SMSC Debuts TrueAuto' Ethernet Controller

SMSC, a semiconductor company that provides Smart Mixed-Signal Connectivity' solutions, has reportedly launched the LAN89218, a TrueAuto' high-performance single-chip 10/100 Ethernet controller.

 

According to the company, the LAN89218 is designed, validated, qualified, characterized and manufactured for the high reliability requirements of the car. And it is specifically tested for 16/32-bit automotive grade applications including diagnostic interface, system test interface, and fast software downloads where performance, flexibility, ease of integration and system cost control are required.

 

“The LAN89218 is best suited for making the car accessible to diagnostic systems because it offers a fast mechanism to transfer software into the vehicle,” said Dr. Christian Thiel, vice president and general manager of SMSC's Automotive Information Systems group, in a statement. “Enabling an Ethernet-based diagnostic and software maintenance entry to the vehicle can significantly reduce the time required to diagnose and fix problems while a car is being serviced.”

 

It offers a simple, parallel host bus interface to the typical automotive embedded microcontrollers used inside a car and incorporates essential protocol requirements for operating an Ethernet/IEEE (News - Alert) 802.3 10BASE-T and 802.3u100BASE-TX node.