Vitesse claimed the new IC delivers 50% higher density than the leading transceiver competitor while also reducing the printed circuit board footprint by as much as 50% in a 48-port Gigabit Ethernet (GE) solution.

Part of Vitesse’s widely adopted SimpliPHY IC family, the VSC8522 when paired with Vitesse’s recently announced SparX-III VSC7427 GE switch enables the industry’s two-chip, 26-port GE switch solution, the company said.

The low pin count QSGMII interfaces of VSC8522 benefits the OEMs of Ethernet multi-port systems, by facilitating 75% more efficient routing between PHY and switch/processor devices compared to SGMII, and more than 95% improvement compared to GMII in high-density Ethernet routers and switches.

The new IC provides OEM designers of Ethernet multi-port systems with low bill of materials costs and the potential to realize long-term cost savings, by eliminating media-side resistors and only requiring two voltage supply levels, the company said.

The VSC8522 and the compatible SparX-III GE leverage Vitesse’s 65-nm technology, and include Vitesse’s unique green EcoEthernet 2.0 features such as ActiPHY automatic link-power down, IEEE 802.3az idle power savings and smart fan control.

When connected to Fast Ethernet devices, this green technology delivers energy efficiency with power dissipation of 365 mW/port for 1000BASE-T copper and <200 mW/port.

Jason Rock, senior product marketing manager at Vitesse, said: “Vitesse’s latest 12-port PHY device with EcoEthernet 2.0 technology greatly simplifies printed circuit board complexity and demonstrates our drive to remain at the forefront for bringing green networking technology solutions to market.”

“Our goal is to provide Enterprise customers with devices like the VSC8522 designed to alleviate cost concerns while delivering breakthrough performance for next-generation 24-, 48-, and even 96-port line cards, resulting in differentiated end products that meet the latest in green networking initiatives such as EnergyStar’s upcoming equipment specifications.”