Toshiba adds to its Ethernet Bridge ICs for automotive communication systems

Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation has added “TC9563XBG” to its line-up of Ethernet-bridge ICs, to provide support for 10Gbps communications in automotive information communications systems and industrial equipment. Sample shipments have started and volume production will start in August 2022.

Automotive networks are evolving toward zone architecture where communications between zones use real-time, multi-gig transmission via Ethernet at a rate of 1Gbps or higher. The new bridge IC has Toshiba’s first two-port 10Gbps Ethernet and the interface can be selected from USXGMII, XFI, SGMII, and RGMII.

The two ports support Ethernet AVB and TSN, which facilitate real-time processing and synchronous processing, respectively. They also support “simplified” SR-IOV (virtual functions). The combination of these features in the new product delivers solutions suited to next-generation automotive networks.

As the speeds of communications devices continue to increase, the new IC can be used not only for zone architecture but also for various automotive applications such as IVI and telematics and in industrial equipment. It’s also positioned to be a successor to current TC9560 and TC9562 series products supporting 1Gbps Ethernet.

In recent years, more and more devices have been equipped with PCIe interfaces for device-to-device communications, such as Wi-Fi, and the host SoC tends to run short of PCIe interfaces. TC9563XBG has three PCIe Gen 3 switch ports for communications with the host SoC and connection to devices equipped with PCIe interfaces. The PCIe switch part is configured with one, four-lane upstream port for connection with the host SoC and two one-lane downstream ports for connection to devices with a PCIe interface.

Bu using the 3-port PCIe switch function for connections to such devices, it can help mitigate any PCIe interface shortages.