A 10-gigabit Ethernet protocol using 4-laned copper InfiniBand connectors. Each device capable of supporting a 10GbE module uses some MSA to provide the actual module connectivity within the device to the outside connector. XENPAK, X2, and XPAK connectors all fit into a standard MSA pinout. CX4 modules exist at least in the XENPAK and X2 variety, and possible XPAK, although the smaller size makes this configuration more difficult. Each lane of the copper carries 3.125 gigahertz of signaling bandwidth. It is the job of the 802.11ae Clause 48 protocol to manage and synchronize the data flowing between these 4 channels; this functionality is maintained in the PCS. Compare to 10GBASE-R devices, which use the Clause 49 protocol. Clause 48 uses an 8 to 10 bit conversion to accommodate better line signaling, but Clause 49 uses a 64 to 66 bit conversion for this accommodation, which leaves the actual overhead for signaling much tighter than the Clause 48.
Networking products
PCI-X network interface cards
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