What is an Ethernet Switch Chip in the Internet of Things?

In the Internet of Things (IoT), Ethernet switch chips play a vital role. They are the core components for efficient data exchange and transmission in the network.

The following is the technical knowledge of Ethernet switch chips explained by the IoT cloud platform. We will comprehensively and deeply explain its related concepts, working principles, classifications, application scenarios and future development trends.

Basic concepts of Ethernet switch chips

The Ethernet switch chip is a special integrated circuit (ASIC) specially used for switching and processing large amounts of data and message forwarding. It is one of the core components of Ethernet switching equipment, and together with CPU, PHY (physical layer chip), PCB (printed circuit board) and interface/port subsystem, it constitutes a complete Ethernet switching device. The logical path inside the Ethernet switch chip is composed of hundreds of feature sets. These feature sets work together while maintaining extremely high data processing capabilities, allowing the Ethernet switch chip to efficiently process data traffic in the network.

Working principle of Ethernet switch chips

The Ethernet switch chip follows the OSI model (Open Communication System Interconnection Reference Model) at the logical level. The OSI model includes the physical layer, data link layer, network layer, transport layer, session layer, presentation layer and application layer.

Ethernet switching chips mainly work at the physical layer, data link layer, network layer and transport layer, providing high-performance bridging technology (layer 2 forwarding) for the data link layer, high-performance routing technology (layer 3 routing) for the network layer, security policy technology (ACL) for the transport layer and below, as well as traffic scheduling, management and other data processing capabilities.

The specific working principle is as follows:

Packet reception and matching:

After the message/packet to be transmitted enters the Ethernet switching chip through the port, the packet header field is matched first to prepare for flow classification. This step is the first step in packet processing and the basis for subsequent processing.

Security detection:

Hardware security detection is performed through the security engine to ensure the security of the packet. This step is crucial to prevent network attacks and ensure network security.

Layer 2 switching or layer 3 routing:

Packets that meet security requirements are subjected to layer 2 switching or layer 3 routing. Layer 2 switching is performed at the data link layer and forwarded according to the MAC address of the packet; while layer 3 routing is performed at the network layer and forwarded according to the IP address of the packet.

Flow classification and processing:

The flow classification processor performs relevant actions on the matched data packets, such as discarding, speed limiting, modifying VLAN, etc. This step can flexibly process the data packets according to the network policy.

Queue scheduling and sending:

For data packets that can be forwarded, they are placed in the buffers of different queues according to 802.1P or DSCP. The scheduler performs queue scheduling according to priority or WRR and other algorithms, and performs flow classification modification actions before the port sends the data packet, and finally sends it out from the corresponding port.

Classification of Ethernet switching chips

Ethernet switching chips can be classified according to bandwidth and application scenarios.

Classification by bandwidth

• 100M Ethernet switching chip: Mainly used in home switching equipment to meet the basic needs of home networks.
• Gigabit Ethernet switching chip: Suitable for small enterprise switching equipment, providing higher network bandwidth and performance.
• Gigabit/10G Ethernet switching chip: Applicable to large enterprise switching equipment to meet the high bandwidth and high performance requirements of large enterprise networks.
• 25G/40G/100G Ethernet switch chip: Mainly used in data centers and operator networks, providing extremely high network bandwidth and performance to meet the needs of large-scale data transmission and processing.
• 400G/800G Ethernet switch chip: With the continuous development of network technology, higher-speed Ethernet switch chips are gradually becoming popular to meet the high bandwidth needs of future networks.

Classification by application scenario

• Ethernet switch chip for enterprise network: It can be divided into financial, government and enterprise, campus, etc., to meet the network needs of different types of enterprises.
• Ethernet switch chip for operator: It can be divided into metropolitan area network, operator construction and operator internal management network to meet the different needs of operator networks.
• Ethernet switch chip for data center: It can be divided into public cloud, private cloud, self-built data center, etc., to meet the high bandwidth, high performance and reliability requirements of data center networks.
• Industrial Ethernet switch chip: It can be divided into power, rail transit, municipal transportation, energy, factory automation, etc., to meet the high requirements of industrial networks for stability and reliability.

Ethernet switch chip products

The IoT cloud platform provides Ethernet switch chip models and mass production status:

YT9230D/L 8+2 Gigabit switch engineering sample

YT9218N 8-port Gigabit switch has been mass produced

YT9218MB 8+2 Gigabit switch has been mass produced

YT9228 8-port 2.5G+1usxgmii switch is under development

YT9222 2-port 2.5G+2-port Gigabit+2USXGMII switch is under development

YT9224 4-port 2.5G switch is under development

YT9214NB 2+2 Gigabit switch has been mass produced

YT9213NB 2+1 Gigabit switch has been mass produced

YT9232D/L 24-port Gigabit switch engineering sample

YT9231D/L 8-port Gigabit G+6SGMII switch, compatible with SGMII and 2.5G SGMII engineering sample

YT9215S 5+2 Gigabit switch, 5-port Gigabit + 1SGMII + 1RGMII has been mass-produced

YT9215RB 5+2 Gigabit switch, 5-port Gigabit + 2RGMII has been mass-produced

YT9215SC 5+2 Gigabit switch, 5-port Gigabit + 2SGMII, Serdes compatible with SGMII and 2.5G SGMII Plus has been mass-produced

Application scenarios of Ethernet switching chips

Ethernet switching chips are widely used in various network devices. The following are their main application scenarios:

Enterprise-level network switches:

Enterprise networks require high-performance, low-latency switching devices to support the connection and data transmission of a large number of users. Ethernet switching chips are usually integrated in enterprise switches to provide stable and efficient data exchange capabilities.

