Fibre Channel

FC-1&FC-2
Structure of FC-1
FC-1 structure

 FC1 layer, or the physical interface layer, plays a crucial role in the Fibre
Channel (FC) protocol stack. Its main purpose is to facilitate the
transmission and reception of Fibre Channel frames over the physical
media, which is typically fiber optic cables.
 Here are some key functions and responsibilities of the FC1 layer:
 Framing: The FC1 layer is responsible for framing, which involves encapsulating
Fibre Channel frames into a format suitable for transmission over the physical
media. It uses an encoding technique called 8B/10B encoding to convert 8-bit
groups from the higher layers of the protocol into 10-bit symbols. This encoding
scheme ensures a reliable transmission of data by providing sufficient transitions
and DC balance.
FC-1 Structure

 Signaling: Signaling in the FC1 layer refers to the electrical or optical signaling
used to transmit the encoded data over the physical media. The FC1 layer
defines the signaling characteristics, such as voltage levels, timing, and
modulation schemes. For fiber optic media, the FC1 layer specifies the use of
light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or laser diodes for transmitting and receiving optical
signals.
 Error detection: The FC1 layer incorporates error detection mechanisms to
ensure the integrity of the transmitted data. It employs a cyclic redundancy
check (CRC) algorithm, which calculates a checksum over the encoded data.
This checksum is included in the frame and allows the receiving end to detect
and potentially correct any transmission errors that may have occurred.
FC-1 Structure

 Physical media management: The FC1 layer is responsible for managing the
physical media used in Fibre Channel networks. It handles aspects such as
media initialization, link establishment, and link maintenance. This includes tasks
like training the link, negotiating link parameters, and monitoring the link status.
 Flow control: The FC1 layer implements flow control mechanisms to regulate the
flow of data between the sender and receiver. It ensures that the transmitting
device does not overwhelm the receiving device with data, preventing data
loss or congestion.
 Overall, the FC1 layer serves as a bridge between the higher layers of the Fibre
Channel protocol stack and the physical media. It prepares the data for
transmission, handles the electrical or optical signaling, manages the physical
media, and provides error detection and flow control mechanisms to ensure
reliable and efficient communication.
Example on
Framing and
Signaling
Example

 Framing:
 Suppose we have a Fibre Channel frame that needs to be transmitted over the
physical media.
 The FC1 layer takes the Fibre Channel frame and performs encapsulation,
preparing it for transmission.
 The FC1 layer uses the 8B/10B encoding scheme to convert 8-bit groups from
the higher layers of the protocol into 10-bit symbols.
 The encoded data is now ready to be transmitted.
Example

 Signaling:
 The FC1 layer handles the electrical or optical signaling required to transmit the
encoded data over the physical media.
 If the physical media is fiber optic cables, the FC1 layer specifies the use of
light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or laser diodes for transmitting and receiving optical
signals.
 The FC1 layer defines the signaling characteristics, such as voltage levels, timing,
and modulation schemes, to ensure proper transmission and reception of the
encoded data.
Example

 Error detection:
 The FC1 layer incorporates error detection mechanisms to ensure the integrity
of the transmitted data.
 It employs a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) algorithm for error detection.
 The FC1 layer calculates a CRC value over the encoded data using the CRC-
32 polynomial.
 The calculated CRC value is appended to the encoded data frame, forming
the complete FC1 frame.
Example

 Transmission:
 The FC1 frame, which includes the encoded data and the CRC checksum, is
transmitted over the physical media, such as fiber optic cables.
 Through the signaling process, the FC1 layer ensures that the optical or
electrical signals carrying the FC1 frame are transmitted accurately and reliably.
 Receiving:
 At the receiving end, the FC1 layer on the receiving device captures the
transmitted FC1 frame.
 The FC1 layer extracts the encoded data and the appended CRC checksum
from the received frame.
Example

 CRC verification:
 The FC1 layer on the receiving device performs CRC verification by
recalculating the CRC value over the received encoded data using the same
CRC-32 polynomial.
 The calculated CRC value is compared with the received CRC checksum.
FC-1 1. 8B/10B

Transmission 2. 64B/66B
GFC
Codes
3.
8B/10B line coding

 The 8b/10b line coding scheme is used to encode data for transmission over a
communication channel. It's designed to ensure reliable data transmission and provide
certain properties such as DC balance (equal number of 0s and 1s) and error detection.
 10-Bit Symbols: In this scheme, data is encoded into 10-bit symbols. Each 10-bit symbol
represents a combination of data and control information. This encoding is more efficient
for transmission than using a straightforward binary representation.
 Notation "D05.2": The "D05.2" notation is a way to describe a specific 10-bit symbol
within the 8b/10b scheme. Let's break it down:
 "D" indicates that it's a data character.
 "05" represents the first five bits of the data character in binary. In binary, "05" is "00101.“
 ".2" indicates that the last bit is "0" in binary.
8B/10B line coding

 One Byte Representation: While "D05.2" is a specific encoding within the 8b/10b
scheme, it doesn't directly represent one byte of data. The 8b/10b scheme doesn't have
a strict one-to-one mapping between its symbols and bytes of data. The scheme balances
between 0s and 1s to ensure reliable transmission.
DC-Balance and Run Length

