The Microchip LAN9360 audio endpoint controller interconnects vehicle infotainment devices such as speakers, amplifiers, microphones, navigation systems, radio tuners, and smart headrests using Ethernet AVB. The LAN9360 links audio between Ethernet AVB and local audio interfaces for Inter-IC Sound (I2S™), Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), and Pulse Density Modulation (PDM). It offers full support for AVB-over-Ethernet audio transmission, including the Generalized Precision Time Protocol (gPTP), time logging, transport protocols, and High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP). It also supports secure boot and secure remote updates over Ethernet. Unlike other networking solutions that link to Ethernet and require SoC (System-on-Chip) microcontrollers and third-party software stacks, the LAN9360 endpoint device does not require software integration, thus allowing designers to easily and quickly configure the device to meet manufacturers' unique audio and network connectivity requirements.
The Microchip LAN9360 audio endpoint controller has been validated against industry standards for Ethernet interoperability with AVB protocols. The device is validated against IEEE® 802.1BA-2011, IEEE 802.1AS, IEEE1722, and IEEE1733 specificationsfor Ethernet networking and is certified to AVB interoperability and reliability standards as established by the Avnu Alliance consortium.
"We were looking for an AVB solution for our remote in-car tuners and the LAN9360 allowed us to develop a reliable platform quickly and without changing our existing software," said Pierrick Labeau, R&D Director at FIAMM Horn & Antennas - Elettra 1938 Group.
“This endpoint controller is a single smart chip for Ethernet interoperability in infotainment systems,” said Matthias Kaestner, Vice President and Managing Director of Automotive at Microchip. “In today’s fast-paced design environment, this off-the-shelf device gives designers rapid initial development and allows them to avoid months of engineering work and the risks involved in coding or coordinating with other integrators.”.
The LAN9360 expands Microchip's comprehensive portfolio of Ethernet products and complete system solutions for automotive developers. Other Microchip Ethernet devices for automotive applications include the LAN8770 100BASE-T1 PHY , a cost-effective, single-port physical layer transceiver compliant with the IEEE 802.3bw-2015 specification. This device is capable of transmitting and receiving at 100 Mbps over a single unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cable. Additionally, the Trust Anchor (TA100) , a secure component from Microchip's CryptoAutomotive ™ security integrated circuit portfolio for automotive security applications, supports code authentication, secure boot, and HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) audio content protection.
Development tools
A Microchip Development Board and MPLAB Network Creator are used to configure the LAN9360 through an intuitive graphical user interface. MPLAB Network Creator is a free graphical configuration environment that allows developers to quickly and intuitively generate configuration files for the LAN9360 AVB audio endpoint and perform complete firmware or configuration updates on LAN9360 devices remotely via Ethernet.
Prices and availability
The Microchip LAN9360 endpoint device is supplied in 100-ball TFBGA (Thin Profile Fine Pitch Ball) packages. For pricing and other information, contact a Microchip sales representative or authorized distributor, or visit the Microchip website.
