10-Port Gigabit Ethernet Swap Reference Design

The design has many connection choices, timing options, and energy monitoring. It’s helpful for networking, industrial techniques, and embedded gadgets.

The VSC7514EV reference board from Microchip demonstrates the VSC7514 Ethernet swap machine. It offers a number of connectivity choices and administration capabilities for Ethernet networking.

The reference design is appropriate for networking gear producers, embedded system builders, telecom and industrial automation engineers, R&D groups, and academic establishments. It offers a platform for designing Ethernet switches, integrating Ethernet switching into customized {hardware}, and creating precision timing and synchronization options utilizing PTP and Sync-E. Engineers can use it to check and consider the VSC7514 swap earlier than last product integration, whereas researchers and college students can examine Ethernet networking, embedded techniques, and communication protocols. 

The board contains 4 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet copper ports with built-in PHYs and eight 100M/1Gbit/s Ethernet SFP ports linked to the VSC7514 via SERDES. Two of the SFP ports are dual-media ports linked to 2 of the copper ports, and three of the SFP ports assist 2.5Gbit/s speeds. Moreover, there may be an elective 10/100/1000BASE-T (RJ45) Ethernet port utilizing a VSC8221 PHY linked to the VSC7514 by way of SGMII.

By default, the design is managed by an embedded MIPS CPU system with onboard DDR3, NOR, and NAND Flash gadgets. Nonetheless, an exterior grasp CPU system can optionally hook up with the VSC7514 in slave mode via PCIe, SPI, or the NPI port, utilizing VRAP for inband administration.

For synchronization purposes, the board options 4 SMAs and an RS422 interface for PTP and Sync-E. It additionally helps varied Sync-E modules via the Sync-E function connector. A serial port, carried out via an onboard serial-to-USB converter, permits entry to the command line interface (CLI) software program debugger by connecting the board to a PC by way of a USB cable.

Extra {hardware} options embody a reset button with a one-shot reset operate, enabling firmware to detect the button state after a reset for capabilities like “reset to manufacturing unit defaults.” The board additionally has a system standing LED, port standing LEDs, and a 12V DC energy enter socket.

The MIC8114 is an inexpensive microprocessor supervisory circuit used within the reference design to watch energy provide ranges in microprocessor-based techniques. It triggers a reset sign if the availability voltage drops under an outlined threshold or if the /MR pin is pushed low. With an active-low /RESET output, it ensures the reset sign stays asserted for no less than 790 ms after VCC exceeds the brink. The MIC8114 is housed in a compact 4-lead SOT-143 package deal.

Microchip has examined this reference design. It comes with a invoice of supplies (BOM), schematics, meeting drawing, printed circuit board (PCB) structure, and extra. The corporate’s web site has extra information concerning the reference design. To learn extra about this reference design, click on right here.