes 1 symbol 3 symbols

PA SD FC DA SA INFO FCS ED FS

FCS
Frame Check Sequence
Frame Detail: FCS
The FCS is used by a receiving station to verify that the frame traversed the network without
incurring any bit errors. The FCS in generated by the station that sourced the frame using the bits of the
FC, DA, SA, INFO, and FCS fields. The FCS is generated such that should any of the bits in those
fields be altered, then the receiving station will notice that there is a problem and will discard the frame.
 MAC header
2+ bytes 1 byte 1 byte 6 bytes 6 bytes N bytes 4 bytes 1 symbol 3 symbols

PA SD FC DA SA INFO FCS ED FS

ED
Ending Delimiter
Frame Detail: ED
The Ending Delimiter consists of a single ’T’ symbol. This ’T’ symbol indicates that the frame
is complete. Any data sequence that does not end with this ’T’ symbol is not considered a frame.
 MAC header
2+ bytes 1 byte 1 byte 6 bytes 6 bytes N bytes 4 bytes 1 symbol 3 symbols

PA SD FC DA SA INFO FCS ED FS

FS
Frame Status
Frame Detail: FS

The Frame Status consists of 3 indicators which may have one of two values. The indicators can
either be Set (’S’) or Reset (’R’) (the indicators could also be corrupted; a corrupted indicator is neither
’S’ nor ’R’). Every frame is originally transmitted with all of the indicators set to ’R’ (reset). The
indicators can be set by intermediate stations when they retransmit the frame. The three indicators are:
Error (’E’), Address recognized (or Acknowledge) (’A’), and Copy (’C’).

Error: This indicator is set when a station determines that the frame is in error.
This may be due to a format error, or to a failure of the CRC. If a frame is
received and the E indicator is anything other than Reset (’R’), then that
frame is disregarded.
Acknowledge: This indicator is set when a station receives the frame and determines that
the address applies to it. This could be because the destination address of
the frame is the MAC address of the station, or because the destination
address of the frame is a broadcast address.
Copy: This indicator is set when the station receives the frame and is able to copy
the contents into its buffers. Most stations do not copy the contents unless
the frame is explicitly destined to them (or broadcast), so the A and the C
indicators are usually set at the same time. However, sometimes a station
will be receiving so much traffic that it cannot copy all the information to
its buffers even though the frame is destined to it. In this case, it would re
transmit the frame with the A indicator set, but the C indicator will remain
reset.
 MAC header
2+ bytes 1 byte 1 byte 6 bytes 6 bytes N bytes 4 bytes 1 symbol 3 symbols

PA SD FC DA SA INFO FCS ED FS

MAC Info
MAC Frame:

There are two diffent types of MAC frames, Claim frames and Beacon frames. A Claim frame
has an FC of X’C3’ and the MACInfo is the station’s T_Bid. A Beacon frame has an FC of X’C2’ and
the MACInfo for a Beacon frame is as follows: 1 Byte describing the Beacon Type (X’00’: Regular
Beacon, X’01’: Directed Beacon, X’02: Jam Beacon), 3 bytes of pad (X’00 00 00’), and then an optional
field that contains the station’s Upstream Neighbor Address (UNA).
 MAC header LLC PDU
2+ bytes 1 byte 1 byte 6 bytes 6 bytes N bytes 4 bytes 1 symbol 3 symbols

PA SD FC DA SA INFO FCS ED FS

DSAP SSAP Control LLC Info

1 byte 1 byte 1 byte Up to 4473 bytes

LLC Frame:

The first two bytes of every LLC header are addresses within each station called Service Access
Points (SAPs). DSAP is the SAP on the destination machine, and SSAP is the SAP on the source
machine. SAPs are connection points for upper level programs. If you have several application tasks
running, each can have its own SAP. By selecting the correct DSAP, you can control which task at the
far end picks up your data. The LLC control field will be one byte and may or may not be followed by
data or information. It all depends on what type of LLC frame is indicated within the control field.
Three types are possible. Two of these can carry user data.
 Station Management
(from ANSI ISO/IEC 9314-6/X3.229 Section 1)

Station Management porvides the control necessary at the station (node) level to manage the
processes underway in the various FDDI layers such that a station may work cooperatively as a part of
an FDDI network. SMT shall provide services such as connection management, station insertion and
removal, station initialization, configuration management, fault isolation and recovery, communications
protocol for external authority, scheduling policies, and collection of statistics.
Within the SMT resides both knowledge of the uniqueness of this node and the current network
structure to the extent that this node’s function is affected.
(Section 5.1)
A variety of internal node configurations are possible. However, a node shall have one, and only
one, SMT entity. It may, however, have multiple instances of MACs, PHYs, and PMDs, with the actual
number, within bounds, being implementer defined.

