Developers of industrial automation systems are looking to move away from reliance on proprietary solutions for process synchronization and toward standards-based solutions that offer broader compatibility and reduce project costs.
To provide synchronization of critical processes, Microchip Technology announced the LAN8840 and LAN8841 Gigabit Ethernet transceiver devices that meet IEEE 1588v2 standards for Precision Timing Protocol. LAN8840/41 Ethernet devices are enabled with Linux drivers and offer flexible Ethernet speed options, including 10BASE-T, 10BASE-Te, 100BASE-TX, and 1000BASE-T.
LAN8840/41 devices can facilitate prioritization of critical packets by providing high-speed timestamps that are relayed between various components to determine network latencies, accommodate those latencies, and synchronize time between all connected devices.
This functionality is critical for process automation applications that require precise control production systems, such as robotics, distributed sensors, and cooling and mixing systems. Designed with rugged applications in mind, LAN8840/41 devices can withstand extended industrial temperatures ranging from -40° to +105° C.
“The new LAN8840/41 single-port transceivers complement our time-sensitive networking offering by providing connectivity to end nodes in process automation applications,” said Charles Forni, vice president of Microchip’s USB and Networking business unit. “These devices complement our existing Ethernet portfolio, providing our customers with an end-to-end networking solution with Microchip components, development tools and support.”
To help companies achieve sustainability goals by reducing a network's power consumption, the LAN8840/41 offers features such as Wake-on-LAN (WoL) and power-aware shutdown mode. Additionally, Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) offers low-power sleep and clock stop modes for optimal power performance.
Microchip is an established provider of industrial-grade networking solutions, offering a broad portfolio of robust, highly integrated products. The new LAN8840/41 devices are suitable for markets with applications that require accurate and precise timestamping, such as gas and chemical processing, electrical distribution, and currency trading systems — which must be demonstrably synchronized with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) in one millisecond or more precise increments.
Development Tools
The LAN8841 Ethernet Development System (EDS) The daughterboard is designed to provide a modular addition to compatible Microchip host boards. This EDS daughter card, when combined with the PCIe network adapter, allows evaluation of the LAN8841 through any host that supports the PCIe interface.
Linux drivers that support the Precision Timing Protocol (PTP4L) are available for the LAN8841 on Microchip's GitHub repository.
