Summary of MICROCHIP ANNOUNCED NEW VSC8541RT GIGABIT ETHERNET PHY RMII / RGMII TRANSCEIVER
The VSC8540RT is a military-grade Ethernet transceiver designed for harsh environments like military vehicles and aircraft. It leverages COTS technology to reduce development time and costs while offering extreme temperature tolerance (-55°C to 125°C), wide voltage support, and various interface options including RMII and RGMII. The device features Energy Efficient Ethernet, Fast Link Failure detection, and integrated line-side termination to enhance reliability and performance in aerospace and defense applications.
Parts used in the VSC8540RT Ethernet Transceiver Project:
- VSC8540RT Ethernet transceiver
- HiRel plastic package
- RMII (Reduced Media Independent Interface)
- RGMII (Reduced Gigabit Media Independent Interface)
- MII interface
- GMII interface
- EcoEthernet 2.0 module
- Fast Link Failure 2.0 (FLF2) system
- Synchronous Ethernet clock output
- Integrated line-side termination
When your product needs to be designed to work in the most harsh of conditions, such as in military vehicles, aircrafts and others of the same sort, you need military-grade components to cope with extreme temperatures, radiation, and other environmental characteristics commonly found in the defense and aerospacial industries, among others. In these industries, not any product will do, as an unreliable component can lead to expensive problems or even result in a huge catastrophe. This can lead to a longer and more costly development cycle. Microchip has a new solution that can help with these application requirements. The new VSC8540RT Ethernet transceiver.
Based on their COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) technology, the VSC8540RT transceiver allows the developers to implement their projects with COTS devices before moving onto this military-grade solution, saving time and money in the process. The ethernet physical layer RMII (Reduced Media Independent Interface) / RGMII (Reduced Gigabit Media Independent Interface) transceiver is a highly reliable solution, enclosed in a HiRel plastic package that meets the requirements for applications including fighting vehicle, cockpits and in-flight navigation systems, among others.
Regarding specifications, the VSC8540RT packs inside:
- 10/100/1000Mbps Ethernet Bandwidth
- RMII, MII, GMII and RGMII interfaces
- EcoEthernet 2.0, with Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE)
- Fast Link Failure 2.0 (FLF2) with failure indication for commutator ring applications
- Support for Synchronous Ethernet through recovered clock output and ring resiliency
- Widest voltage range (1.5 V to 3.3 V), fully-compliant parallel MAC interface device
- Configurable drive strength of the MAC interface, enabling better control of system-level EMI/EMC
- SOF (Start Of Frame) sync for ingress and egress, enabling highly accurate latency calculation
- Integrated line-side termination to conserve board space, lower EMI, and improve system performance
- Extended temperature range from -55°C to 125°C
This new ethernet transceiver takes part in the company’s portfolio of aerospace and defense products, which is already is an interesting collection, including:
- 8-bit AVR-based microcontrollers with embedded ADC and DAC, CAN (Controller Area Network) and motor control interfaces
- 32-bit ARM-based microcontrollers with memory protection mechanisms and 100 Mbit ethernet capabilities
- 16-bit dsPIC digital signal controller, designed for digital power management
- 16-bit / 200 MSPS (Mega Samples Per Second) standalone ADC converter
As Microchip continues to produce innovative products, including those based in COTS technology, their teams team up with system manufacturers and integrators taking part in the management of obsolete systems, supporting their efforts in order to minimize the redesign work and enhance the life cycle of these products, in order to reduce the overall system costs.
Read more: MICROCHIP ANNOUNCED NEW VSC8541RT GIGABIT ETHERNET PHY RMII / RGMII TRANSCEIVER
- What is the primary purpose of the VSC8540RT?
The VSC8540RT is a military-grade Ethernet transceiver designed to work in harsh conditions such as extreme temperatures and radiation found in defense and aerospace industries. - How does the VSC8540RT save developers time and money?
It allows developers to implement projects using Commercial Off The Shelf devices before moving to the military-grade solution, utilizing COTS technology. - Does the transceiver support multiple Ethernet bandwidths?
Yes, it supports 10/100/1000Mbps Ethernet bandwidth. - What interfaces are supported by the VSC8540RT?
The device supports RMII, MII, GMII, and RGMII interfaces. - Can the VSC8540RT operate in extreme temperatures?
Yes, it has an extended temperature range from -55°C to 125°C. - What voltage range does the transceiver support?
It supports a wide voltage range from 1.5 V to 3.3 V. - How does the device help with system-level EMI/EMC?
It offers configurable drive strength of the MAC interface to enable better control of system-level EMI/EMC. - What feature enables highly accurate latency calculation?
The SOF (Start Of Frame) sync for ingress and egress enables highly accurate latency calculation. - Does the transceiver include energy-saving features?
Yes, it includes EcoEthernet 2.0 with Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE). - How does Microchip assist with obsolete systems?
Microchip teams up with system manufacturers to minimize redesign work and enhance the life cycle of products to reduce overall system costs.
