Gigabit Ethernet Transceiver Consumes Less Than 600 mW

A new Gigabit Ethernet transceiver consumes just 600 mW, reportedly the lowest in the industry. The single-channel STE-1000P achieves low power consumption through a combination of process technology, circuit design and architecture improvements. Improvements were made in the implementation of the PMD Viterbi decoder, the timing recovery circuit, the analog feed-forward and adaptive digital gain controls, and the adaptive finite impulse response digital filter. Applications include PC NICs, LAN-on-motherboard solutions, uplink ports of networking equipment, and the LAN interface of data-intensive peripherals. Samples will be available in September 2002, with volume production before the end of the year. Sample quantities are priced at $29 each. STMICROELECTRONICS, Lexington, MA. (781) 861-2650.