Broadcom Ltd. (NASDAQ: AVGO) has announced the BCM82332, BCM82793, and BCM82864 gearbox PHY ICs. The devices target data center and enterprise networking applications.
The gearbox PHY chips pair with the current generation of switch chips with multi-speed port interfaces such as 10G, 40G, and 100G. The gearbox PHY devices provide flexible port interfaces and maximize the electrical link distance to optical interface while consuming minimal power.
The BCM82793 and BCM82332 are application-optimized 100G gearbox devices that support IEEE802.3bj Clause 73 Auto-negotiation, Clause 91 FEC, and Clause 92 & 93 transmit training. Further details include:
- The BCM82332 10G/40G/100G Tri-PHY supports 100G 10:4 gearbox mode and multiple retimer modes including 12x10G Ethernet and 3x40G Ethernet. Broadcom has optimized the device for enterprise class switches that use a mix of 10GbE, 40GbE and 100GbE ports.
- The BCM82793 100G Gearbox PHY supports 100G 10:4 gearbox mode and multiple retimer modes including 2x40G Ethernet and 10x10G Ethernet. It is footprint-compatible to industry standard 100G gearbox PHYs.
Meanwhile, the BCM82864 is a 40G gearbox quad-PHY that supports 160G 16:8 gearbox mode for 40G Ethernet and multiple retimer modes including 2x100G Ethernet and 2x40G Ethernet. Its 100G Ethernet bypass enables end users to change front panel ports from 40G to 100G by changing out two 40G QSFP+ modules for a 100G QSFP28 module. It also enables a 64x40G Ethernet switch matrix in hyper-scale data center applications.
"Broadcom has consistently offered gearbox products meeting a variety of multiplexing options," said Loring Wirbel, senior analyst with The Linley Group. "By supporting unique retimer modes such as 12x10 and 3x40, and by supporting 802.3bj Clause 73, Broadcom continues its leadership in 'right-sizing' PHY solutions for the data center."
The BCM82864 is in production now. Samples of the BCM82332 and BCM82793 are currently available, with production slated for October 2016.
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