Ethernet development: Less debug with noise suppression, ESD protection

-- Control Engineering, 12/17/2007

Folsom, CA —Akros Silicon Inc. announced the AS1602, which features a combination of system level EMC compliance and surge protection for Ethernet applications, with no impact on data transmission speed. The new technology is expected to reduce debug hours and eliminate multiple board spins, company says, with better signal quality.

The integration of active chokes provides 10 dB of additional common mode (CM) noise suppression over the Ethernet bandwidth (1 MHz to 125 MHz), allowing designers to meet Class B compliance (FCC Part 15 or CISPR22).  AS1602 provides a high level of ESD (electro-static discharge) protection by enabling the system to exceed +/- 25 kV air discharge (IEC 61000-4-2 specifications) and +/-12 kV cable discharge event (CDE).
 
“With the AS1602 featuring active EMI (electro-magnetic interference) and ESD suppression for Ethernet applications, Akros Silicon is addressing protection requirements for any equipment that connects to LANs (local area networks),” said Jag Bolaria, senior analyst with the Linley Group. “This product is uniquely positioned in the market as an industry-first due to it being an active device, which provides customers with a system-level protection solution.”
 
Alternative solutions meet EMI and system ESD requirements through the use of external passive components such as diodes/TVS or magnetic chokes. These passive components add significant parasitics that degrade the Ethernet performance requiring multiple design turns to meet the toughest EMC requirements with little margin. Designs may sometimes go through a complete re-design in order to meet tough EMC requirements. AS1602 allows designers to solve both EMC and ESD suppression using a single, compact IC, and to eliminate the EMC tweaking required in the past.
 
“EMC compliance is one of the major challenges faced by system designers,” said Ven Shan, vice president of marketing at Akros Silicon. “The AS1602 will help to reduce the arduous hours of debug efforts in the lab and limit or eliminate multiple board spins so customers can avoid product launch delays.”
 
The AS1602 suppresses CM noise in ingress and egress to increase the system’s immunity to CM noise coming from the Ethernet cable, and prevents emission of CM noise to the same cable by compensating for variables that are the source of noise in Ethernet systems. It also allows customers who have achieved Class A compliance to migrate to Class B (CISPR22 and FCC Part 15, Class B requirements for Radiated and Conducted Emissions) or to achieve consistent margin over the entire Ethernet signal bandwidth of 1MHz to 125MHz in 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T applications. 10/100 Ethernet applications will use a single AS1602, while Gigabit Ethernet applications will use two AS1602s. The AS1601 is a companion product that provides EMI suppression only.
 
Prices for AS1602 start at $1.60 for 1,000 quantity. The AS1601 is priced at $1.23 for 1,000 quantity.

Control Engineering News Desk
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