USB-to-LAN ICs are easy route to embedded Ethernet

The AX88x72 series USB-to-LAN chips satisfy the increasing market demands for adding networking capability for latest multimedia SoCs.

Asix Electronics has made two additions to its popular AX88x72 family for embedded Ethernet applications, the AX88772A and AX88172A, for USB-to-Ethernet and USB-to-MII bridging, respectively.

The AX88x72A is the latest series in Asix's High-speed USB-to-LAN product portfolio.

By combining the AX88x72A with a USB host microcontroller, designers can provide Ethernet connectivity for embedded systems to distribute data and control remotely over a network.

Recent innovations in multimedia SoCs have been based on shrinking the physical form factor to reduce costs.

The most efficient method of miniaturisation is to reduce the pin count and use the serial interfaces such as SPI and USB, allowing the use of SPI Flash and USB-LAN solutions, in favour of a parallel local/memory bus.

Furthermore, USB's plug-and-play and 4-pin serial interface provides transfer speeds up to 480Mbit/s, making it an ideal solution for miniature and portable handheld devices to quickly connect to networking peripherals.

Asix Electronics has released the AX88x72 series USB-to-LAN chips to satisfy the increasing market demands for adding networking capability for latest multimedia SoCs.

The AX88x72A features a USB interface to communicate with a USB host controller and is compliant with USB specification V1.1 and V2.0.

The AX88x72A implements 10/100Mbit/s Ethernet LAN function based on IEEE802.3 and IEEE802.3u standards with 24Kbyte of embedded SRAM for packet buffering.

In addition, it integrates an on-chip 10/100Mbit/s Ethernet PHY, simplifying system design.

The AX88x72A has a wide array of features including support for HP Auto-MDIX, Wake-on-LAN power management, and IEEE 802.3x/backpressure flow control.

Optional serial interfaces such as I2C, SPI, and UART are provided as a control channel from the USB host controller to communicate with the external MCU chip.

The AX88772A, low-pin-count (64-pin LQFP) USB 2.0 to 10/100M Fast Ethernet controller, is a high performance and highly integrated ASIC which enables a low cost, small form factor, and simple plug-and-play Fast Ethernet network connection capability for desktops, notebook PCs, UMPCs, cradles/port replicators/docking stations, game consoles, digital-home appliances and any embedded system using a standard USB port.

The AX88172A, USB 2.0 to MII controller, provides an optional external media interface (EMI) for an external PHY or an external MAC depending on different application purposes.

The EMI can be a media-independent interface (MII) for implementing 100Base-FX Ethernet or HomePNA functions.

The EMI can also be a Reverse-MII or Reverse Reduced-MII (Reverse-RMII) for glueless MAC-to-MAC connections to any MCU with Ethernet MAC MII or RMII interface.

In addition, the EMI can be configured to dual-PHY mode allowing the AX88172A to act as an Ethernet PHY or USB 2.0 PHY for external MAC devices that need Ethernet and USB interfaces in system applications.

The potential and flexibility of Dual-PHY mode singles out the AX88172A as an ideal solution for growing applications such as WiMAX-to-USB modems, WiMAX ExpressCard modems, and HomePlug Powerline adapters.

To help customers evaluate and develop applications with the AX88x72A product family, Asix provides comprehensive technical support including hardware and software application notes, user guides, schematics, PCB layout guides, and drivers for Windows/Linux/WinCE/MacOS operating systems.

In addition, Asix has already received complete USB-IF, WHQL and RoHS compliant certifications for the AX88x72A product family.

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