Optical Ethernet PHY Transceivers
Precision Time Protocol and MACsec Encryption
Microchip has launched new optical Ethernet PHY transceivers offering speeds of up to 25 Gbit/s. Offering high security (MACsec) and precise time synchronisation (IEEE 1588 PTP), they are ideal for industry, data centres and networked infrastructures, with ranges of up to 10 km over fibre optics.
The rise of smart factories, remote monitoring and connected infrastructure are increasing the demand for advanced networking systems that can operate over long distances and in challenging environments. To address the need for reliable and secure connectivity solutions, Microchip Technology announced its new portfolio of Optical Ethernet PHY transceivers, available in 25 Gbps and 10 Gbps versions, featuring IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol (PTP) and Media Access Control Security (MACsec) encryption.
Microchip’s optical Ethernet PHY transceivers provide a secure, deterministic and scalable alternative to traditional copper-based Ethernet solutions. They support link lengths of up to 10 kilometers over single-mode fiber for seamless deployments over dispersed infrastructure such as company and college campuses or warehouses. The integration of PTP time stamping delivers sub-nanosecond (<1ns) synchronization accuracy across distributed nodes. This level of timing precision is essential for time-sensitive applications such as industrial automation, telecommunications and robotics.
The new variants support Ethernet speeds ranging from 1 Gbps to 25 Gbps, enabling higher bandwidth for data-intensive applications such as data centers, campus area networks, and robotic / industrial automation. Designers can easily scale their networks by selecting the appropriate data rate and media (Optical or DAC - Direct Attach Copper) to match their application requirements.
To help safeguard sensitive data in connected environments, security is integrated at the silicon level with support for MACsec (IEEE 802.1AE) encryption. This hardware-based implementation protects against network data breaches by encrypting traffic between Ethernet devices. MACsec is designed to thwart common cyberattacks including man-in-the-middle attacks, denial-of-service (DoS), eavesdropping and spoofing, to ensure data integrity across the network.
The new variants of Optical Ethernet PHY Transceivers include:
LAN826x supporting up to 10 Gbps
- Dual-port: LAN8262-V/3HW: 10 Gbps, Dual-port, MACsec; LAN8263-V/3HW: 10 Gbps, Dual-port, PTP; LAN8264-V/3HW: 10 Gbps, Dual-port, PTP, MACsec
- Quad-port: LAN8267-V/3HW: 10 Gbps, Quad-port, PTP; LAN8268-V/3HW: 10 Gbps, Quad-port, PTP, MACsec;
LAN802x and LAN804x supporting up to 25 Gbps
- Dual-port: LAN8022-V/3HW: 25 Gbps, Dual-port, MACsec; LAN8023-V/3HW: 25 Gbps, Dual-port, PTP; LAN8024-V/3HW: 25 Gbps, Dual-port, PTP, MACsec
- Quad-port: LAN8042-V/3HW: 25 Gbps, Quad-port, MACsec; LAN8043-V/3HW: 25 Gbps, Quad-port, PTP; LAN8044-V/3HW: 25 Gbps, Quad-port, PTP, MACsec.
Development Tools
To simplify development, the portfolio of Optical Ethernet PHY Transceivers are supported by the LAN8044 Evaluation Kit (part number EA00J09A) which includes the LAN8044 EDSX Daughter Card (part number EV57U68A) and the EVB-VSC7558TSN EDSX (UNG8415).