MAC header SMT PDU

2+ bytes 1 byte 1 byte 6 bytes 6 bytes N bytes 4 bytes 1 symbol 3 symbols

PA SD FC DA SA INFO FCS ED FS

SMT Hdr. SMT Info

SMT Frame:
For Station Management frames, the INFO field is occupied by an SMT Header and an SMT
Information portion. The SMT header is the protocol header for all SMT frames. SMT Information is
the information that is indicated by the header. These two fields together make up an SMT Protocol
Data Unit (PDU).
 MAC header SMT PDU
2+ bytes 1 byte 1 byte 6 bytes 6 bytes N bytes 4 bytes 1 symbol 3 symbols

PA SD FC DA SA INFO FCS ED FS

SMT Hdr. SMT Info

SMT Info
SMT Frame: SMTInfo
The SMTInfo field consists of a list of parameters. The parameters are of the form:
Parameter Type (2 bytes)
Parameter Length (2 bytes)
Resource Index (4 bytes)
Parameter Value (n bytes)
If more than one parameter is present in the frame, they will be listed one after another. The
Parameter Type is the value that identifies the parameter.
There are 5 classes of parameters: Those of the form X’00zz’, X’1zzz’, X’2zzz’ , X’3zzz’, and
X’4zzz’. The X’00zz’ parameters are general parameters. X’1zzz’ parameters deal specifically with the
SMT entity within the station. X’2zzz’ parameters deal with the MAC. X’3zzz’ parameters deal with the
PATH in the station, and X’4zzz’ parameters deal with the station’s PORTs.
The Parameter Length is the total length of the Resource Index and the Parameter Value (it is
used to tell where one parameter ends and the next begins). The Resource Index is the index that
specifies which object the parameter is describing (a particular MAC or PORT or PATH). This field is
ommitted from parameters pertaining to SMT and for all parameters whose Type is of the form X’00zz’.
The Parameter value is the actual information. It is parsed according to the Type.
 MAC header SMT PDU
2+ bytes 1 byte 1 byte 6 bytes 6 bytes N bytes 4 bytes 1 symbol 3 symbols

PA SD FC DA SA INFO FCS ED FS

SMT Hdr. SMT Info

SMT Hdr.
SMT Header Frame Frame Version Transaction InfoField
Field Class Type Station ID Pad Length
ID ID
Length (bytes) 1 1 2 4 8 2 2

SMT Frame: SMTHdr

 SMT Header Frame Frame Version Transaction InfoField
Station ID Pad
Field Class Type ID ID Length
Length (bytes) 1 1 2 4 8 2 2

Frame
Class
SMT: Frame Class
SMT frames are identified by their frame class and type. The class identifies the function of the
frame and is one of the following values:

X’01’: Neighbor Information Frame (NIF)

X’02’: Status Information Frame - Configuration (SIF-Cfg)
X’03’: Status Information Frame - Operation (SIF-Opr),
X’04’: Echo Frame (ECF)
X’05’: Resource Allocation Frame (RAF)
X’06’: Request Denied Frame (RDF)
X’07’: Status Report Frame (SRF)
X’08’: Parameter Management Frame - Get (PMF-Get)
X’09’: Parameter Management Frame - Set (PMF-Set)
X’FF’: Extended Service Frame (ESF)
 SMT Header Frame Frame Version Transaction InfoField
Station ID Pad
Field Class Type ID ID Length
Length (Bytes) 1 1 2 4 8 2 2

Frame
Type
SMT Frame: SMTHdr
SMT frames are identified by their frame class and type. The frame type is an indicator of
whether this particular frame is an Announcement, a Request, or a Response to a Request. An
announcement is encoded as X’01, a Request as X’02’, and a Response as X’03’.

SMT Header Frame Frame Version Transaction InfoField

Station ID Pad
Field Class Type ID ID Length
Length (Bytes) 1 1 2 4 8 2 2

Version
ID
SMT Frame: SMTHdr
The Version_ID field indicates the structure of the SMT Info field. Two possible Version_ID
values are acceptable (as of now), X’0001’, for stations using a version lower than 7.x of the SMT, and
X’0002’, for stations using Version 7.x of SMT. NIF, SIF, and ECF frames will have a constant
Version_ID of X’0001’ to ensure backwards compatability.
 SMT Header Frame Frame Version Transaction InfoField
Station ID Pad
Field Class Type ID ID Length
Length (Bytes) 1 1 2 4 8 2 2

Transaction
ID
SMT Frame: SMTHdr
This field’s sole purpose is to match Request and Response frames. When an SMT entity
receives a Request frame, it copies the Transaction_ID of that frame into the Transaction_ID of its
Response frame. Though Announcement frames do not use the Transaction_ID, it must still be present.

