Micrel, a manufacturer of IC offerings for analogue, Ethernet and high bandwidth markets, has introduced the KSZ84xx family of IEEE 1588v2-enabled Ethernet devices for industrial Ethernet and power substation automation applications.
The new offering features Micrel’s EtherSynch technology, which integrates IEEE 1588v2 distributed synchronisation, Ethernet switching, and precision GPIO in an energy efficient, compact package, the company said.
The KSZ84xx platform supports both centralised and distributed network topologies.
The new product also features a full complement of Precise Timing Protocol timing modes, including the Transparent Clock (TC) introduced in IEEE 1588v2, along with a host of interfaces capable of interfacing to a wide range of CPUs.
The ICs hardware-oriented architecture reduces the synchronisation and communications processing demands on the host CPU.
The new family demonstrates sub-100ns synchronisation performance by integrating the IEEE 1588 PTPv2 time stamping as close to the physical layer as possible.
Micrel Ethernet vice president JC Lin said KSZ84xx is a cost-effective offering for implementing Industrial Ethernet networks, reducing size and power consumption vs. FPGA-based designs.
"Such a high level of integration reduces costs, making IEEE 1588v2/Ethernet a viable contender for Field Bus applications by replacing point-to-point serial interconnects," Lin said.
The KSZ84xx family includes advanced power management features that complement the inherently low-power Physical Layer design, including Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE-IEEE 802.3az), Wake on LAN (WoL), Energy Detect Power Down (EDPD), and software power down.
Sampled currently, the volume production of the ICs are expected in the first quarter of 2012.
