[Arm-netbook] EOMA server standard

[luke.leighton]

On Wed, Oct 24, 2012 at 1:23 PM, Gordan Bobic <gordan at bobich.net> wrote:

> Possibly the best option might be a single 10G fibre port with
> additional 4-5 copper gigabit ports for people who aren't set up for fibre.

 my only concern is: standards *have* to be based around
"non-optional-itis".  or, that whatever you put down it can have
auto-negotiation.

 basically, if you have fibre and also 4-5 copper gigabit ports, all
server card implementations *MUST* support fibre and also 4-5 copper
gigabit ports.  even if you have fibre and only 1 copper gigabit port,
all server cards *MUST* support *BOTH* interfaces, even if the I/O
boards don't use the fibre or don't use the copper.

 you *CANNOT* have "optional" ports on the server card.  you just
can't - it causes complete chaos.

 this is why i was looking at 10GBase-T because you can use the
*exact* same 8 wires for 10/100/1000/10000 ethernet, it's all
auto-negotiated.

 setting a lowest-common-denominator standard (where its sub-standards
all have auto-negotiation), in a market that's about to expand, is
very very tricky!

 this needs a lot of careful thought, or just to say "nuts to it" and
set a bar and tough luck for any SoCs that are below that level.

i dunno.

*ponders*.

l.