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TI has announced the availability of two devices supporting a new high-performance networking architecture flexible enough to support 10 Base-T, 100 Base-T and 100 VG-AnyLAN protocols. The ThunderLAN architecture offers networking managers the ability to support any one of these protocols with a single silicon and driver software implementation and to upgrade at any time.
ThunderLAN is designed to pack TI's silicon expertise into a modular, highly integrated family of devices. With ThunderLAN's simple design, networking solutions providers can shorten product development cycle times and significantly decrease time-to-market.
"Networking managers and end users need to be able to choose the protocol and wiring media they want at any given time," said Joe Valente, ThunderLAN program manager. "ThunderLAN offers the flexibility to use 10 Base-T now and provide seamless support for either of the high-speed Ethernet standards when their networking requirements demand it."
At the heart of the ThunderLAN architecture is a single-chip peripheral component interconnect (PCI)/10 Base-T device. The TNETE110, or ThunderLAN LITE, is the first member of the ThunderLAN family of devices. It is fully 802.3 compatible and will allow TI customers to deliver a 10 Base-T only solution that provides architectural upgradeability, via common drivers and common package and pinout, with the more full-featured ThunderLAN TNETE100 device.
The second member of the ThunderLAN family, the TNETE100 device, was developed to enable networking systems providers to upgrade easily to faster protocols as bandwidth requirements grow. With an industry standard media independent interface (MII), ThunderLAN can directly connect to any MII compliant 100 Mbps transceiver defined for the 802.3U 100 Base-T or the 802.12 100VG-AnyLAN services. In 100VG-AnyLAN mode, the TNETE100 will transport both Ethernet and token ring packets.
"Today's networking professionals want the freedom of choice and flexibility to change protocols without the time and financial burdens typically associated with upgrading. The TI ThunderLAN architecture frees users from being locked in to any one standard," said Tam Dell'Oro, senior industry analyst at Dataquest.
Future plans for the ThunderLAN architecture include TI-designed physical layer devices and a version of the architecture for internetworking requirements.
The TNETE100 and TNETE110 ThunderLAN networking devices are currently sampling, with production planned for the second quarter.
TNETE100 PQFP $30 TNETE110 PQFP $20
Suggested resale pricing in 10K quantities.
May 1995, vol. 12, no. 4