These ecosystems require next-generation networking technology to interconnect communication between devices, sensors, and equipment. To meet this requirement, Microchip Technology Inc. (Nasdaq: MCHP) today announced the LAN9668 family of TSN switching devices, offering IEEE-compliant features in the first switching solution on the market to deliver data traffic flows with lower latency and significantly higher clock accuracy.
As a complement to the LAN9668x family, Microchip has also introduced the new LAN8814 four-port Gigabit Ethernet physical layer (PHY) transceiver.
The Microchip LAN9668-I/9MX and LAN9668-9MX devices are 8-port switches for industrial and commercial applications, respectively, incorporating Arm® Cortex®-A7 CPUs (central processing units) that comply with IEEE TSN standards for communication in industrial environments. These standards include IEEE 1588v2 and IEEE 802.1AS-2020 for precise timing, IEEE 802.1Qci for transmission filtering and monitoring, IEEE 802.1Qav and IEEE 802.1Qbv for traffic configuration, and IEEE 802.1CB for full redundancy, as well as
IEC-62439-2 (media redundancy protocol) and ODVA-DLR and IEC-61158-6-10 for media redundancy.
Microchip's Ethernet Switch API (MESA) and PHY API (MEPA) provide designers with the freedom and flexibility they need to develop a complete, easy-to-use library that is operating system independent.
The LAN9668 and LAN8814 scalable TSN circuit sets are supported by Microchip's software environment and provide the lowest latency and transmission between communication traffic endpoints.
The LAN8814 is a next-generation, four-port Gigabit Ethernet PHY that meets all the latest TSN requirements, including IEEE 1588 v2 and sequence anticipation. Designers using LAN9668 and LAN8814 technology can leverage the TSN circuitry set to achieve the required levels of timing, flow reservation, protection, and management, thereby shortening development time and cost.
“While devices and equipment previously required their own communication systems, TSN improves interoperability by connecting their data flows to simplify traffic,” said Charles Forni, vice president of Microchip’s USB and Networking business unit. “This technology enables the convergence of network architectures, allowing developers to bring their products to new markets and improve performance on existing networks.”
In addition to the LAN9668 family and the LAN8814 Ethernet PHY, Microchip supplies its associated IStaX/SMBStaX and WebStaX network operating system, which accelerates time to market for both hardware and software. These products feature a reproducible reference design available as a card or kit incorporating Microchip devices, including TSN switches, Ethernet PHYs, clock devices, and oscillators. As an integrated solution, it complies with all networking standards, simplifying initial design work for developers.
Development Tools:
The LAN9668-I/9MX and LAN9668-9MX Ethernet switches are supported by the VSC6817SDK IStaX Linux application software, an industrial Ethernet switch software solution for Microchip's managed Ethernet switching devices. The VSC6817SDK IStaX Linux network operating system is also an industrial Ethernet switch software solution for Microchip's managed Ethernet switching devices. The SMBStaX Linux network operating system and the WebSTaX Linux network operating system are available to commercial designers and offer long-term Linux kernel support. All of these solutions are highly integrated and incorporate advanced L2+ switching features. Reference designs and evaluation boards are also available from Microchip and its distributors, facilitating custom design.
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