Processors Help Deliver Fast Ethernet Over Twisted Pair

High-performance Ethernet can be implemented over legacy Category 5e twisted-pair copper cabling thanks to the combination of Freescale’s 28-nm QorIQ T1 multicore processor family and the Aquantia AQrate 2.5- and 5-Gbit/s Ethernet PHY products.

QorIQ T1 family processors integrate between one and four cores, and are designed to deliver two to four times the performance of existing, similar-class devices for 5- to 8-Gbit/s IP forwarding—all within a low-power envelope and housed in cost-effective packaging. These QorIQ T1 series multicore processors offer options supporting 1G, 2.5G, 5G and 10G interfaces, as well as a protocol offload engine that delivers the higher-bandwidth encrypted tunnels required by enterprise and wireless customers.

Aquantia’s AQrate PHY combines 2.5 GbE and 5 GbE, as well as IEEE-compliant 10GBase-T, 1000Base-T (1GbE), and 100Base-TX (100MbE) for transmission over up to 100 meters of twisted pair cabling. The AQrate PHY family integrates such features as Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE), 1588v2, and MACsec, and supports all PoE standards up to 60 W.

FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR