The term "XAUI" is commonly used in computer networking and refers to a 4-lane, 10 Gbps serial interface. The spelling of this word can be explained using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The first letter "X" represents the voiceless velar fricative /x/, followed by "A" representing the open central unrounded vowel /ä/. The letters "U" and "I" represent the vowel sounds /u/ and /i/ respectively. Therefore, the correct pronunciation of "XAUI" would be /xäui/.
XAUI stands for 10 Gigabit Attachment Unit Interface, which is a high-speed serial communication standard widely used in networking and telecommunications applications. It is designed to provide a reliable and efficient method for transmitting data at a rate of 10 gigabits per second (Gbps) between integrated circuits within electronic devices.
The XAUI standard employs a 4-lane serial interface, where each lane operates at a clock rate of 3.125 gigabaud, resulting in a combined data rate of 10 Gbps. This allows for a higher data transfer capacity compared to traditional parallel interfaces. The XAUI interface uses differential signaling technology to transmit data in a balanced manner, reducing electromagnetic interference and ensuring reliable transmission over copper or fiber-optic cables.
One of the main advantages of XAUI is its ability to transmit data over longer distances without significant loss of signal quality. This makes it suitable for use in applications that require high-speed data transfer over extended distances, such as local area networks (LANs), data centers, and high-performance computing environments.
To enable interoperability between different electronic devices, XAUI interfaces are often used in conjunction with other networking standards such as Ethernet and Fibre Channel. It provides a versatile and scalable solution for transmitting large amounts of data quickly and efficiently, supporting the growing demands of modern communication networks.