PHYs provide rapid diagnosis of cabling

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team May 6, 2005

A new family of physical layer devices employs advanced mixed-signal technology to bring a distinctive combination of features, performance and low power consumption to Fast Ethernet applications.

Using advanced mixed-signal technology to bring a distinctive combination of features, performance and low power consumption to today's Fast Ethernet applications over both copper and fibre media, the fifth generation KS8001 family from Solid State Supplies is the latest addition to the successful KS8721 line of Fast Ethernet PHYs.

The KS8001L, a single 3.3V device, is available in standard and green (lead-free) versions.

Featuring LinkMD, a cable diagnostic package that enables diagnosis of common cabling problems, the KS8001 PHYs provide rapid diagnosis of cabling conditions, including distance to fault information, resulting in reduced customer calls (truck rolls or product returns) and IT service requests.

The ICs also offer HP Auto-MDIX, currently the most robust method available for automatic detection and correction for straight-through or crossover cables.

RMII and SMII reduced pin count interfaces aid lower cost through simplified routing, resulting from a reduction in the number of required PCB traces.

These features are integrated within a patented high-performance architecture which runs at a core voltage of 1.8V.

This allows the KS8001 to consume just 250mW of power, which, in turn gives increased reliability, while enabling rapid deployment in power-sensitive applications.

"The KS8001 product line is an industry first for single-port Fast Ethernet PHYs", said Martin Warriner, Franchise Manager at Solid State.

"The LinkMD feature detects common cabling plant problems, such as open and short circuits, thus reducing expensive downtime and equipment returns in both enterprise and consumer electronics applications".