SMT Header Frame Frame Version Transaction InfoField

Station ID Pad
Field Class Type ID ID Length
Length (Bytes) 1 1 2 4 8 2 2

Station
ID
SMT Frame: SMTHdr
The Station_ID is the unique identifier of the FDDI station transmitting an SMT frame. The
Station_ID is represented in a 64-bit field as X’yy yy xx xx xx xx xx xx’. The six least significant octets
(xx) are a universally administered address in MSB representation. The two most significant octets (yy)
are implementer defined.
 SMT Header Frame Frame Version Transaction InfoField
Type Station ID Pad
Field Class ID ID Length
Length (Bytes) 1 1 2 4 8 2 2

Pad
SMT Frame: SMTHdr
The Pad field consists of only two bytes of X’00’. It exists so that the entire length of the
SMTHeader will be an even 32 bytes.

SMT Header Frame Frame Version Transaction InfoField

Station ID Pad
Field Class Type ID ID Length
Length (Bytes) 1 1 2 4 8 2 2

InfoField
Length
SMT Frame: SMTHdr
The length of the SMT Information field is reported in the InfoField length. The value does not
include the length of the SMT header or this field. Its value can be between zero and 4,458 bytes.
 Neighbor Information Frames (NIF)
(from ANSI ISO/IEC 9314-6/X3.229 Section 7.2.1)

The Neighbor Information Frame (NIF) is used by a station for periodic announcement of its
MAC address and basic station description.
NIFs are used in the Neighbor Notification protocol. The Neighbor Notification protocol allows
a MAC to determine its logical upstream neighbour address (UNA) and its logical downstream
neighbour address (DNA). The protocol also detects duplicated MAC addresses on an operational ring.
NIFs may be used by a monitoring station to build a logical ring map. The monitoring station
can do this by monitoring the periodic NIF requests, or by using the request/response NIF facility
directly.

Status Information Frames (SIF)

(from ANSI ISO/IEC 9314-6/X3.229 Section 7.2.2)

Status Information Frames (SIF) are used, in conjuction with the SIF protocol, to request and
provide, in response, a station’s configuration and operation information. There are two clases of SIFs
to provide this function; the SIF configuration and the SIF operation request and response frames.
Potential uses for these frames include creating a physical ring map, fault isolation, and statistics
monitoring.

Echo Frames (ECF)

(from ANSI ISO/IEC 9314-6/X3.229 Section 7.2.3)

The SMT Echo frames (ECF) are defined for SMT-to-SMT loopback testing on an FDDI ring
using the ECHO protocol. THe SMT ECHO frames may contain any amount of Echo Data (up to the
maximum frame size). Potential uses for these frames include confirming the a station’s Port, MAC,
and SMT are operational, and testing for data-sensitive network failures by placing suspect data patterns
in the ECHO data field.
 Resource Allocation Frames (RAF)
(from ANSI ISO/IEC 9314-6/X3.229 Section 7.2.4)

Resource Allocation Frames are defined to support a variety of network policies such as
allocation of synchronous bandwidth.

Request Denied Frames (RDF)

Request Denied Frames are used to notify a requester that its request has been denied because of
version or protocol problems. If a station recieves a request with a Version_ID being one that it does not
support, or if the request frame has a length error, then the station that recieved the request will issue an
RDF frame to inform the requester of why it did not send a response.
 Status Report Frames (SRF)
(from ANSI ISO/IEC 9314-6/X3.229 Section 7.2.7)

The Status Report Frame is used by a station to announce Station Status which may be of interest
to a manager of an FDDI ring. SRF frames are transmitted in much the same way that SNMP traps are
sent; when a certain event or condition becomes active (or inactive), an SRF frame is sent. The
following conditions (should they occur) will be reported by a station by SRF frames:

Frame Error Condition: Happens when a station has received a high density of frames that
are in error (FCS wrong, etc.).
LER Condition: Happens when the density of link errors observed on a port
exceeds a preset limit.
Duplicate Address Condition:This will be reported when a MAC detects either itself or its
upstream neighbor to be a duplicate address.
Peer Wrap Condition: This condition is active if a dual-attached station is in wrap mode,
and the wrapped port is connected to either an A or a B port.
Hold Condition: Active when a station enters a ’holding-prm’ or ’holding-sec’ state.
NotCopied Condition: If a station is receiving so much traffic that it cannot process all
of it, it will repeat some frames without copying them into its
buffers. This condition will be active if the density of ’not-copied’
frames exceeds a set limit.
EB Error Condition: This condition will be active if there is an Elasticity Buffer error
on any port.

