Cisco RPM-PR Installation and Configuration, Release 5.2 - Cabling Cisco MGX RPM-PR Back Cards [Cisco MGX 8800 Series Switches]

Table Of Contents

Cabling the Cisco MGX RPM-PR Back Cards

MGX-RJ45-4E/B Back Card

Ethernet 10BASE-T Overview

IEEE 802.3 10BASE-T Specifications

MGX-RJ45-4E/B Back Card LEDs

MGX-RJ45-4E/B Back Card Receptacles and Cables I

Attaching MGX-RJ45-4E/B Back Card Interface Cables

Fast Ethernet Overview

IEEE 802.3u 100BASE-T Specifications

Fast Ethernet MGX-RJ45-FE and MGX-MMF-FE Back Cards

MGX-MMF-FE Back Card

MGX-RJ45-FE Back Card

Fast Ethernet Back Card LEDs

Fast Ethernet Back Card Receptacles and Cables

Attaching FE Back Card Interface Cables

Cabling the Cisco MGX RPM-PR Back Cards

This chapter provides an overview of the MGX-RJ45-4E/B, and two FE back cards (MGX-MMF-FE and MGX-RJ45-FE). This chapter describes functions, cabling, and connectors, as well as procedures for making port adapter/back card connections. It contains the following sections:

•MGX-RJ45-4E/B Back Card

•Attaching MGX-RJ45-4E/B Back Card Interface Cables

•Fast Ethernet Overview

•Fast Ethernet MGX-RJ45-FE and MGX-MMF-FE Back Cards

•Attaching FE Back Card Interface Cables

Note The RPM-PR card within a Cisco MGX chassis supports online insertion and removal (OIR) of the MGX-RJ45-4E/B and the FE back cards. However, the ATM port adapter is inside the RPM-PR, and it is recommended that you shutdown the corresponding back card to perform OIR.

MGX-RJ45-4E/B Back Card

The MGX-RJ45-4E/B back card provides up to four IEEE 802.3 Ethernet 10BASE-T interfaces (see Figure 4-1).

Figure 4-1 MGX-RJ45-4E/B Ethernet Back Card

Ethernet 10BASE-T Overview

Ethernet is commonly used for all carrier sense multiple access/collision detection (CSMA/CD) LANs, which generally conform to Ethernet specifications, including IEEE 802.3 Ethernet Version 1 and IEEE 802.3 Ethernet Version 2. The slight differences between Ethernet and IEEE 802.3 are implemented in the hardware, and both are supported automatically by the Ethernet 10BASE-T back card without any hardware configuration changes. Together, Ethernet and IEEE 802.3 are the most widely used LAN protocols, because they are well suited to applications where a local communication medium must carry sporadic and occasionally heavy traffic.

Nodes on a CSMA/CD LAN can access the network at any time. Before sending data, the station listens to the network to determine if it is in use. If it is, the station waits until the network is not in use, then transmits. A collision occurs when two stations listen for network traffic, hear none, and transmit simultaneously. When this happens, both transmissions are damaged, and the stations must retransmit. The stations detect the collision and use backoff algorithms to determine when they should retransmit.

Both Ethernet and IEEE 802.3 are broadcast networks, which means that all stations hear all transmissions. Each station must examine received frames to determine whether it is the intended destination and, if it is, pass the frame to a higher protocol layer for processing.

Each IEEE 802.3 physical layer protocol has a name that summarizes its characteristics in the format speed/signaling method/segment length, where speed is the LAN speed in Mbps, signaling method is either baseband or broadband, and segment length is the maximum length between stations in hundreds of meters.

IEEE 802.3 10BASE-T Specifications

Table 4-1 summarizes the characteristics of IEEE 802.3 Ethernet and Ethernet Version 2 for 10BASE-T.

Table 4-1 IEEE 802.3 and 10BASE-T Ethernet Version 2 Physical Characteristics

Parameter

IEEE 802.3 Ethernet

10BASE-T Ethernet

Data rate (Mbps)

10

10

Signaling method

Baseband

Baseband

Maximum segment length (m)

500

100 (UTP)

Media

50-ohm coax (thick)

UTP

Topology

Bus

Star

Table 4-2 lists the cabling specifications for 10-Mbps transmission over UTP and STP cables.

