5. Use With Non-ICS Hardware

Intrepid’s SFP products are designed to be MSA compliant and tested for interoperability with other Intrepid hardware. There is nothing in the SFP design that would preclude it for use with non-Intrepid hardware, however some SFP hosts have default configurations or limitations that can make interoperability a challenge.

5.1. Making it work

Frequently, the reason that an Automotive Ethernet SFP will not work with non-automotive equipment has to do with the fact that most non-automotive systems are plug-and-play while most automotive devices are not. One specific example is that switches typically use a method of auto-negotiation to establish if the communication should be Full or Half-Duplex. Automotive PHYs typically do not support this auto-negotiation, therefore the communication is never established. If the switch has a CLI or other configuration utility that allows setting its ports to static settings that match the SFP, the incompatibility may be resolved.

If an Intrepid SFP does not seem to be working with non-Intrepid hardware, try these steps:

  1. Verify that the SFP and the xMII of the switch port are both statically configured to the same speed.

  2. Verify that the switch port is statically set to full duplex. (disable auto-negotiation)

Switch Port Configuration

Not all switches support static configuration of speed and duplex settings, especially switches intended for home or small office use. If the switch does not support these port configurations, and the SFP does not appear to link or function properly, it may not be possible to use an Intrepid SFP with that switch.