Microchip’s LAN969x Series Ethernet Switches Features TSN, HSR/PRP Redundancy, and Scalable Bandwidth from 46 Gbps to 102 Gbps

In a recent press release, Microchip Technology announced their new LAN969x series of chips powered by a powerful 1 GHz single-core Arm® Cortex®-A53 CPU. This new Ethernet switch offers scalable bandwidths, time-sensitive networking (TSN), and two redundancy protocols for increased reliability.

To be specific, the LAN969x series is made of three new chips: LAN9694 (46 Gbps), LAN9696 (66 Gbps), and LAN9698 (102 Gbps), each offering varying bandwidths for industrial applications. These chips are powered by a 1 GHz Arm Cortex-A53 CPU, known for its efficient performance. They support various Ethernet speeds, including 1 G, 2.5G, 5G, and 10G, and use the Arm Neon SIMD architecture, effective for vector processing.

Features of Microchip’s LAN969x Series Ethernet Switches:

• LAN969x Series: Featuring the LAN9694, LAN9696, and LAN9698, designed specifically for industrial applications.
• CPU: Equipped with a 1 GHz single-core Arm Cortex-A53 CPU, suitable for high-performance tasks in power-constrained environments.
• Scalable Bandwidths: Ranging from 46 Gbps with the LAN9694, 66 Gbps with the LAN9696, to 102 Gbps with the LAN9698.
• Protocols: Includes High-availability Seamless Redundancy (HSR) and Parallel Redundancy Protocol (PRP) for enhanced network reliability.
• TSN Enabled: Assuring timely and deterministic communication for industrial automation.
• Port Options: Up to 30 configurable Ethernet ports supporting interfaces like RGMII, SGMII, QSGMII, USGMII, and USXGMII.
• QuadBox Functionality: Connects two HSR networks, providing high reliability and zero downtime in critical applications.
• Security Features: Includes secure boot, secure firmware execution, TCAM-based frame processing, crypto libraries, and hardware security accelerators.
• Ethernet Speed: Compatible with 1 G, 2.5 G, 5 G, and 10 G Ethernet speeds.
• Development Support: Supported by EV23X71A Evaluation Board and IStaX VSC6817SDK Linux Application Software Package.
• Applications: Targeting sectors like industrial automation, automotive, consumer, aerospace, defense, communications, and computing.

This device uses deterministic communication and time-sensitive networking (TSN) for reliability. TSN, per the IEEE 802.1Q standard, ensures timely Ethernet communication through scheduling. It involves end devices and bridge devices like LAN969x, using a central network controller to manage Ethernet frame transmission, and prioritizing TSN frames for time-critical tasks.

The development tools for the LAN969x family of Ethernet switches include the EV23X71A Evaluation Board and the IStaX VSC6817SDK Linux Application Software Package. These tools are designed to support TSN standards and HSR/PRP redundancy, making it easier for designers to work with LAN969x switches.

Microchip’s LAN969x Series Ethernet Switches can be purchased from Digikey where the LAN9698 sells for $81.16, the LAN9696 for $74.11, and the LAN9694 for $42.54.

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