Data center switches:

Data center switches need to handle large-scale, high-density network traffic. Ethernet switching chips play a key role in such scenarios, supporting high-bandwidth and low-latency network requirements and ensuring the stability and reliability of data center networks.

Home network devices:

With the increase in smart home devices, the demand for switching chips in home networks is also increasing. Wireless routers, switches and other devices rely on Ethernet switching chips to achieve data exchange and transmission between devices.

Industrial Internet of Things:

In the industrial field, IoT devices usually require stable and efficient network communication. Ethernet switching chips can provide support, making communication between industrial IoT devices more reliable and efficient.

Technical characteristics of Ethernet switching chips

Ethernet switching chips have a variety of technical characteristics that make them play an important role in network communications.

MAC address learning and table management:

Ethernet switching chips can learn and store the source MAC address in the data frame and associate it with the port that receives the data frame. When a data frame needs to be sent to the target device, the switching chip looks up the target MAC address in the MAC address table to decide which port to forward the data frame to.

Data frame forwarding:

Ethernet switching chips can identify the target address of the data frame and select the appropriate port for data forwarding based on the information in the MAC address table. If the target MAC address is not in the table, the chip “floods” by sending the data frame to all ports until the MAC address of the target device is learned and added to the address table.

Full-duplex and half-duplex modes:

Ethernet switching chips support both full-duplex and half-duplex communication modes. In full-duplex mode, data can be transmitted in both directions at the same time, greatly improving bandwidth utilization. In half-duplex mode, data can only be transmitted in one direction and needs to be carried out in turns, which is usually inefficient.

Virtual LAN (VLAN):

VLAN is a technology that logically divides LAN devices to form different broadcast domains between devices. Ethernet switching chips usually have built-in VLAN support, which can group devices according to network needs, reduce broadcast conflicts, and improve network security and management efficiency.

Quality of Service (QoS):

Through QoS technology, Ethernet switching chips can give priority to data streams such as voice and video that have high real-time requirements, thereby improving the quality of network transmission.

Link Aggregation:

Link aggregation technology allows multiple physical links to be combined into a logical link to increase transmission bandwidth and provide redundancy for the network. Ethernet switching chips can manage these aggregated links to ensure high availability and high performance of the network.

Multicast and Multicast Forwarding:

Switching chips can support multicast and multicast technologies, reduce bandwidth waste through optimized data forwarding strategies, and improve network efficiency.

Market and development trends of Ethernet switching chips

Market status

At present, the Ethernet switching chip market presents the following characteristics:

• The market scale continues to grow: With the acceleration of digital transformation and the development of the Internet of Things, the market demand for Ethernet switching chips continues to increase. Especially in the fields of data centers, cloud computing, 5G bearer networks, etc., the market scale of Ethernet switching chips continues to expand.
• Technology continues to innovate: In order to meet market demand and technological development, the technology of Ethernet switching chips continues to innovate. Higher-speed Ethernet switching chips, switching chips that support more advanced network protocols, and switching chips with higher security and reliability continue to emerge.
• Diversified competition pattern: The Ethernet switching chip market is highly competitive, and many manufacturers occupy a certain share in the market. These manufacturers enhance their competitiveness through continuous technological innovation and market expansion.

Development trend

In the future, Ethernet switching chips will present the following development trends:

• Higher speed: With the continuous development of network technology, higher-speed Ethernet switching chips will become the mainstream of the market. These chips will support higher network bandwidth and lower latency to meet the high-performance requirements of future networks.
• More advanced network protocols: With the continuous advancement of network technology, more advanced network protocols will gradually become popular. Ethernet switching chips need to support these new protocols to ensure the compatibility and stability of the network.
• Higher security and reliability: Network security and reliability are important guarantees for network development. Ethernet switching chips need to continuously strengthen security performance and reliability design to cope with increasingly complex network attacks and failure situations.
• Edge computing: With the advent of the 5G era and the development of the Internet of Things, edge computing will become an important trend in future networks. Ethernet switching chips need to support data processing and transmission requirements in edge computing scenarios and provide efficient and reliable network connections for edge devices.

Summary

Ethernet switching chips are the core components for realizing data exchange functions in the network. It provides stable and efficient data transmission services for various network devices through efficient data processing capabilities and flexible network strategy support.

With the acceleration of digital transformation and the development of the Internet of Things, the market demand for Ethernet switching chips continues to increase, and technology continues to innovate.

In the future, Ethernet switching chips will show development trends such as higher speed, more advanced network protocols, higher security and reliability, and support for edge computing. These trends will drive the further development and growth of the Ethernet switching chip market and bring more innovations and opportunities to the field of network communications.