New generation of gearbox products released

With the general availability of switch chips that have flexible multi-speed port interfaces supporting 10G, 40G, 100G and emerging Ethernet speeds, new gearbox PHY solutions are needed to ensure robust signal integrity and optimise port adaption. The latest Broadcom gearbox PHY devices extend the capabilities of switches by providing flexible port interface and maximising the electrical link distance to optical interface while consuming minimal power. The BCM82793 and BCM82332 are application-optimised, cost-effective 100G gearbox devices that
support IEEE802.3bj Clause 73 Auto-negotiation, Clause 91 FEC and Clause 92 & 93 transmit training.

New product highlights

• BCM82332 -- 10G/40G/100G Tri-PHY.
• Supports 100G 10:4 gearbox mode and multiple retimer modes including 12x10G Ethernet and 3x40G Ethernet.
• Optimised for enterprise class switches that utilise a mix of 10GbE, 40GbE and 100GbE ports.

BCM82793 -- 100G Gearbox PHY

• Supports 100G 10:4 gearbox mode and multiple retimer modes including 2x40G Ethernet and 10x10G Ethernet.
• Footprint compatible to industry standard 100G gearbox PHY.

BCM82864 -- 40G Gearbox Quad-PHY

• Supports 160G 16:8 gearbox mode for 40G Ethernet and multiple retimer modes including 2x100G Ethernet and 2x40G Ethernet
• 100G Ethernet bypass enables end users to change front panel ports from 40G to 100G simply by changing out two 40G QSFP+ modules for a 100G QSFP28 module
• Enables 64x40G Ethernet switch matrix in hyper-scale data centre applications.

"Broadcom has consistently offered gearbox products meeting a variety of multiplexing options," said Loring Wirbel, Senior Analyst with The Linley Group. "By supporting unique retimer modes such as 12x10 and 3x40, and by supporting 802.3bj Clause 73, Broadcom continues its leadership in 'right-sizing' PHY solutions for the data centre."

“Broadcom is the undisputed leader in high-speed Ethernet PHY solutions for the network infrastructure with more than 100 million 10G ports shipped to date. Broadcom has developed a comprehensive PHY portfolio bridging the latest switch chips to a wide variety of pluggable optical transceivers. The latest addition to our gearbox PHY offerings further extends Broadcom’s optical PHY leadership in the data centre and enterprise networking applications,” said Lorenzo Longo, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Physical Layer Products Division at Broadcom.

The BCM82864 is in production now. Samples of the BCM82332 and BCM82793 are currently available with production slated for October 2016. Please contact your local Broadcom sales representative for pricing.