The pressure keeps building at all levels of networking, from the Internet to the local-area network (LAN), as applications like gaming, video, and cell phones are implemented. As usual, the push continues to increase data rates in all products and services, bringing about the need for Ethernet switches for the data centers and telecom plants that can handle the faster data. More and more, 10-Gbit Ethernet (10GE) links are being added and switches are needed to match that speed. Fortunately, Fujitsu’s MB86C69RBC solves most of those problems.
This single-chip, 26-port, 10GE Ethernet switch IC targets 10GE blade servers, ATCA carrier node blades, microTCA hubs, 10GE backbone aggregation switches, and general high-performance computing. It supports layer 2 data-center bridging, quality of service, and layer 3 capabilities along with a 2.9-Mbyte buffer memory. Also, it supports the IEEE 802.3ap (KR) standard, which implements Ethernet on a backplane on all 26 ports as well as SFP+. A pair of 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports provides management.
Each of the 26 ports can connect directly to XFP, SFP+ modules, or chassis backplanes (802.3ap-KR), eliminating the need for third-party serializer/deserializer (SERDES) chips (see the figure). This significantly reduces board complexity, power, cost, and development time. The chip also has layer 2 features and eight priority classifications per port based on IPv4 and IPv6 DiffServ, MAC addresses, and 802.1Q virtual LANs (VLANs).
Data-center Ethernet features include power priority PAUSE, backward congestion notification, and early drop watermark capabilities for congestion avoidance. The device also has L2, L3ACL, and L3 forwarding capabilities. The chip’s flexibility is reflected in its integrated KR/XAUI/CX4/KX SERDES and KR capabilities on all 26 ports.
Made with 90-nm CMOS, the MB86C69RBC consumes only 22 W under full load conditions. Maximum performance is 520 Gbits/s of non-blocking aggregate switching capacity in cut-through and store-forward modes. Overall switching latency including SERDES in cut-through mode is only 300 ns, which Fujitsu says is the lowest in industry. The 1156-pin FCBA package is 35 by 35 mm. Samples will be available in June.
Fujitsu Microelectronics America