The following events will also be reported by SRF frames (should they occur):

MAC Path Change: This event will occur if the current Path changes for any MAC in
the station.
Port Path Change: This event will occur is the current Path changes for any PORT in
the station.
MAC Neighbor Change: This event will occur when the Neighbor Notification protocol
detects a UNA or DNA change for any MAC in the station.
Undesirable Connection: The event will occur whenever there is an undesirable connection
made to the station.
 Parameter Management Frames(PMF)
(from ANSI ISO/IEC 9314-6/X3.229 Section 7.2.8)

Parameter Management Frames provide the means for remote access to station attributes via the
Parameter Management protocol. The Parameter Management protocol operates on all SMT
Management Information Base (MIB) Attributes. There are two types of PMF frames, PMF-Get frames,
and PMF-Set frames. PMF-Get frames are used to look at the value of any parameter of a remote
station. PMF-Set frames are used to set certain values of a remote station. Not all stations support the
PMF-Set protocol.

Extended Service Frames(ESF)

(from ANSI ISO/IEC 9314-6/X3.229 Section 7.2.6)

The Extended Service Frames is defined for extending and exercising new SMT services.
 Physical Connection Management

PCM PCM

PORT PORT
Physical Medium
Tx Rx

Physical Medium
Rx Tx

Within every FDDI station there are SMT entities called PCM (Physical Connection
Management). The number of PCM entities within a station is exactly equal to the number of ports that the station has. This
is because each PCM is responsible for one port.

The PCM entities are the part of SMT that controls the ports. In order to make a connection, two ports must be
physically connected to each other by means of a fiber-optic or copper cable. When this happens, the PCMs that are
responsible for those ports can recognize each other’s existance and begin communicating. They do this by sending Line
States out of the port and onto the fiber. The PCM at the other end of the connection will recognize the line state and respond
accordingly.

When the PCM sees another PCM on the other end of the connection, they will synchonize and communicate with
each other. During this communication, a couple of important things happen:

1. The PCMs figure out the types of each port, and determine if they are compatable.
2. The PCMs Perform an LCT (Link Confidence Test).

The LCT determines if the quality of the link is good enough to establish a connection on. If it is not, the PCMs will
not make a connection. If everything goes well during this signalling, the PCMs will establish a connection and place the
ports on the token path that goes through that station. At this point, data (in the form of frames) can be sent through these
ports and the ports become part of the network.

PCM entities have a number of internal states that they can be in. While in any state, the PCM has the port send out
a certain line state. This line state will be recieved by the PCM on the other side of the connection. The other PCM entity (at
the other end of the connection) will be able to tell which state the original PCM is in. PCMs use this information to signal
data across the connection.
 There are 7 basic states that the PCM can be in, Break, Connect, Next, Signal, Join, Verify, and Active. When a
PCM does not see any PCM on the other side of the connection, it is in Connect state. In this state, the PCM has the port
send out HLS. As long as the port is receiving QLS from the other end of the connection, the PCM will stay in the Connect
state and wait. If a fiber (or copper) is strung between the two ports, the two PCM’s (which are both sourcing HLS) will start
receiving HLS. When a PCM receives HLS, it knows that there is another PCM at the other end of the connection and
attempts to communicate with it. When a PCM sees HLS, it will make an internal transition to the Next state. While in the
Next state, the PCM has the port send out ILS. Reception of ILS from the other end of the connection indicates that the other
PCM has also transitioned to Next.

From Next, the PCM transition to the Signal state. This state is used by the PCMs to transmit a single bit of
information. While in Signal, the PCM will have the port send either HLS or MLS, depending on the value it wishes to
indicate to the other side. If it wishes to signal a value of ’1’ or ’TRUE’ to the other side, it sends HLS, if it wants to signal a
value of ’0’ or ’FALSE’ to the other side, then it sends MLS. At the same time that the PCM is signalling, it is listening to
the line and waiting to receive HLS or MLS from the other PCM. When it receives HLS or MLS, it knows that the other
PCM has transitioned to Signal, and it marks the received value based on the received line state. After both PCMs have been
in Signal and they exchanged one bit of information, they will transition back to Next and get ready to send another bit of
information.

In all, the PCMs will transition to Signal 10 times, each time transmitting a bit of information. Upon the 11th visit
to Next, the PCMs evaluate, based on the information received, whether or not the link should become active. If not, the
PCM will transition to the Break State, and start the process all over again. If the PCMs both decide that the link should
become active, they will make an internal transition to the Join state. In the Join state, the PCM will have the port send HLS.
Reception of HLS from the other end of the connection indicates that the other PCM is also in the Join state. When both
PCMs are in the Join state, they may proceed to the Verify state. In the Verify state, the PCM will send MLS. When the
PCM receives MLS from the other side of the connection, it will know that the other PCM is also in the Verify state. Both
PCMs will then transition to the Active state. In the Active state, the port will be sourcing ILS. When ILS is received, the
PCM knows that the other connection is also in Active and the PCM will send a signal to SMT that indicates that the port
should be included on the token path.

