The technology products
Semiconductors
Semiconductors
- Semiconductor products provide the electrical interface to SPE connectors and cables. They implement the physical layer of the ISO Communications reference model. They prepare the bits that make up an Ethernet frame so they can be placed on a single balanced pair of wires that take them to other network participants.
- SPE semiconductor products conform to standards from the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) that define how Ethernet works. There are several standards that define networks running at different speeds.
Types of Semiconductors
- Semiconductors products that implement SPE can perform several functions and this web page includes pointers to the different types of products. Different suppliers have product lines that work at various speeds and integrate different functions. They interoperate with each other because they implement the same standards.
- The current SPE speed grades are:
- 10BASE-T1S: Short-reach 10 Mbit/s, multidrop and point-to-point connections
- 10BASE-T1L: Long-reach 10 Mbit/s, point-to-point connections
- 100BASE-T1: 100 Mbit/s, point-to-point
- 1000BASE-T1: 1000 Mbit/s, point-point
Semiconductor Suppliers of the Single Pair Ethernet System Alliance
Ethernet PHYs
PHYs convert data from a Media Independent Interface (MII) to the electrical signals that are placed on connectors and wires to be transported to the other participants in the network. Some also support Reduced MII (RMII). They are attached to microcontrollers, microprocessors and switches that have a built-in Media Access Controller. The MAC takes an Ethernet frame and prepares it for conversion to the electrical signals to go on a wire.
Ethernet MAC-PHYs
MAC-PHYs include MAC and a PHY in a single chip. These devices generally have a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) that connects to various microcontrollers and microprocessors that don’t have a built-in MAC. These tend to be simpler microcontrollers and other products that don’t have internal Ethernet interfaces.
Suppliers
Ethernet Switches
These devices have multiple Ethernet ports and include the circuits necessary to move data from one port to another. They often integrate PHYs, but can also connect to external PHYs over a Media Independent Interface (MII). A single switch can connect to a different speed grade on each port and automatically manages the conversion from one speed to another.
Suppliers
MCUs, MPUs and Others
There are products that incorporate an SPE interface but provide functions beyond a network connection. For example, there are microprocessors and microcontrollers with Ethernet interfaces, and protocol converter chips that can translate between different communication technologies. New products will come to market in the future that will integrate an SPE connection with other functionality.
