USB-To-Ethernet Controller Links Portables To LANs

An integrated PHY, reduced pin count packaging and Ethernet buffer memory are all features of the KL5KUSB104, the firm's latest USB-to-Ethernet controller IC. The device can be implemented in twisted-pair cabling (10BaseT) for connecting a laptop computer to local-area or home-area networks. It also offers true Plug-and-Play connectivity. On the chip are a USB transceiver, serial interface engine, 16-bit RISC CPU with internal RAM and ROM, a 10-MHz MAC, and PHY. The RISC CPU is designed for USB transaction and control data processing and has direct access to the MAC registers. The device renders obsolete the need for laptop users to add aPCMCIA Ethernet card or to make use of a parallel port to connect to Ethernet LANs.