Switches enable lower power 2.5G & 10GbE networking

The fully L2/L3 managed Ethernet switch, which provides up to 10 ports supporting a combination of 1G, 2.5G and 10G Ethernet ports, delivers a flexible and feature-rich solution for enterprise networking including SMB, SME and industrial Ethernet applications.

Larry O’Connell, Director of Product Marketing, Ethernet Networking Technology (ENT) group, Microsemi, commented: “Expanding our flagship SparX-IV Ethernet switch family with the VSC7440 enables Microsemi to increase its opportunities in the low bandwidth, high volume markets by offering the industry a much-needed cost-effective, small port count switch supporting much faster Ethernet rates. With up to 10Gb/s data service, customers can build a future-proof platform delivering video, storage and other data-intensive applications for users.”

Microsemi’s VSC7440 brings capabilities to the networking communications market, as current switches of its kind are unable to support more than 1GbE rate with similar power profile and features. The VSC7440 Ethernet switch integrates VeriTime, Microsemi’s patent-pending distributed timing technology which delivers nanosecond accuracy IEEE 1588V2 time stamping. In addition, the device supports Microsemi’s comprehensive application software suite and API packages, accelerating time-to-market and increasing return on investment for Microsemi customers. The software API package integrates easily with third-party software, enabling a diverse set of applications while preserving existing software investments for customers.

According to market research firm IHS, the total available market for fixed Ethernet switches with 1G, 2.5G and 10G ports is expected to grow to more than $14.2bn per year by 2018. Microsemi’s new VSC7440 device is ideal for serving a number of applications in this expanding market, including multi-service operator and telecomms/internet service provider networks, next-gen router gateways for residential service, as well as small IEEE 802.11ac WiFi aggregation switches for small office/ home office and SMB.

Other key features of the VSC7440 include:

• Layer-3 routing;
• Up to four 1G, four 2.5G and two 10G ports;
• Up to two integrated copper PHYs and two 10G SerDes;
• Extended temperature range; and
• Easy upgrade within SparX-IV family to higher bandwidth, including more 10GbE port support.

Microsemi's VSC7440 SparX-IV-34 is available now.