The LAN91C111, a non-PCI 10/100-Mbit/s Ethernet controller IC, integrates the IEEE-802.3-compliant Fast Ethernet media-access controller (MAC), the Ethernet physical-layer (PHY) interface, and a transmit and receive buffer SRAM in one chip. Built by Standard Microsystems Corp., the chip is designed to facilitate Fast Ethernet connectivity for embedded applications that use ARM, SH, PowerPC, ColdFire, 68000, and R3000 CPUs.
This chip provides a flexible slave interface for both synchronous and asynchronous data. It fits a broad range of embedded applications, such as set-top boxes, automated teller machines, switching hubs, printers, motherboards, adapter cards, security systems, network appliances, and game consoles.
Also, the LAN91C111 has a patented MMU architecture and an internal data path that's 32 bits wide. Its I/O-backed architecture dynamically and efficiently allocates buffer memory, reducing software tasks and offloading hosts. Early transmit and receive functions increase throughput. Only 16 bytes of I/O or memory address space are required.
The chip's PHY circuit contains the entire physical layer, including the coding sublayer (PCS), the physical-medium-attachment (PMA), the twisted-pair physical-medium-dependent (TP-PMD), and the autonegotiation (AUTONEG) functions. An on-chip AUTONEG algorithm lets the controller automatically configure itself for either 10- or 100-Mbit/s and half- or full-duplex operation.
Internal output waveshaping circuitry and filters eliminate the need for the external filters that are normally required in 100BaseTX and 10BaseT applications. The device supports external PHY functions through media-independent-interface (MII) pins. And, there's external PHY support for fiber and other media.
This 3.3-V integrated circuit is available in a 128-pin TQFP (NE version) at $17.65 each and in a 128-pin QFP (NC version) at $17.05 each, both in 10,000-unit orders. Samples, an evaluation board, an NDIS4 Windows 98 driver, and ETX Utility software are available now.
Standard Microsystems Corp., 80 Arkay Dr., Hauppauge, NY 11788-8847; (631) 435-6000; fax (631) 231-6004; e-mail: [email protected]; Internet: www.smsc.com.