The connection is then established. As long as the port is always receiving ILS or ALS (data), then the PCM will
remain in the Active state. If at any time the port receives QLS or HLS, or if the SMT indicates to the PCM that the
connection is to be terminated, then the PCM will transition to the Break state and the port will send QLS. Aside from that,
the port is now part of the FDDI ring. When the port is in the token path, it will always be sending either ILS or data. ILS is
the filler between data frames (ALS).

Technical Note(1): When a PCM enters a state it must wait for the other PCM to get to that state before it can
proceed to the next state. This is accomplished by means of a variable called LS_Flag. Upon entry into a state, the LS_Flag
is cleared. When the appropriate line state is received by the port, the PCM actually takes a transition from the current state
back into the current state. This transition sets the LS_Flag. Now, with the LS_Flag set, the PCM may proceed to the next
state (once it waits a specified amount of time).
Technical Note(2): All of the timing involved in the PCM is done by a timer called TPC. Whenever a PCM makes
any transition (even if the destination of the transition is the same as the source of the transition), it resets TPC. Many
transitions cannot be taken until TPC is greater than some value. This is to assure that the other end of the connection has
had enough time to recognize the line state the PCM is sending before the PCM goes to another state and starts sending out a
different line state. For more information about this, see the PCM State Machine and Acronyms page.

NOTE:::
I have left out and simplified quite a bit of information about PCM in order to make it more basic. Those who know
will notice some missing information (such as 3 more PCM states, any mentions of Entity Coordination, spotty Line State
definitions, etc.). This is intentional. If you require more information, the SMT, MAC, and PHY standards will fulfill your
needs.
 FDDI Line States

A line state is a continuous stream of a certain symbol (or symbols) sent by the transmitter of a
PHY. Upon reception of this stream of symbols, a receiver will recognize the line state. Line States are
used by PHYs to communicate information.

There are 4 different line states used to convey information during PCM signalling:

• Quiet Line State (QLS): A continuous stream of ’Q’ symbols. This line state is used to break a
link and restart a connection.
• Halt Line State (HLS): A continuous stream of ’H’ symbols. This line state is used to represent a
bit of information in duing the PCM signalling.
• Master Line State (MLS): An alternating series of ’H’ and ’Q’ symbols. This line state also
represents a bit of information during PCM signalling. Master Line State is also used to indicate
a trace.
• Idle Line State (ILS): A continuous stream of ’I’ symbols. This line state is used to separate in
formation bits and provide clock synchronization.

Though not used by the PCM, these are additional line states that the PHY may encounter:

• Active Line State (ALS): This line state is asserted by a ’JK’ pair, and will continue to be
asserted while it recieves any data symbol, ’R’, ’S’, or ’T’. It is used by the MAC layer to
transmit data frames; the PCM signalling does not use it.
• Line State Unknown (LSU): The PHY will indicate an LSU when it does not recognize the line
state on the line (this often happens when there is a line state change).
• Noise Line State (NLS): The line state is asserted whenever the PHY has received enough
symbols such that it should be able to recognize a line state, but it does not (i.e. if the other PHY
is tranmitting garbage).
 PCM: A few explanations
LS_Flag: This is a flag that can have one of two values: either set or cleared. The PCM uses this
flag to indicate when it recieves and recognizes a line state from the other end of the
connection. This flag is cleared when the PCM moves on and requires its use for the next
state.

TPC: This is a timer that the PCM uses. This timer is reset whenever the PCM makes an
internal transition. Many times, the PCM cannot transition until this timer exceeds a
certain value (TB_Min, C_Min, TL_Min). These limits are set to assure that the PCM
has stayed in an internal state long enough for the PCM on the other side of the
connection to realize it.

TL_Min: This is a value that must be exceed by TPC before the PCM can make a transitions from
the Next, Signal, Join, or Verify state to the next state on its way to establishing a
connection.

TB_Min: This is a value that must be exceeded by TPC before the PCM can make a transition out
of the Break state.

C_Min: This is a value that must be exceeded by TPC before the PCM can make a transition from
the Connect state to the Next state.

ILS: Idle Line State

HLS: Halt Line State

MLS: Master Line State

QLS: Quiet Line State

ALS: Active Line State

LSU: Line State Unknown

 PCM: Link Confidence Test
The Link Confidence Test is used to test a link to detemine if the link quality is adequate for ring
operation, and will detect major link quality problems. The Link Confidence Test is executed during the
bit signalling for PCM connection establishment. It is a cooperative test between the two Ports, and the
connection is not completed until the Link Confidence Test is passed by both PCMs.

