Introduction to Technology
Gigabit card Overview
Chapter 1
20
Gigabit card Overview
The Gigabit Ethernet intelligent cards are designed to maximize host CPU efficiency by
performing functions such as TCP/IP checksum and interrupt coalescing. Bulk data
transfers can be optimized by using Jumbo Frames; the large 9000-byte maximum
transfer unit (MTU) improves system efficiency.
The 1000Base-T cards are trispeed cards that support autonegotiation and autosensing.
They operate in full-duplex mode at 10, 100 and 1000 Mbit/s or in half-duplex mode at
10 and 100 Mbit/s.
1000Base-SX supports full-duplex point-to-point or back-to-back (via switch to card or
card to card) operations only. The cards do not support half-duplex and do not speed
negotiate (1000 Mbit/s operation only), but do perform autonegotiation for other link
parameters.
For more detailed information on the currently supported Gigabit Ethernet cards,
drivers, and the platforms that support them, see the HP-UX Ethernet Driver Support
Matrix, Edition 2 (for Releases of Sept 2004 and Later) on http://docs.hp.com under
“Networking and Communications.”
