AMD Switches Into High Gear With Voice-Ready Ethernet Switch Solutions; SwitchIT 10/100/1000 Mbps Products Provide Silicon Solutions for Enterprise Desktop Connectivity - Product Announcement

Edge: Work-Group Computing Report, Feb 7, 2000

AMD Tuesday announced it is bringing voice-ready switching to the enterprise desktop with the introduction of the SwitchIT portfolio of Ethernet 10/100/1000 Mbps switch devices and reference platforms.

The SwitchIT F12 and SwitchIT F12M devices address today's changing enterprise network market requirements, delivering switching technology benefits such as increased bandwidth, security and the prioritization of time-critical traffic. AMD's SwitchIT technology provides a complete system solution for switch manufacturers, and will enable network managers to accelerate the transition to entirely switched enterprise networks. The SwitchIT devices are the first in a planned portfolio of application aware ICs for the next generation of switching systems.

"We are seeing the convergence of voice and data networks as a near-term reality," said Dr. Laila Razouk, vice president of the Network Products Division at AMD. "Network managers are preparing for the advent of a single network that will support all of their traffic needs. Our application-aware switching technology is designed to meet the needs of switched networks supporting many types of time-critical traffic. The SwitchIT products cost-effectively integrate advanced features on a single device that would typically require a number of chips," said Razouk.

The non-blocking SwitchIT devices provide one dozen 10/100 Mbps ports and one gigabit port with integrated MAC functions, as well as an expansion port for multi-chip system solutions. To support end-to-end priority, both SwitchIT devices have Quality of Service (QoS) built-in to provide wire-speed prioritization of packets. Using industry standard techniques, the switch devices prioritize traffic to ensure time-critical information is not delayed by lower priority traffic such as e-mail or web inquiries.

The SwitchIT F12M device is a managed device with a cost-effective 16-bit microcontroller interface. Delivering complete management capabilities, the SwitchIT F12M device enhances network performance by supporting industry standard link aggregation (trunking), IP multicast filtering, RMON, SNMP, Spanning Tree, VLAN, port mirroring and quality of service. To accelerate system development, AMD is providing both reference designs and license-free/royalty-free software to accompany this device. AMD is also providing its SwitchIT Suite, a full management software package including a web-based user interface.

"Our management software enables the switch designer to quickly test and incorporate management support into their networking equipment at no additional cost," said Peter Newton, SwitchIT F12 and F12M devices product manager at AMD. "This is an important advantage over other solutions."

Alternatively, the SwitchIT F12 device is a plug-and-play, unmanaged device that does not require a CPU -- even for features such as traffic prioritization.

"It's an attractive choice for enterprise network managers seeking a means to provide additional desktop bandwidth and to differentiate their traffic at a very low cost," said Newton.

Complete System Solutions

The SwitchIT solutions portfolio also includes reference designs for both managed and unmanaged switches. Reference designs include boards, schematics, bill of materials, application notes, University of New Hampshire (UNH) test results, and FCC test results. In addition to the SwitchIT chips, the reference designs include AMD NetPHY physical layer devices, and processors for the SwitchIT F12M device, enabling a "one-stop" approach for the entire system solution.

"We now have a very comprehensive Ethernet product portfolio for switch, controller and PHY technology, positioning AMD as a strategic supplier for switch manufacturers seeking a single source for their designs," said Michele McGregor, director of marketing for AMD's Network Products Division. "AMD offers the total solution: the hardware, software and reference designs that allow OEMs to more efficiently design these Ethernet devices into their LAN switching systems."

SwitchIT Devices Are Key Technology Building Blocks

The SwitchIT F12 and F12M chips are key technology building blocks for future generation voice-ready, policy-based enterprise networks. Additionally, the SwitchIT technology can be applied to Ethernet solutions for carrier central office switches, PBX systems, and next generation LAN/WAN devices.

Developed entirely by AMD, the SwitchIT products have a highly modular and extensible programmable architecture, allowing for the rapid development of next-generation derivative products, as well as custom designs for specific customer needs. The SwitchIT product designs demanded new modeling techniques to accurately emulate a chip with the complexity comparable to a sixth-generation microprocessor. AMD's SwitchIT project team has produced more than 100 patentable advances in switch design and implementation.

Package and Availability

The SwitchIT F12M Am79C720 and F12 Am79C721 devices will be available direct through AMD and authorized AMD distributors in a 420-pin BGA. The SwitchIT F12 Am79C720 device is priced at $49 in 10K-unit quantities. The SwitchIT F12 Am79C721 device is priced at $39 in 10K-unit quantities. AMD is currently sampling both products with production planned for March 2000.