SMSC launches industry’s first, hi-speed inter-chip USB 2.0 to 10/100 Ethernet controller for low power apps

HAUPPAUGE, USA: SMSC, a leading semiconductor company creating valued connectivity ecosystems, has introduced its LAN9730, the industry’s first fully integrated Hi-Speed Inter-Chip (HSIC) USB 2.0 to-10/100 Ethernet device. The LAN9730 device was designed to deliver power consumption and bill of material savings to OEM and ODM designers of a wide range of embedded systems and consumer electronics devices.

HSIC, which incorporates SMSC’s patented Inter-Chip Connectivity (ICC) technology, enables the USB 2.0 protocol, which is now standard in billions of electronic devices, to be delivered over short distances while retaining 100 percent software compatibility with an analog USB 2.0 connection.

AMD and Samsung have recently joined NVIDIA, Qualcomm and others in licensing ICC from SMSC to enable HSIC communication from their portable System-on-a-Chip (SoCs) to peripheral USB 2.0 devices. HSIC has been adopted as part of the USB 2.0 standard and dramatically decreases power consumption in applications such as battery-powered portable devices requiring an Ethernet port.

The LAN9730 offers an integrated 10/100 physical layer and multiple power management enhancements, including Magic Packet and Link Status Change as well as “Wake on LAN” mode, which allows systems to enter a low power state and wake on desired network traffic, thereby conserving resources during downtimes.

“Performance, flexibility in design and power savings are all critical design elements inherent in SMSC’s line of networking solutions,” said Rolf Mahler, VP and GM of SMSC’s Networking Solutions group. “For embedded and consumer applications, this device can leverage our patented ICC technology to reduce power consumption and silicon area compared to a standard analog USB 2.0 interface.”

The latest in SMSC’s growing family of USB-to-Ethernet solutions, the new LAN9730 is compliant with USB specification 1.1 and 2.0 as well as IEEE 802.3/802.3u Ethernet standards. Additionally the LAN9730 needs only a single 25MHz crystal to drive both the USB and Ethernet PHYs, thereby reducing developer BOM cost.

SMSC’s integrated USB-based networking solution provides added flexibility for the routing and placement of network connections anywhere in the developer’s system. Additionally, the LAN9730 supports a wide range of drivers for the most recent versions of Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems. The LAN9730 is ideal for applications such as battery-powered portable devices that also require Ethernet connectivity.

The LAN9730 is available in a small form factor 8x8mm 56-pin QFN package, which is lead-free and RoHS compliant. It is available in both commercial (0 to 70 degree Celsius) and industrial (-40 to +85 degree Celsius) temperature ranges. Qualification samples and evaluation kits are available now with mass production slated for the end of January 2012.