Microchip Launches New Family of Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) Ethernet Switches

Microchip Launches New Family of Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) Ethernet Switches, Delivering Industry’s First Turnkey Solution for Industrial Automation Networks

LAN9668x Series Ethernet Switches Support a Single Network Architecture, Using New LAN8814 PHYs, Reduce Designers’ System Cost and Risk, Accelerate Time to Market

From reducing handling and storage to increasing production, factory automation is improving production efficiency across the board. Connected warehouses and other industrial ecosystems with converged information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) architectures rely on time-sensitive networking (TSN) and Ethernet for precise timing, synchronization and device connectivity, including cameras, barcode readers, scanners and conveyors. These ecosystems require next-generation network technology to interconnect devices, sensors and device communications. To meet this requirement, Microchip Technology Inc. today announced the launch of the LAN9668 series of TSN switching devices. As the industry's first switching solution to provide IEEE-compliant functions, the LAN9668 series of TSN switching devices enables lower latency data traffic and higher clock accuracy.

Microchip's recently released LAN8814 quad-port Gigabit Ethernet physical layer (PHY) transceiver is a supporting device for the LAN9668x.

Microchip's LAN9668-I/9MX and LAN9668-9MX devices are 8-port switches for industrial and commercial applications, respectively, equipped with an Arm® Cortex®-A7 central processing unit (CPU) to support TSN IEEE communication standards in industrial environments. These standards include IEEE 1588v2 and IEEE 802.1AS-2020 for precise timing, IEEE 802.1Qci for filtering and monitoring of each data flow, IEEE 802.1Qav and IEEE 802.1Qbv for traffic shaping, IEEE 802.1CB for seamless redundancy, and IEC-62439-2 (Media Redundancy Protocol) and ODVA-DLR and IEC-61158-6-10 for media redundancy.

Microchip's Ethernet switch, PHY application programming interface and Ethernet switch API (MESA) and Ethernet PHY API (MEPA) provide designers with full freedom and flexibility to develop comprehensive, user-friendly function libraries independent of the operating system. Microchip's software framework supports the relevant standards of a single, scalable TSN chipset and provides the lowest latency and end-to-end communication traffic transmission.

The LAN8814 is a new generation quad-port Gigabit Ethernet PHY that fully supports the latest TSN requirements, including 1588 v2 and frame preemption. Designers using LAN9668 and LAN8814 technology can adopt TSN chipsets for timing, flow preservation, protection and management, saving development time and cost.

“Where previously devices and equipment required their own communication systems, TSN streamlines traffic and improves interoperability by connecting data streams,” said Charles Forni, vice president of Microchip’s USB and Networking business unit. “To enable converged network architectures, this technology enables developers to expand their products into new markets and deliver better performance in existing networks.”

In addition to the LAN9668 series and LAN8814 Ethernet PHY, Microchip also provides related IStaX/SMBStaX and WebStaX network operating systems to connect hardware and software to help achieve rapid time to market. This includes a reproducible reference design that can be used as a board design or kit for Microchip parts (including TSN switches, Ethernet PHYs, clock devices, and oscillators). As an integrated solution, it complies with all network standards and simplifies developers' first design.

Development Tools

The LAN9668-I/9MX and LAN9668-9MX TSN Ethernet switches are supported by the VSC6817SDK IStaX Linux application software. This industrial Ethernet switch software solution supports Microchip's managed Ethernet switch devices. The VSC6817SDK IStaX Linux network operating system is an industrial Ethernet switch software solution that also supports Microchip's managed Ethernet switch devices. The SMBStaX Linux network operating system and the WebSTaX Linux network operating system are available to commercial designers and track to the long-term supported Linux kernel. These solutions are highly integrated with advanced L2+ switch functions. In addition, Microchip and distribution partners provide reference designs and evaluation boards to make design work easier.

Availability

The LAN9668/9MX is available in production now, priced from $16.14 in quantities of 1,000. The LAN8814/ZMX is also available in production now, priced from $6.43 in quantities of 1,000.