Table 4-2 Cabling for 10-Mbps Over UTP and STP Cables

Parameter

RJ-45

Cable specification

Category 3 or Category 5 UTP¹, 22 to 24 AWG²

Maximum segment length

328 ft (100 m) for 10BASE-T

Maximum network length

9,186 ft (2,800 m) (with 4 repeaters)

¹Cisco Systems does not supply Category 3 and Category 5 UTP RJ-45 cables; these cables are available commercially.

²AWG = American Wire Gauge. This gauge is specified by the EIA/TIA-568 standard.

Note The IEEE 802.3 Ethernet specifications call the MGX-RJ45-4E/B device an "end station." The MGX-RJ45-4E/B has a built-in transceiver and connects directly to a hub or a repeater.

MGX-RJ45-4E/B Back Card LEDs

The MGX-RJ45-4E/B back card contains the enabled LED, standard on all back cards, and one status LED for each port, called the "link" LED. After system initialization, the enabled LED goes on to indicate that the MGX-RJ45-4E/B back card has been enabled for operation. If a 10BASE-T port is active, its link LED is on when a port on the MGX-RJ45-4E/B back card is receiving a carrier signal from the network (see Figure 4-1). The following conditions must be met before the enabled LED goes on:

•MGX-RJ45-4E/B back card is correctly connected and receiving power.

•MGX-RJ45-4E/B-equipped card or chassis contains a valid microcode version that is downloaded successfully.

•Bus recognizes the MGX-RJ45-4E/B back card.

If any of these conditions are not met, or if the initialization fails for other reasons, the enabled LED does not go on.

MGX-RJ45-4E/B Back Card Receptacles and Cables I

The interface connectors on the MGX-RJ45-4E/B back card are four individual RJ-45 receptacles. You can use all four simultaneously. Each connection supports IEEE 802.3 and Ethernet 10BASE-T interfaces compliant with appropriate standards. The RJ-45 connections require external transceivers. Cisco Systems does not supply Category 5 UTP RJ-45 cables; these cables are available commercially.

Figure 4-2 shows the RJ-45 connectors. See ""Cable and Connector Specifications" for pinouts and signals for the RJ-45 connectors.

Figure 4-2 MGX-RJ45-4E/B RJ-45 Connections, Plug, and Receptacle

Warning The ports labeled "Ethernet," "10BASE-T," "Console," and "AUX" are safety extra-low voltage (SELV) circuits. SELV circuits should be connected only to other SELV circuits. Because the BRI circuits are treated like telephone-network voltage, avoid connecting the SELV circuit to the telephone network voltage (TNV) circuits.

Attaching MGX-RJ45-4E/B Back Card Interface Cables

On a single MGX-RJ45-4E/B back card, you can attach up to four RJ-45 connections.

Note Cisco Systems does not supply RJ-45 cables; these cables are available commercially.

You can connect RJ-45 cables to the MGX-RJ45-4E/B back card in one of the following two ways:

•Attach the Category 5 UTP cable (also called straight-through 10BASE-T cable) directly to the RJ-45 port on the MGX-RJ45-4E/B back card to a repeater or hub.

•Attach the network end of your RJ-45 cable to your 10BASE-T hub or repeater, DTE, or other external 10BASE-T equipment, by using one of the following cables:

–Straight-through 10BASE-T cable to connect the 10BASE-T port to a 10BASE-T hub (see Figure 4-3).

–Crossover 10BASE-T cable to connect the 10BASE-T port to a PC network interface card (see Figure 4-4).

This completes the MGX-RJ45-4E/B back card cable installation.

Figure 4-3 Ethernet Connection to a 10BASE-T Hub

Figure 4-4 Ethernet Connection to a PC Network Interface Card

Fast Ethernet Overview

Fast Ethernet is commonly used for all carrier sense multiple access/collision detection (CSMA/CD), LANs that generally conform to Ethernet specifications, including Fast Ethernet under IEEE 802.3u.

