2.2. FC-0: The Physical Layer

Level FC-0 deals with the physical variants:

  • fiber

  • connectors

  • receivers

  • data encoders/decoders

  • serializers/deserializers

  • transmitters

FC-0 deals strictly with the serial bit stream to be sent and received, and the conductors used to transmit that stream. This layer is called the physical layer. The Fibre Channel standard calls this function the Link Control Facility (LCF). The requirements are different for different types of media and different data rates.

2.2.1. Connectors

Remember, Chapter 1 stated that the main purpose of Fibre Channel is to have any number of existing protocols over a variety of physical media and existing cable options. Therefore, FC-0 provides for four types of connectors to accommodate for the ...

Get Fibre Channel for Mass Storage now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.

Start your free trial