Delay skew is the difference in arrival times between pairs; why is it important for Gigabit Ethernet?

• A. The difference in arrival times between the two wires of a single pair
• B. The phase shift between signals on the same conductor
• C. The difference in arrival times between pairs
• D. The difference in arrival times between pairs; accuracy matters for proper operation in higher-speed Ethernet

Answer: (D)

In Gigabit Ethernet, data is sent across all four copper pairs in parallel, and the receiver must align those signals so they can be sampled together. Delay skew is the difference in arrival times between the pair signals. If one pair arrives earlier or later than another, the timing window used for reconstruction gets distorted, increasing errors and making reliable operation at high speeds harder. Keeping inter-pair skew within tight limits ensures all four channels stay synchronized and the receiver can correctly interpret the combined data stream. This is why the concept emphasizes the difference in arrival times between pairs and why accuracy matters for proper operation in higher-speed Ethernet. The other ideas describe timing aspects that aren’t the focus for multi-pair Gigabit signaling.