New Ethernet Chip Family Introduces 2.5G 7- and 10-Port Switches and PHYs

The latest single-chip products from MaxLinear are making waves in the industry with their large packet buffer, low power consumption, and extensive feature set. This new family of products adds to MaxLinear’s already impressive Ethernet lineup, which includes 10/100, 1G, and now 2.5G bridges, PHYs, and switches.

According to Vikas Choudhary, VP & GM of Ethernet/Storage Accelerators at MaxLinear, "2.5G technology emerges as a crucial solution, providing a balance between performance and cost-effectiveness as the need for higher data rates and increased bandwidth intensifies." The single-chip 2.5G Ethernet switches and PHYs are designed to offer equipment manufacturers maximum versatility, smaller designs, lower energy consumption, and superior performance.

The demand for more efficient, flexible, and powerful Ethernet solutions is being driven by increased digital data traffic, fast-rising bandwidth requirements, a growing data center industry, and the expanding use of cloud storage by IoT, machine learning, and AI sectors. MaxLinear's 2.5G Ethernet products aim to address these challenges by providing a significant boost in data rates without the complexity and cost associated with migrating to 10G networks.

The new family of 2.5G switches and PHYs from MaxLinear meets a critical industry need by offering a compact single-chip solution with the lowest power consumption, wire-speed switching, and a feature-rich design that includes IGMPv3, MLPv1,2, LACP, PTP, SyncE, and MACsec.

This innovative product line introduces a range of key features to enhance networking capabilities. The single-chip 2.5G switches seamlessly integrated with PHYs provide a streamlined and efficient solution for various networking scenarios. Notable options include the availability of 10G SERDES uplink ports, adding flexibility to network configurations.

MaxLinear's 2.5GBASE-T PHYs are characterized by remarkably low power consumption, operating at just 600 mW per port and a total of 4.8 W for all eight PHYs. The product's energy efficiency is further highlighted by its ability to operate at 3.6 W for 5 PHYs, showcasing a commitment to sustainable and cost-effective networking. Versatility is a key feature, with support for unmanaged, web-smart, cloud-managed, and industrial switches, ensuring adaptability to a diverse range of networking needs.

For more information on MaxLinear's new family of 2.5G Ethernet products, visit www.maxlinear.com.