Broadcom Introduces World's First 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch-on-a-Chip

Strategic Insights -

The introduction of Broadcom's G-Switch (BCM5680) represents a significant milestone in the development of high-speed office networking solutions. This single-chip solution delivers non-blocking, wire-speed performance on every port, simultaneously forwarding, routing, and filtering voice, video, and data packets at one billion bits per second. The BCM5680 is designed to enable companies to bring Gigabit connectivity to the business-office desktop computer, increasing network bandwidth capacity and enabling the exchange of larger graphics and imaging files, as well as the conduct of online business meetings and transactions.

Key Takeaways:

  • The BCM5680 is the world's first 8-port Gigabit Ethernet switch-on-a-chip, designed to bring Gigabit connectivity to the business-office desktop computer.
  • The chip achieves non-blocking, wire-speed performance on every port, simultaneously forwarding, routing, and filtering voice, video, and data packets at one billion bits per second.
  • The 8-port BCM5680 enables OEMs to build an 8-port switch for an end-user price of less than $200 per port, compared to competitive solutions that are three times the price and require 25 to 33 devices.
  • The BCM5680 incorporates eight 10/100/1000 Ethernet Media Access Controllers (MACs), data packet memory, and a multi-layer non-blocking switching fabric into a single chip.
  • The MACs are industry compliant with all applicable IEEE Ethernet standards, and the data packet memory is configurable to be static and/or dynamically allocated to provide optimal performance.
  • The chip integrates all of the Layer 2 and 3 address and VLAN tables in addition to the packet buffer, and operates at full wire speed, allowing a segmented network to route IP traffic at speeds 10 to 1000 times faster than a traditional routing chassis.
  • The Layer 4-7 filtering enables the device to receive, prioritize, and forward packets of voice, video, and data at wire speed simultaneously over all eight ports.
  • The chip supports industry-standard interfaces including MII 10/100 Ethernet transceivers, GMII and TBI for Gigabit Ethernet transceivers, and PCI or I2C for a processor or serial EEPROM.
  • The BCM5680 is designed to support high-performance Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) applications, and can also be used in a stackable configuration to achieve higher port densities.
  • The chip is priced at $200 each and is available in May, packaged in a 400-pin TBGA (Thermal Ball Grid Array).

Statistics:

  • The BCM5680 achieves a new level of switching integration that makes it cost effective to bring Gigabit connectivity to the business-office desktop computer.
  • The 8-port BCM5680 enables OEMs to build an 8-port switch for an end-user price of less than $200 per port.
  • The chip operates at one billion bits per second, simultaneously forwarding, routing, and filtering voice, video, and data packets.
  • The BCM5680 supports industry-standard interfaces including MII 10/100 Ethernet transceivers, GMII and TBI for Gigabit Ethernet transceivers, and PCI or I2C for a processor or serial EEPROM.
  • The chip supports a maximum of 30 devices in a stackable configuration, and each of the eight ports can be aggregated to provide multi-gigabit links.

Sources:

  • Broadcom Corporation, "Broadcom Unveils World's First 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch-on-a-Chip"
  • International Data Corporation (IDC), "Gigabit Ethernet-Based Equipment Sales Reach $1.6 Billion in 1999"