Low-Power Octal PHY IC Supports RMII & SMII

The industry’s smallest die size and lowest cost and power consumption are the claims made for a new octal 10/100 Ethernet PHY transceiver built using a 0.25-µm mixed-signal technology. Aimed at Ethernet switch routers, managed and unmanaged switches, and dual-speed hub systems, the KS8728 transceiver comes packaged in a 208-pin PQFP, reportedly making it smaller and cheaper than competitive products housed in BGAs. And the IC consumes just 1.8W of power. The new chip’s performance, measured in terms of maximum network segment length, is rated at 200 meters, reportedly some 60 meters better than competitive chips. The KS8728 octal PHY transceiver also supports both Reduced and Serial Media-Independent Interfaces (RMII and SMII) for flexible, fast design integration.