The duration for the Link Confidence Test is determined by the values exchanged by bit 4 and bit
5 of the PCM signalling sequence. Each side of a connection signals a desired test duration, and the
longer duration of the two is used for the Link Confidence Test. There are 4 values for the length of the
LCT:

Short (50 ms): Used when there is no history of Link Errors and the connection is not to
be withheld.
Medium (500 ms): Used following a failure of the LCT and the connection is not to be
withheld.
Long (5000 ms): Used following a break in the Link due to Link Errors and the connection
is not to be withheld.
Extended (50000 ms): Used to withhold a connection.

Note: These are minimum requirements, any station may request a longer LCT than
what is indicated here.

During the LCT, each port sources ILS or data frames, and the port at the other side of the
connection checks it for Link Errors. If too many Link Errors are received, the PCM will signal an LCT
fail. Reception of MLS or HLS from the other side of the connection indicates that the LCT is
completed.

If the LCT fails, the PCM will transition to Break after Next(n=10) and restart the connection.
This will continue until the LCT is passed. No link will come up unless both PCMs signal that the LCT
passes.
 PCM Signalling
T_Val(n) (where 0 <= n <= 9) is the value that is transmitted by the PCM on it’s nth time in
Signal (starting at 0). Thus the first time in Signal, the PCM will send a line state that corresponds to the
value of T_Val(0). The PCM will then transition to Next, and then back to Signal and send a line state
corresponding to T_Val(1), etc.

R_Val(n) (where 0 <= n <= 9) is the value received from the PCM at the other end of the
connection. Thus when the PCM is in Signal for the first time, if it receives HLS is will store a 1 in
R_Val(0). If it receives MLS it will store 0 in R_Val(0). Note that the T_Val(n) one one side of the
connection is exactly the R_Val(n) on the other side of the connection, and vice-versa.

T_Val(0) --> This value is reserved and always clear (set to 0)

T_Val(1), T_Val(2) --> These two bits describe what type of port the PCM is dealing with: (0,0)
indicates A port, (0,1) indicates B port, (1,0) indicates S port, (1,1)
indicates M port.
T_Val(3) --> This indicates (based on T_Val(1,2), R_Val(1,2) and the station’s
connection policies) whether or not the 2 ports are compatable. This bit is
set if the PCM finds that the ports are compatable, it is cleared if the PCM
finds that the ports are incompatable. If both PCMs indicate that the ports
are incompatable, the link will not be brought up. If either PCM finds that
the ports are compatable, the connection should come up. Port
compatability is configurable in SMT, so stations will have different ideas
of what they consider compatable. An M to M port connection, though, is
always considered incompatable.
T_Val(4), T_Val(5) --> These values indicate how long the PCM wants the LCT to be. (0,0)
indicates a Short LCT (50 ms), (0,1) indicates a Medium LCT (500 ms),
(1,0) indicates a Long LCT (5000 ms), and (1,1) indicates Extended LCT
(50000 ms). If the PCMs do not agree on an LCT length, the higher value
always wins.
T_Val(6) --> This bit indicates if the MAC is available for LCT. A value of 1 indicates
the PCM intends to place a MAC at its end of the connection during LCT.
The LCT is porformed after this bit is signalled.
T_Val(7) --> This bit is set if the LCT failed. If either PCM indicates an LCT fail, then
the PCMs will transition to Break following Next(n=10). If both LCTs
passed, and the ports are compatable, the PCMs will transition to Join after
Next(n=10).
T_Val(8) --> This bit indicates if a MAC is available for MAC Local Loop. If both
T_Val(8) and R_Val(8) is set, then the stations may perform a MAC Local
Loop. Most stations do not support this, so T_Val(8) is usually 0.
T_Val(9) --> This bit indicates that there will be a MAC present as an output on this
port. This value could be used for ringmaps.
BREAK(1) CONNECT(3) NEXT(4)
PC(13) PC(33)

PC(31)
PC(34)
PC(41)
SIGNAL(5) PC(44)
PC(51)
PC(45)
PC(55)

PC(54)
JOIN(6)
PC(46)
PC(61)

PC(66) VERIFY(7)

PC(67)
PC(71)

ACTIVE(8)
PC(77)
PC(78)

PC(81)
 PCM State: Break
All connection attemps begin here.

The Break state is the entry point in the start of a PCM connection. In the Break state, a
continuous stream of ’Q’ symbols is transmitted to force the other end of the connection to break any
existing connection and restart the connection initialization sequence. The Break state is entered upon
the start of a connection attempt, or if there was a problem with the previous connection attempt.

The transition to Break causes the TPC to be reset.

The PCM must remain in Break until TPC > TB_Min.

If, after TB_Min, the PCM is receiving either QLS or HLS from the other side, it may take
PC(13) to the Connect state.

PCM Transition: PC(13)

BREAK(1) CONNECT(3)
PC(13)

Source State: Break

Destination State: Connect

Conditions: Line State received = QLS or HLS

and TPC > TB_Min

Actions: Reset TPC.

Clear LS_Flag
 PCM State: Connect
The Connect state is used to synchronize the ends of the connection for the signalling sequence.
In the Connect state, the PCM transmits a continuous stream of ’H’ symbols (HLS). The PCM stays in
this state until it receives HLS from the other end of the connection. The reception of HLS indicates that
the other PCM is also in the Connect state. If the PCM is not attached to anything at all, then it will be
receiving QLS and will remain here until it is connected to another PCM that sources HLS.

The transition to this state resets TPC.

If the LS_Flag is not set and HLS is received, the PCM will take transition PC(33). This will set
LS_Flag.

If LS_Flag is set and TPC > C_Min, the PCM will take transition PC(34) to the Next state.

If LS_Flag is not set and ILS is received, or if MLS is recieved, the PCM will take transition PC(31) to
the Break state.

PCM Transition: PC(31)

BREAK(1) CONNECT(3)
PC(31)

Source State: Connect

Destination State: Break

Conditions: ILS received

and LS_Flag not set

Actions: Reset TPC

 PCM Transition: PC(33)

CONNECT(3)
PC(33)

Source State: Connect

Destination State: Connect

Conditions: HLS received

and LS_Flag not set

Actions: Reset TPC

Set LS_Flag

PCM Transition: PC(34)

CONNECT(3) NEXT(4)
PC(34)

Source State: Connect

Destination State: Next

Conditions: LS_Flag is set

and TPC > C_Min

Actions: Reset TPC

Set n = 0
Clear LS_Flag
 PCM State: Next
While in the Next state, a continuous stream of Idle symbols is transmitted (ILS). The Next state
is used to separate the signalling performed in the Signal state and it is where the LCT is performed.

The PCM will enter this state a total of 11 times as it transitions to Signal and back again, each
time transmitting another bit of information to the other end of the connection. The variable n is set to
zero upon initial arrival at this state, and each transition from Signal back to Next increments n. When n
is equal to 10, all of the signalling is done and if the PCMs still desire a connection, they will go to the
Join state.

The LS_Flag is set when ILS is received from the other end of the connection. If the LS_Flag is
set, and TPC > TL_Min, the PCM will take transition PC(44). This transition starts code that will
process the incoming signal and prepares the signal that will be transmitted. If n < 10 and the signal is
ready to be transmitted, then the PCM will take the transition PC(45) to the Signal state.

Note: If n = 7, the PCM will perform an LCT before proceeding to the Signal state.

If n = 10 and the PCM decides (based on the information received) that the connection is
desireable, then it will take transition PC(46) to the Join state.

If at any time, TPC > T_Out, or if QLS is received, or if the PCM decides that the connection is
undesirable, then the PCM will take transition PC(41) to the Break state.

PCM Transition: PC(41)

BREAK(1) NEXT(4)
PC(41)

Source State: Next

Destination State: Break

Conditions: QLS received

and TPC > T_Out

Actions: Reset TPC

 PCM Transition: PC(44)

NEXT(4)

PC(44)

Source State: Next

Destination State: Next

Conditions: ILS received

and TPC > TL_Min

Actions: Reset TPC

Start processing code for received signal
Prepare code for transmitting signal

PCM Transition: PC(45)

NEXT(4)

JOIN(6)
PC(46)

Source State: Next

Destination State: Signal

Conditions: Signal is ready to be transmitted

Actions: Reset TPC

Clear LS_Flag
 PCM Transition: PC(46)

NEXT(4)

JOIN(6)
PC(46)

Source State: Next

Destination State: Join

Conditions: n is equal to 10
and PCM desires connection

Actions: Reset TPC

Clear LS_Flag
 PCM State: Signal
In the Signal state, individual bits of information are communicated across the connection by
transmitting either a continuous stream of Halt symbols (HLS) or a continuous stream of alternating Halt
and Quiet symbol pairs (MLS). While in the Signal state, the PCM both transmits and receives a bit of
information at the same time. The Signal state is only entered from the Next state when a bit is ready to
be transmitted.