IEEE 802.3u is well suited to applications where a local communication medium must carry sporadic, occasionally heavy traffic at high peak data rates. Stations on a CSMA/CD LAN can access the network at any time. Before sending data, the station listens to the network to see if it is already in use. If it is, the station waits until the network is not in use, then transmits; this is a half-duplex operation. A collision occurs when two stations listen for network traffic, hear none, and transmit very close to simultaneously. When this happens, both transmissions are damaged, and the stations must retransmit. The stations detect the collision and use backoff algorithms to determine when they should retransmit.

Both Ethernet and IEEE 802.3u are broadcast networks, which means that all stations see all transmissions. Each station must examine received frames to determine whether it is the intended destination and, if it is, pass the frame to a higher protocol layer for processing.

EEE 802.3u specifies the following physical layers for 100BASE-T:

•100BASE-TX—100BASE-T, half and full duplex over Category 5 unshielded twisted-pair (UTP), Electronics Industry Association/Telecommunications Industry Association [EIA/TIA]-568-compliant cable.

•100BASE-FX—100BASE-T, half and full duplex over optical fiber.

Each physical layer protocol has a name that summarizes its characteristics in the format speed/signaling method/segment length, where speed is the LAN speed in megabits per second (Mbps), signaling method is either baseband or broadband, and segment length is typically the maximum length between stations in hundreds of meters. Therefore, 100BASE-T specifies a 100-Mbps, baseband LAN with maximum network segments.

IEEE 802.3u 100BASE-T Specifications

Table 4-3 lists the cabling specifications for 100-Mbps Fast Ethernet transmission over UTP, STP, and fiber-optic cables. Table 4-4 summarizes IEEE 802.3u 100BASE-T physical characteristics.

Table 4-3 Specifications and Connection Limits for 100-Mbps Transmission

Parameter

RJ-45

MII

SC-Type

Cable specification

Category 5¹ UTP², 22 to 24 AWG

Category 3, 4, or 5, 150-ohm UTP or STP, or multimode optical fiber

62.5/125 multimode optical fiber

Maximum cable length

—

1.64 ft (0.5 m) (MII-to-MII cable³)

—

Maximum segment length

328 ft (100 m) for 100BASE-TX

3.28 ft (1 m)⁴ or 1,312 ft (400 m) for 100BASE-FX

328 ft (100 m)

Maximum network length

656 ft (200 m)4 (with 1 repeater)

—

656 ft (200 m)4 (with 1 repeater)

¹EIA/TIA-568 or EIA-TIA-568 TSB-36 compliant.

²Cisco Systems does not supply Category 5 UTP RJ-45 or 150-ohm STP MII cables; these cables are available commercially.

³This cable is between the media independent interfaceMII port on the FE back card and the appropriate transceiver.

⁴This length is specifically between any two stations on a repeated segment.

Table 4-4 EEE 802.3u Physical Characteristics

Parameter

100BASE-FX

100BASE-TX

Data rate (Mbps)

100

100

Signaling method

Baseband

Baseband

Maximum segment length

100 m between repeaters

100 m between DTE¹ and repeaters

Media

SC-type—dual simplex or single duplex for Rx and Tx

RJ-45MII

Topology

Star/Hub

Star/Hub

¹DTE = data terminal equipment.

Fast Ethernet MGX-RJ45-FE and MGX-MMF-FE Back Cards

The RPM-PR works with two Fast Ethernet back cards, the MGX-MMF-FE and the MGX-RJ45-FE, which are described in the following sections.

MGX-MMF-FE Back Card

Each Fast Ethernet port on the MGX-MMF-FE back card has an SC-type fiber-optic connector for 100BASE-FX, and an MII connector that permits connection through external transceivers to multimode fiber for 100BASE-FX physical media.

Figure 4-5 shows the Fast Ethernet, MGX-MMF-FE back card.

