However, achieving this often requires proprietary multi-chip solutions that increase complexity and costs for developers. Microchip Technology Inc. today announced its SparX-5i family of Ethernet switches, a single-chip solution based on IEEE standards that offers the most comprehensive TSN feature set on the market to help eliminate reliance on these expensive, proprietary, and proprietary solutions for deterministic communications.
The SparX-5i family supports the main IEEE TSN standards required for a complete real-time communication solution. These include IEEE 1588v2 and the IEEE 802.1AS-REV profile for synchronization, IEEE 802.1Qbv for traffic configuration, IEEE 802.1Qbu/802.3br for latency reduction, IEEE 802.1Qci for flow control, and IEEE 802.1CB for redundancy. Offering these standards on a single chip ensures the transmission of high-priority traffic across the entire network with extremely low latency. Furthermore, the family supports standard Layer 2/Layer 3 Ethernet with bandwidths up to 200Gbps, incorporating 100M, 1G, 2.5G, 5G, 10G, and 25GbE interfaces for the most flexible connectivity solution on the market.
“With Microchip’s SparX-5i family of Ethernet switches, we make it easier for our customers to deploy a TSN-compliant infrastructure and help them achieve real-time data communication across their entire network,” said Charles Forni, vice president of Microchip’s USB and Networking business unit.
“The SparX-5i family is Microchip’s first device that is aligned with the new TSN switches designed for all levels of industrial automation networks, from the fieldbus to the factory floor network.” In addition to the SparX-5i family, Microchip also offers the SparX-5 family of enterprise Ethernet switches, which support standard L2/L3 Ethernet with bandwidth up to 200G and incorporate 100M, 1G, 2.5G, 5G, 10G, and 25GbE interfaces.
Development Tools:
The VSC6817SDK IStaX Linux application software is a ready-to-use software solution for industrial Ethernet switches, designed specifically for Microchip Ethernet switches. The software utilizes the latest Linux operating system to optimize performance and achieve cost-effective deployment. It features high integration of advanced L2+ switch functions, such as QCL and ACL, and supports core TSN functions.
Microchip also offers an Application Programming Interface (API) for Ethernet switching and physical layer (PHY) (VSC6803API) – MESA – which provides a comprehensive, easy-to-use, and operating system-independent function library. Evaluation boards and reference designs are also available.
Availability:
The SparX-5i and SparX-5 switches are now in production. For more information or to purchase these products, contact a Microchip sales representative or authorized distributor, or visit the Microchip website. To purchase the products, visit the Microchip shopping portal.
