Precision Rate Control And QoS Hallmarks Of Fast Ethernet Switches

With a multitude of high-speed multimedia applications driving greater traffic volume, equipment manufacturers need a switch chip that processes time-sensitive traffic more effectively with better network security. This is where the ZL50408 family steps in. It consists of eight-port Fast Ethernet switches with a Gigabit uplink, as well as five- and nine-port switches. The switches provide full wire-speed forwarding at layer 2 and classification at layers 2 through 4. The gigabit uplink versions are expandable to 16 ports. All of the switches support quality-of-service (QoS) and access features like congestion management. The chips are available now, with prices in the $24 to $35 range in sample volumes of 100+.