The line state that the PCM sends is determined by the value of T_Val(n). If the value of
T_Val(n) is a 1, the PCM will transmit HLS. If the value of T_Val(n) is zero, the PCM will transmit
MLS. Likewise, if the line state received by the PCM is HLS, the PCM will store a value of 1 in
R_Val(n). If the line state received is MLS, a 0 will be stored in R_Val(n).

If the LS_Flag is not set, and HLS or MLS is received from the other end of the connection, then
the PCM will take transition PC(55) . This will set the LS_Flag and update the value of R_Val(n).

If the LS_Flag is set, and TPC > TL_Min, the PCM will take transition PC(54) to the Next state.
This transition also increments the value of n.

If at any time QLS is recieved, or if TPC > T_Out, then the PCM will take transition PC(51) to
the Break state.

PCM Transition: PC(51)

BREAK(1)

SIGNAL(5)
PC(51)

Source State: Signal

Destination State: Break

Conditions: QLS received

or TPC > T_Out

Actions: Reset TPC

 PCM Transition: PC(54)
NEXT(4)

SIGNAL(5)

PC(54)

Source State: Signal

Destination State: Next

Conditions: LS_Flag is set

and TPC > TL_Min

Actions: Reset TPC

Increment n Clear LS_Flag
 PCM Transition: PC(55)

SIGNAL(5)

PC(55)

Source State: Signal

Destination State: Signal

Conditions: HLS received or MLS received

and LS_Flag is not set

Actions: Reset TPC

Set LS_Flag
If HLS was received, set R_Val(n) to 1
If MLS was received, set R_Val(n) to 0
 PCM State: Join
The Join state is the first of three states in a unique sequence of transmitted symbol streams
received as line states (HLS-MLS-ILS) that leads to an active connection. This sequence assures that
both ends of the connection enter the Active state together at the completion of the signalling.
In this state, the PCM will be transmitting HLS.

If the LS_Flag is not set and the HLS is received from the other end of the connection, then the
PCM will take transition PC(66) which will set the LS_Flag.

If the LS_Flag is set, and TPC > TL_Min, then the PCM will take transition PC(67) to the Verify
state.

If QLS is received, or if TPC > T_Out, then there is a problem and PCM will take transition
PC(61) to the Break state.

PCM Transition: PC(61)

BREAK(1)

JOIN(6)

PC(61)

Source State: Join

Destination State: Break

Conditions: QLS received

or TPC > T_Out and LS_Flag is not set

Actions: Reset TPC

 PCM Transition: PC(66)
JOIN(6)

PC(66)

Source State: Join

Destination State: Join

Conditions: LS_Flag is not set

and HLS is received

Actions: Reset TPC

Set LS_Flag

PCM Transition: PC(67)

JOIN(6)

VERIFY(7)

PC(67)

Source State: Join

Destination State: Verify

Conditions: LS_Flag is set

and TPC > TL_Min

Actions: Reset TPC

Clear LS_Flag
 PCM State: Verify
The Verify state is the second state in the path to Active state. In the Verify state, the PHY
sources MLS. The Verify state will not be reached by a connection that is not synchronized.

If the LS_Flag is not set and MLS is received from the other end of the connection, the PCM will
take transition PC(77). This will set the LS_Flag.

If the LS_Flag is set and TPC > TL_Min, then the PCM will take transition PC(78) to the Active
state.

If QLS is received, or if TPC > T_Out, then there is a problem and the PCM will take transition
PC(71) to the Break state.

PCM Transition: PC(71)

BREAK(1)

VERIFY(7)

PC(71)

Source State: Verify

Destination State: Break

Conditions: QLS received

or TPC > T_Out and LS_Flag is not set

Actions: Reset TPC

 PCM Transition: PC(77)
VERIFY(7)

PC(77)

Source State: Verify

Destination State: Verify

Conditions: LS_Flag is not set

and MLS is received

Actions: Reset TPC

Set LS_Flag
 PCM Transition: PC(78)
VERIFY(7)

ACTIVE(8)
PC(78)

Source State: Verify

Destination State: Active

Conditions: LS_Flag is set

and TPC > TL_Min

Actions: Reset TPC

Clear LS_Flag
 PCM State: Active
In the Active state, the port is incorporated into the token path. Upon entry into the Active state,
the PCM will source ILS. This is the state where data can be transmitted from port to port by use of
formatted FDDI frames.

The PCM will stay in this state unless it encounters a problem.

If TPC > T_Out and ILS has not be received from the other end of the connection, or if QLS or
HLS is ever received, then the PCM will take transition PC(81) to the Break state.

PCM Transition: PC(81)

BREAK(1)

ACTIVE(8)

PC(81)

Source State: Active

Destination State: Break

Conditions: QLS received

or TPC > T_Out and ILS has not been received

Actions: Reset TPC