SAN JOSE -- PLX Technology announced three new transceivers for 10 Gbit/s Ethernet over copper, cutting die size and cost nearly in half while adding features and shaving half a Watt off power consumption. The TN8000 parts come at a time when the 10GBase-T standard is finally seeing some market traction, more than two years after the standard was ratified.
The single-, dual- and quad-port devices are made in 40 nm technology and support distances of 120 meters on Cat 6A cables. The chips provide new low power modes enhancing the Energy Efficient Ethernet standard (IEEE 802.3az). They also support Wake-on-LAN and variable or fixed latency for Media Access Control Security.
PLX has taped-out the chips and will start sampling them in February. Volume prices range from $20 to $40 per port.
The company competes with Broadcom, Marvell and startup Aquantia who also sell physical-layer chips for 10 Gbit/s Ethernet over copper.
PLX claims eight new switches—including ones from Arista Networks--and four motherboards or adapter cards have already designed in 10GBase-T links. Earlier this year, Cisco, Emulex and Hewlett-Packard announced support for 10GBase-T. For its part, Intel has also shown an integrated 10GBase-T transceiver called Twinville.
OEMs did not use the first generations of 10GBase-T transceivers because they consumed too much power. The new PLX chips consume 2.5W when sending data over 30 meters and 3.5W when sending over 100 meters.
One market analyst recently forecast sales of 10GBase-T chips will be modest in next-generation servers at about $350 million through 2014. However, 28 nm chips are expected to be widely used on a future generation of server motherboards.
The long road to market adoption caused many 10GBase-T startups to fall prey to acquisitions at relatively low valuations. PLX got its technology when it acquired Teranetics in September 2010 for $36 million.
PLX refreshes 40nm 10GBase-T chips
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