MaxLinear, Inc. announced the launch of a new family of 2.5G Ethernet switches and PHYs. Launching will be both 7-and 10-port switches and 8-port PHYs, with variants for consumer and industrial applications. The single-chip solutions offer a large packet buffer, low power consumption, and the broadest feature set available on the market today.

The new family further enriches MaxLinear?s already robust Ethernet product line, which includes 10/100, 1G, and 2.5G bridges, PHYs and switches. Increased digital data traffic across existing Ethernet networks, fast-rising bandwidth demand, a growing data center industry, and increased cloud storage used by Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) industries are driving the need for more efficient, flexible, and powerful Ethernet solutions. Adding to this pressure of escalating data demands is a more recent focus on energy efficiency, compact designs, versatility in deployments, and compliance with environmental standards for both industrial and consumer Ethernet applications.

MaxLinear?s 2.5G Ethernet solutions address this challenge by offering a significant boost in data rates without the complexity and cost associated with migrating to cost-prohibitive 10G networks. MaxLinear?s new family of 2.5G switches and PHYs meets a critical need in the industry offering a compact single-chip solution, the industry?s lowest power consumption and wire-speed switching as well as a feature-rich design encompassing IGMPv3, MLPv1,2, LACP, PTP, SyncE, and MACsec. This innovative product line introduces a range of key features designed to enhance networking capabilities.

At its core are single-chip 2.5G switch solutions seamlessly integrated with PHYs, offering a streamlined and efficient solution for various networking scenarios. Noteworthy options include the availability of 10G SERDES uplink ports, providing additional flexibility for network configurations. On the PHY front, the product showcases eight 2.5GBASE-T PHYs characterized by remarkably low power consumption, operating at just 600mW per port and a total of 4.8W for all eight PHYs.

The product's energy efficiency is further emphasized by its ability to operate at 3.6W for 5 PHYs, demonstrating its commitment to sustainable and cost-effective networking solutions. Versatility is a defining feature, with support for unmanaged, web-smart, cloud-managed, and industrial switches, ensuring adaptability to a diverse range of networking needs.