Arrangement for testing network switch expansion port data by converting to media independent interface format

摘要

A method for testing a network switch chip having an expansion port configured for transferring data according to a prescribed expansion port protocol. The method includes outputting the expansion port frame data from the expansion port according to the prescribed expansion port protocol, converting the expansion port frame data from the prescribed expansion port protocol to a prescribed network protocol such as IEEE 802.3-based Media Independent Interface (MII) protocol, and outputting the converted data according to the prescribed MII protocol to a test device having an MII interface configured for receiving the data according to the prescribed MII protocol. The conversion of the data from the prescribed expansion port protocol to the prescribed MII protocol enables the use of the test device for validation of the expansion port, without the necessity of another network switch chip.