New Broadcom chip runs from 10Mbps to 10Gbps

Broadcom's transceiver can support four different Ethernet speeds

Broadcom last week introduced a transceiver that can support the widest range of Ethernet speeds possible, from 10Mbps Ethernet to 10 Gigabit Ethernet - all over unshielded twisted pair wiring.

The chip can autonegotiate among four different speeds of Ethernet: 10Mbps, 100Mbps, 1Gbps and 10Gbps. Broadcom claims this is the only device in the industry that is able to do that.

Would you need such a broad range? Perhaps, if you were plugging an ancient device running at 10Mbps into a switch port one day and then connecting that port to a supercharged 10Gbps server the next. That's probably an unlikely scenario - but if nothing else, Broadcom gets points for completeness, covering all the possibilities in one chip.

The chip includes integrated cable-diagnostic capabilities, which Broadcom says allows an IT manager to analyze the quality of a cable from a remote location.

At 10 Gigabit Ethernet, the chip can send signals 100 meters over Category 6A or Category 7 cables. Copper-based 10 Gigabit Ethernet is viewed as an up-and-coming technology, as Gigabit Ethernet connections to desktops become more common and businesses look to 10 Gigabit for server and data center connections.

This is the latest in a string of 10 Gigabit Ethernet-related chip announcements of late; for example, I've written recently about others from Fujitsu and Aquantia and Solarflare.

The new chip is made using 65-nanometer CMOS technology, allowing for highly integrated chips that consume less power. Last fall, Broadcom shipped its first Gigabit Ethernet switch chips based on 65-nanometer CMOS.

More about: Broadcom, Fujitsu
References show all

Comments

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
Users posting comments agree to the Computerworld comments policy.
Login or register to link comments to your user profile, or you may also post a comment without being logged in.
Related Whitepapers
Latest Stories
Community Comments
Whitepapers
All whitepapers
Sign up now to get free exclusive access to reports, research and invitation only events.
Featured Download
/downloads/product/171/gadwin-web-snapshot/

Gadwin Web Snapshot

Gadwin Web Snapshot will effectively capture the entire page including all design elements when capturing web pages. It makes an image of the browser’s content ...

Computerworld newsletter

Join the most dedicated community for IT managers, leaders and professionals in Australia