 A DC-balanced serial data stream means that it has the same number of 0s and 1s for a given
length of data stream. DC-balance is important for certain media as it avoids a charge being
built up
 The run-length is defined as the maximum numbers of contiguous 0s or 1s in the serial data
stream. A small run length data stream provides data transitions within a small length of data.
Data transitions are essential for clock recovery.
 The PLL of the CDR generates a phase-adjustable output clock from the reference clock input.
Transitions on the serial data stream provide the transmission clock phase information to the
PLL and allow the PLL to recover the transmission clock with the correct phase. Note that the
reference clock input is always necessary for the CDR. The serial data stream embeds the
phase of the transmission clock, not the clock itself. This reference clock comes from the
receiver system, not the transmitter system.
Code Mapping

 The coding scheme breaks the original 8-bit

data into two blocks, 3 most significant bits (y) and
5 least significant bits (x). From the most significant
bit to the least significant bit, they are named as H, G,
F and E, D, C, B, A. The 3-bit block is encoded into 4
bits named j, h, g, f. The 5-bit block is encoded into 6
bits named i, e, d, c, b, a. As seen in Figure .,
the 4-bit and 6-bit blocks are then combined into
a 10-bit encoded value.
64B/66B
64B/66B line coding

 The 64b/66b line coding is a data encoding scheme used in high-speed communication
systems, particularly in Ethernet applications. It is designed to achieve DC balance and to
provide synchronization and clock recovery. In this scheme, 64 bits of data are encoded
into a 66-bit transmission word.
 Data Encoding: In the 64b/66b line coding, 64 bits of data are encoded into a 66-bit
transmission word. The encoding ensures DC balance, which helps in maintaining the average
voltage level, reducing electromagnetic interference, and ensuring clock recovery.
 Control Characters: The 66-bit transmission word includes control characters that provide
synchronization and facilitate clock recovery. Control characters are used to indicate the start of
a transmission and to mark the boundaries of data blocks.
64B/66B line coding

 Scrambling: Before the data is encoded, it undergoes a process called scrambling. Scrambling
ensures that long runs of consecutive bits do not occur, which helps in achieving DC balance.
Scrambling is reversible, and the descrambling process is performed at the receiver.
 Error Detection: The 64b/66b encoding provides error detection capabilities. Each 66-bit
transmission word contains a 2-bit CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) code that allows the receiver
to detect and correct single-bit errors.
 Transmission: The 66-bit transmission words are transmitted over the communication channel.
The control characters help in synchronization and clock recovery at the receiver.
 Reception: At the receiver, the 66-bit transmission words are received and descrambled.
 Clock Recovery: The 64b/66b scheme provides clock recovery, allowing the receiver to recover
the clock signal from the received data. This ensures that the receiver can correctly sample the
incoming data.
Link Speed
Negotiation
Link Speed Negotiation

 Link speed negotiation refers to the process by which two devices, such as computers,
network switches, or other networked equipment, communicate with each other to
determine the highest data transmission speed that both devices can support for their
communication link. This negotiation ensures that the devices are operating at the
optimal data rate for their capabilities, which helps maximize data transfer efficiency
while avoiding data errors or communication failures due to speed mismatches.
 Fibre Channel Link Speed Negotiation:
 Link Initialization: When two Fibre Channel devices are connected, they go through a process
of link initialization, which includes negotiating various parameters, including link speed.
 Fabric Initialization: In Fibre Channel networks, there's often a fabric switch that manages
communication between devices. The fabric initialization process involves communication
between the devices and the switch to establish a reliable connection.
Link Speed Negotiation

 Link Parameters Negotiation: During the link initialization process, the connected devices exchange
information about their capabilities, including supported link speeds, transmission distances, and
other relevant settings.
 Link Configuration: Based on the exchanged information, the devices negotiate and configure the link
speed and other settings to achieve the highest data transfer rate that both devices can support.
 Fibre Channel Speeds: Fibre Channel supports multiple link speeds, typically denoted by the number
of gigabits per second (Gbps). Common Fibre Channel speeds include 1 Gbps, 2 Gbps, 4 Gbps, 8 Gbps,
16 Gbps, and 32 Gbps. The link speed negotiation ensures that both devices communicate at the
highest supported speed.
 Auto-Sensing: Fibre Channel devices are often capable of auto-sensing the speed and negotiating
accordingly. This means that devices are designed to automatically detect the link speed of their
counterpart during the initialization process.
 Link Training: Similar to other communication interfaces, link training and quality monitoring may
occur to ensure a stable and reliable communication link.
Example

 Scenario: You have two Fibre Channel devices—an HBA (Host Bus Adapter) and a storage
array—connected through a Fibre Channel switch.
 Link Initialization:
• The HBA and storage array are physically connected through fiber optic cables.
• They power on and start the link initialization process.
 Fabric Initialization:
• The devices communicate with the Fibre Channel switch, which is responsible for managing
communication within the Fibre Channel network.
• The switch verifies the presence of the devices and establishes a connection.
Example

 Link Parameters Negotiation:

• The HBA indicates that it supports Fibre Channel link speeds of 8 Gbps, 16 Gbps, and 32 Gbps.
• The storage array indicates that it supports link speeds of 8 Gbps and 16 Gbps.
 Link Configuration:Since both devices support 8 Gbps and 16 Gbps link speeds, they agree to
operate at 16 Gbps for optimal performance.
 Auto-Sensing:If the storage array could only support 8 Gbps and the HBA supported 16 Gbps,
the link negotiation would lead to a mutual decision to operate at 8 Gbps to maintain
compatibility.
 Link Training:
• To ensure stable and reliable communication, the devices may perform link training and
quality monitoring. This involves exchanging training patterns and evaluating signal quality.
Thanks