August 20, 2024 /SemiMedia/ -- Microchip Technology has announced the expansion of its Single-Pair Ethernet (SPE) solutions, which are increasingly being adopted in automotive and industrial markets for their ability to reduce cost, weight, and cable complexity. SPE’s proven performance and reliability are now also benefiting sectors like avionics, robotics, and automation. The new LAN887x Ethernet PHY transceivers support speeds from 100 Mbps to 1000 Mbps, using 1000BASE-T1 network standards, with cable lengths reaching up to 40 meters for extended connectivity.

For interoperability across industries, Microchip’s LAN887x PHYs are designed to be fully compliant with IEEE® 802.3bp for the 1000BASE-T1 specification and IEEE 802bw-2015 for the 100BASE-T1 specification. Microchip has collaborated with the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory (UNH-IOL) to create the development test platform for 1000BASE-T1 conformance. For many automotive and industrial applications that operate in harsh environments and need to withstand extreme temperatures, these devices are also designed to be ISO 26262 functional safety ready with ASIL B classification.

These devices provide advanced diagnostics including cable fault detection, signal quality indicator, link down and errors, built in self-test, and temperature and voltage monitoring for increased reliability. To provide flexibility with varying connectivity requirements across end applications, the LAN887x PHYs support Type A operation with cable lengths up to 15m and Type B operation to support extended cable lengths of up to 40m. Both operation types include four inline connectors.

The LAN887x is a low-power solution with EtherGREEN™ technology for increased energy efficiency. The OPEN Alliance TC10 Sleep and Wakeup feature provides additional power savings with a maximum of 16 µA standby power consumption, which extends operating time in battery applications. An optional integrated linear regulator can optimize BOM costs by reducing the number of components in the design.

“Our comprehensive solutions, which include PHY transceivers, bridge devices, switches and development boards, make it easier for designers to implement Single Pair Ethernet technology into their designs,” said Charles Forni, vice president of Microchip’s USB and networking business unit. “The low-power sleep, extended cable reach features and functional safety support make our LAN887x devices versatile and robust solutions to support our customers’ expanding networking needs.”

The LAN887x PHYs are compatible with Microchip’s broad portfolio of microcontrollers (MCUs), microprocessors (MPUs), System-on-Chip (SoC) devices and Ethernet switches. Microchip offers a growing range of SPE solutions including PHYs, controllers and switches to support data transmission speeds from 10 Mbps to 1000 Mbps.

The LAN8870, LAN8871 and LAN8872 are now available in production quantities. For additional information, please visit https://www.microchip.com/en-us/products/high-speed-networking-and-video/ethernet/single-pair-ethernet.