Zarlink Ethernet switch IC with embedded memory and integrated QoS features

Zarlink Semiconductor (Zarlink) has expanded its DirectConnect family of embedded Ethernet switching chips, introduced a new high-capacity aggregation and FDS6982S datasheet and switching devices simplifies the cable (wired), wireless (wireless) and FDS6982S price and cable TV (cable) network used in high-density media processing, data plane and FDS6982S suppliers and control plane card design.

the ZL33020 embedded Ethernet switch chip is a 24 FE (Fast Ethernet) +4 GE (Gigabit Ethernet) port device with 3.75M bits (480K bytes) embedded memory, the memory can be used to control the databases and frame data buffer. The device supports multiple interface options, including SMII, RMII, GMII, TBI and MII, allows designers to easily match the complementary Ethernet equipment used in a range of Ethernet interfaces.

the wide range of applications in recent years, Ethernet has proven to be in the DSP, micro-controllers and NPU (network processor units) of a connection between types of efficient interfaces that applications where large amounts of data must be quickly processed and traffic management applications such as wireless base stations in the modem pool, VoIP gateways, IP video for cable head-end modulator, high-end traffic management and control plane cards.

most essential for enterprise applications require the use of Ethernet switching devices external devices, these devices will take up system resources and will be limited to specific logic designers . For example, with embedded PHY (physical interface) and basic Ethernet switches still need to use an external PHY and DSP, micro-controllers and NPU implement interfaces. VoIP applications using the older generation Ethernet switching devices may also require the use of additional FPGA (field programmable gate array) for voice, fax or general streaming media service mapping to the circuit board used in a variety of DSP.

"Zarlink DirectConnect switches provide to the DSP, NPU, the direct micro-controller and CPU interface, each device can support up to 28 Ethernet network port, "Packet Switching, Zarlink Semiconductor product line manager Paul Vu said," this ability to help our customers save a lot of material costs and power consumption. "

; According to reports, the exchange with the ZL33020 chip embedded launch, Zarlinks DirectConnect product line for the FE and GE inter-processor connectivity offers the most complete solution for embedded devices camp. DirectConnect product lines, including ZL50400/2/4/5/7/8/9 and ZL50410 / 1 embedded switch family allows Zarlink customers from a wide variety of FE and GE ports to choose the number of configurations, these configurations support industrial temperature range, carrier-grade Network This is an important requirement.

QoS and traffic between the processor addressing mechanism

performing heavy media processing functions (such as a modem baseband processing, echo cancellation, voice processing , compression, fax processing, radio modulation, and high-strength platform for traffic management and control functions, etc.) system that uses multiple DSP / NPU and microprocessor equipment, full wire-speed at the same time manage all affairs. In order to maximize bandwidth and to avoid the traffic system in the overflow, need to adopt a robust bandwidth allocation and buffer management mechanism to interconnect all these devices.

ZL33020 switch chip integrates a flexible packet scheduling algorithms and buffer management functions. Designers can use the ZL33020 device will be assigned to the FE port group of four transmission priority queue (GE port has eight priority queues), and two drop precedence. Each group based on user defined attributes to specify a transmission priority and drop priority.

when a board will be more DSP / NPU devices interconnected together, ZL33020 switch can be based on MAC address, Ethernet type, and VLAN identifier to achieve packet addressing, and in accordance with IEEE 802.1p priority, VLAN Tag, L3 DS / TOS field, IP type of business and Layer 4 logical port numbers to determine the packet priority. This flexible approach allows system designers to address and maximize the separation between the DSP and NPU devices media processing resource allocation.

ZL33020 There are two types of flow control. In half-duplex mode, all ports support backpressure (backpressure) flow control to minimize the communication activities in the longer term impact of sudden loss of data during the period. In full-duplex mode, IEEE 802.3x flow control provided.

ZL33020 Ethernet switch is available now, priced quantities million was 62.00 U.S. dollars. 16FE +2 GE configuration version will follow soon. ZL33020 device has a complete SDK (software development kit) including device driver source code, DirectConnect evaluation system BSP (board support package) for chip configuration of the rich API (Application Programming Interface) set to simplify the chip register programming and faster system development. 100/1000 Ethernet evaluation board provides a variety of plug-in transceiver modules, and based on PowerPC, ARM and MIPS in the CPU.