Figure 4-5 MGX-MMF-FE Back Card

MGX-RJ45-FE Back Card

Each Fast Ethernet port on the MGX-RJ45-FE back card has an RJ-45 connector to attach to Category 5 UTP for 100BASE-TX, and an MII connector that permits connection through external transceivers to multimode fiber for 100BASE-FX physical media.

Figure 4-6 shows the Fast Ethernet MGX-RJ45-FE back card.

Figure 4-6 MGX-RJ45-FE Back Card

Fast Ethernet Back Card LEDs

The MGX-RJ45-FE and MGX-MMF-FE back cards contain the enabled LED, which is standard on all back cards, and a bank of three status LEDs for the ports. After system initialization, the enabled LED goes on to indicate that the back card has been enabled for operation. (See Figure 4-6.)

The following conditions must be met before the enabled LED goes on:

•FE back card is correctly connected and receiving power.

•FE-equipped card or chassis contains a valid microcode version that has been downloaded successfully.

•Bus recognizes the FE back card.

If any of these conditions is not met, or if the initialization fails for other reasons, the enabled LED does not go on.

The three status LEDs indicate which port is active.

•MII—Indicates that the MII port is selected as the active port by the controller.

•Link—When the RJ-45 or SC port is active, this LED is on when the back card is receiving a carrier signal from the network. When the MII port is active, this LED indicates network activity, and it flickers on and off proportionally to this activity.

•RJ-45 (or FIBER on MGX-MMF-FE)—Indicates that the RJ-45 (or FIBER) port is selected as the active port by the controller.

Note Either the MII LED or the RJ-45 (or FIBER) LED should be on, but never both.

Fast Ethernet Back Card Receptacles and Cables

The two interface receptacles on the FE back card are

•Single MII, 40-pin, D-shell type

•Single RJ-45 (or SC-type for MGX-MMF-FE optical-fiber connections)

You can use one or the other, but only one receptacle can be used at a time. Each connection supports IEEE 802.3u interfaces compliant with the 100BASE-X and 100BASE-T standards. The RJ-45 connection does not require an external transceiver. The MII connection requires an external physical sublayer (PHY) and an external transceiver.

Cisco Systems does not supply Category 5 UTP RJ-45 cables; these cables are available commercially. See "Cable and Connector Specifications" for pinouts and signals for the RJ-45 connectors on the MGX-RJ45-FE.

Figure 4-7 shows the RJ-45 connector used for MGX-RJ45-FE connections.

Figure 4-7 MGX-RJ45-FE RJ-45 Connections (Plug and Receptacle Shown)

Warning The ports labeled "Ethernet," "10BASE-T," "Console," and "AUX" are safety extra-low voltage (SELV) circuits. SELV circuits should be connected only to other SELV circuits. Because the BRI circuits are treated like telephone-network voltage, avoid connecting the SELV circuit to the telephone network voltage (TNV) circuits.

Figure 4-8 shows the duplex SC connector (only one required for both transmit and receive).

Figure 4-8 MGX-MMF-FE Duplex SC Connector

Figure 4-9 shows the simplex SC connector (two required, one each for transmit and receive) used for the MGX-MMF-FE optical-fiber connections. Cisco Systems does not supply multimode optical-fiber cables; these cables are available commercially.

Figure 4-9 MGX-MMF-FE Simplex SC Connector

Depending on the type of media you use between the MII connection on the back card and the switch or hub, the network side of your 100BASE-T transceiver should be appropriately equipped with ST-type connectors (for optical fiber), BNC connectors, and so forth. Figure 4-10 shows the pin orientation of the female MII connector on the back card. The back cards are field-replaceable units (FRUs).

The MII receptacle uses 2-56 screw-type locks, called "jackscrews" (see Figure 4-10), to secure the cable or transceiver to the MII port. MII cables and transceivers have knurled thumbscrews that you fasten to the jackscrews on the MGX-RJ45-FE back card MII connector. Use the jackscrews to provide strain relief for the MII cable. Figure 4-10 also shows the MII female connector (receptacle).

