Microchip launches debut automotive-qualified 10BASE-T1S Ethernet devices
According to Microchip, automotive designers are seeking to replace legacy gateway subsystems with technology that can migrate applications to an Ethernet network and thereby access information from the edge to the cloud. The company has developed its first automotive-qualified Ethernet PHYs for this purpose. The family of 10BASE-T1S devices with AEC-Q100 Grade 1 qualification comprises the LAN8670, LAN8671 and LAN8672.
The 10BASE-T1S Ethernet PHYs are functional safety-ready and designed for use in ISO 26262 applications. They make it possible to connect low-speed devices that previously required their own communication systems into a standard Ethernet system in automotive applications.
Matthias Kaestner, vice president of Microchip’s automotive products business unit, explains: “This new technology will connect the sensors and actuators used in the physical world all the way to the cloud, and it will enable a seamless Ethernet architecture everywhere.”
Being able to connect multiple Ethernet PHYs to a common bus line makes it simpler to implement automotive applications on a single architecture. It saves implementation costs by reducing cabling and switch ports. The LAN8670, LAN8671 and LAN8672 enable the network edges to use Ethernet and Internet Protocol (IP) to communicate with the rest of the network infrastructure. Their PHY diagnostics provide the user with troubleshooting capabilities. Sleep/wake functionality allows for low-power modes.
The 10BASE-T1S device specifications include 10Mbits per second, half duplex mode, flexible topology with multi-drop bus line and point-to-point and use a single balanced pair of conductors. The Ethernet PHYs also feature enhanced EMC/EMI performance and time-sensitive networking (TSN) support allows for synchronised timing across Ethernet networks. Time synchronisation is critical for many applications throughout automotive zonal architectures.
Microchip was a contributor in the development of the standards with IEEE for the automotive-qualified 10BASE-T1S technology. This technology simplifies system design by expanding the reach of Ethernet to the devices that are typically at the very edge of the network.
The LAN8670, LAN8671 and LAN8672 Ethernet PHYs are supported with the EVB-LAN8670-RMII, EVB-LAN8670-USB and MPLAB Harmony v3.
The PHYs are available to purchase now.
