PCIe Ethernet bridges deliver power savings and design longevity

By Carolyn Mathas, contributing writer

Microchip Technology, Inc., announced two Ethernet bridge solutions for designers implementing power savings to their designs via Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) 3.1 low-power sub-state (LPSS) L1.1 (snooze) and L1.2 (off). The LPSS L1.1 (snooze) and L1.2 (off) enable designers to reduce power consumption and improve battery life when the device is not in use. The devices meet customer needs for PCIe 3.1, low-power sub-states for power saving in automotive and handheld or single-board computers in industrial applications.

The LAN7430/1 allows the host device to deliver audio, data, or video data through the 10/100/1,000 Ethernet network. Connection via the PCIe 3.1 specification, provides up to 2.5 simultaneous Gigatransfers per second (GT/s) in each direction.

The LAN7430/1 family provides for single 3.3-V supply operation and integrates a JTAG (1149.1) Test Access Port (TAP) for enhanced test coverage. The LAN7430 Ethernet bridge provides integrated power, clocks, and an Ethernet physical (PHY) interface, while the LAN7431 provides Reduced Gigabit Media-Independent Interface (RGMII) for alternative PHYs and switches for design with alternative link layers such as IEEE 802.3bw-2015 (100Base-T1) for 100 Mbits/s and 802.3bp-2016 (1000Base-T1) operation over a single twisted-pair cable. The LAN7431 also offers a variant that exceeds AEC-Q100 Grade 2 qualification.

The LAN7430 (48-lead QFN package) is priced at $3.95 each and the LAN7431 (72-lead QFN package) is available for $3.59 each, both in 1,000-unit quantities via the company’s purchasing portal or distributors. Evaluation boards (EVB-LAN7430 and EVB-LAN7431) are also available.