Caution Before you attach your MII transceiver to the MII receptacle on your FE back card, ensure that your MII transceiver responds to physical sublayer (PHY) address 0 per section 22.2.4.4. "PHY Address" of the IEEE 802.3u specification; otherwise, interface problems might result. Confirm that this capability is available on the MII transceiver with the transceiver vendor or in the transceiver documentation. If a selection for Isolation Mode is available, we recommend you use this setting (if no mention is made of PHY addressing).

Figure 4-10 MGX-RJ45-FE or MGX-MMF-FE MII Connection (Receptacle Shown)

See "Cable and Connector Specifications" for the MII connector pinout and signals. Cisco Systems does not supply MII cables; these cables are available commercially. The appendix refers to MII cables used between the MII connector on the MGX-RJ45-FE back card and an appropriate transceiver. The connection between this transceiver and your network can be Category 3, 4, or 5, 150-ohm UTP or STP, or multimode optical fiber.

Attaching FE Back Card Interface Cables

On a single FE back card, you can use either the RJ-45 (or SC for MGX-MMF-FE) connection or the MII connection. (Cisco Systems does not supply RJ-45, SC, and MII cables; these cables are available commercially.) If you have two FE back cards, you can use the RJ-45 (or SC for MGX-MMF-FE) connection on one back card and the MII connection on the other back card.

Caution Before you attach your MII transceiver to the MII receptacle on your FE back card, make sure that your MII transceiver responds to physical sublayer (PHY) address 0 per section 22.2.4.4. "PHY Address" of the IEEE 802.3u specification; otherwise, interface problems might result. Confirm that this capability is available on your MII transceiver with the transceiver's vendor or in the transceiver's documentation. If a selection for Isolation Mode is available, we recommend you use this setting (if no mention is made of PHY addressing).

Use the following procedure to connect RJ-45, SC (MGX-MMF-FE), or MII cables.

Step 1 Depending on the connection, do one of the following:

•If you have MII connections, attach an MII cable directly to the MII receptacle on the FE back card or attach a 100BASE-T transceiver, with the media appropriate to your application, to the MII receptacle on the FE back card.

•If you have RJ-45 connections, attach the Category 5 UTP cable directly to the RJ-45 port on the FE back card. The FE back card is an end station device and not a repeater. You must connect the FE back card to a repeater or hub.

•If you have an SC connection (MGX-MMF-FE back card), attach the cable directly to the SC port on the MGX-MMF-FE back card. Use either one duplex SC connector or two simplex SC connectors, and observe the correct relationship between the receive (RX) and transmit (TX) ports on the MGX-MMF-FE back card and your repeater.

Note Each FE (FX or TX) back card can have either an MII attachment or an RJ-45 (or SC) attachment, but not both simultaneously. The MII and RJ-45 (or SC) receptacles represent two physical connection options for one Fast Ethernet interface.

Warning Invisible laser radiation may be emitted from the aperture of the port when no cable is connected. To avoid exposure to laser radiation, do not stare into open apertures.

Step 2 For the MGX-RJ45-FE, attach the ferrite bead to the RJ-45 cable (at either end). (See Figure 4-11.)

Caution The ferrite bead prevents electromagnetic interference (EMI) from affecting the MGX-RJ45-FE-equipped system. It is a required component for proper system operation.

Figure 4-11 Attaching the Ferrite Bead Around the RJ-45 Cable

Caution To prevent problems on your FE back card and network, do not simultaneously connect RJ-45 (or SC) and MII cables to one FE back card. On a single FE back card, only one network connection can be used at one time. Only connect cables that comply with EIA/TIA-568 standards.

Step 3 Attach the network end of your RJ-45 (SC) or MII cable to your 100BASE-T transceiver, switch, hub, repeater, DTE, or other external 100BASE-T equipment.

Note After your MII transceiver is connected and the FE interface is configured as up, you can verify that your MII transceiver responds to physical sublayer (PHY) address 0 by disconnecting the transceiver from the MII receptacle; if the FE interface goes down, then your MII transceiver responds to PHY address 0.

This completes the FE back card cable installation.