Advances in Industrial IoT (IIoT) have changed the face of industry. Companies can benefit greatly from advances in real-time visibility and control that Ethernet connectivity can provide—but only if they have the right networking solutions to take advantage. Microsemi Ethernet PHY solutions are here to capitalize on all the advantages Ethernet has to offer. They provide improved reliability, excellent timing accuracy, and futureproofing that IIoT applications require, all while cutting costs.
Advances in Industrial IoT (IIoT) have changed the face of industry, from utilities to transportation, industrial and government networks and beyond. Machines are more and more intelligent, and equipment is increasingly connected, both of which intensify demands on bandwidth and network infrastructure. Companies can benefit greatly from advances in real-time visibility and control—but only if they have the right networking solutions to take advantage. Ethernet’s standardization, high-performance, versatility and economy make it an ideal choice for networking communications in this new high-bandwidth environment, but migrating to a converged IP infrastructure is complex in industrial settings. With the typical industrial network comprised of a diverse base of installed legacy equipment running on various specialized network protocols, network solutions must offer multi-protocol support of Ethernet and fieldbus interfaces. Microsemi has the ideal solutions portfolio to bridge that gap and harness Ethernet’s advantages, while ensuring interoperability and scalability in large-scale heterogeneous networks.
Microsemi Ethernet PHY solutions are here to capitalize on all the advantages Ethernet has to offer. They provides improved reliability, excellent timing accuracy, and futureproofing that IIoT applications require, all while cutting costs.
Reliability is key for industrial Ethernet networks. Not only does network downtime cost money, it can also place greater system integrity at risk. That’s why SimpliPHY solutions are engineered using a low alpha mold compound that protects against the ionizing particles that can cause single event upsets (SEUs). Should a problem arise, not only does SimpliPHY come with a Fast Link Failure (FLF) indicator that notifies you in under 1.6ms if a link fails, but they also have a second FLF layer to notify you within 10us if the system is showing early indications that a 1000BASE-T link may fail. When your system is functioning normally, VeriPHY cable diagnostics bring further optimization to your industrial network with enhanced network insights during runtime.
Because determinism is imperative in industrial applications, Microsemi’s FE and GE SimpliPHY solutions include IEEE 1588v2 precision time protocol system support; Start of Frame (SOF) signal for both ingress and egress on line side ensures repeatable results and enables system time stamping capability with +/- 4ns accuracy. These Ethernet PHYs also have a recovered clock output for Synchronous Ethernet application support to keep machines on the same clock. Programmable clock squelch control is also added to help inhibit undesirable clocks from propagating and to help prevent timing loops, all of which help ensure industrial ecosystems stay in sync.
Design and network investments are increasingly labor and capital intensive, and solutions that allow engineers to leverage design efforts longer are that much more valuable. Microsemi Ethernet PHYs support the widest interface voltage range in the industry, including 1.5V, 1.8V, 2.5V, and 3.3V, as well as 1.2V, 1.5V, 1.8V, 2.5V and 3.3V support on the MDIO/MDC interface. Engineers can rest assured that their design is futureproofed with the ability to connect to a wide variety of switch ASICs, network processors and FPGAs.
Microsemi Ethernet PHYs are designed for reliability, accuracy and versatility, all while cutting design costs. One of the best ways to cut cost is to shorten design cycles. The SimpliPHY family lets you control system EMI/EMC with adjustable drive strength, which simplifies system design and speeds up design cycles. Flexible clocking and control options let engineers cut costs at the source by optimizing their BOM. Clocking support for 25, 50, and 125 MHZ oscillators and inexpensive 25 MHz crystals allows for flexibility and economy in design. Microcontroller-free configurability through hardware strapping adds further cost saving capability.
Saving board space translates into cost savings as well. The VSC8531 low-power, single port Gigabit Ethernet copper PHY comes in a tiny 6mm X 6mm, single-row QFN package and is a perfect fit for space-constrained 10/100/1000BASE-T applications. SimpliPHY features integrated line-side termination to further conserve board space, lower electromagnetic interference and improve overall system performance. Integrated RGMII version 2.0 standard timing compliant compensation allows for further design simplification by eliminating the need for on-board delay lines. Simple designs with versatile footprints give engineers more reliability and a turnkey approach to network growth that shortens design cycles.
Ready to get started? In addition to a standard evaluation board (VSC8541EV), the BeagleBone Black 1G Development Board (VSC8531BB1G) is also available to assist engineers with SimpliPHY integration into their end products. It has upgraded 1GB DDR3 memory and features Microsemi’s VSC8531 Gigabit Ethernet PHYs. This 6-layer board is capable of passing the notoriously stringent UNH IOL Gigabit Ethernet, Fast Ethernet and 10BASE-T/Te certifications, and provides engineers with the open source capabilities, customization, and support community BeagleBone is known for.
Connected industries such as transport, utilities, physical security and industrial automation need to maximize performance and minimize cost to excel in a competitive market. Microsemi brings a high-performance portfolio of standardized, interoperable and highly reliable solutions to the industrial arena: for example, IEEE 1588 timing ICs offer comprehensive and cost-effective network synchronization and ring support for system redundancy. Microsemi low-density and mid-range density FPGAs deliver industrial grade performance while using up to 50% less power, while enabling continued use of heterogeneous installed bases of Ethernet and fieldbus equipment. Additionally, solutions such as Microsemi’s Switchtec PFX PCIe fanout switches offer the industry’s highest density, lowest power PCIe solutions for applications like industrial servers. No matter the application, Microsemi’s industrial networking portfolio gives engineers the tools to maximize the impact of their designs while minimizing cost.