First Dual-Port 10GBaseT-Over-Copper Chip Slashes 10-Gbit/s Ethernet Gear

摘要

Many companies have been working for years to create the definitive 10-Gbit/s Ethernet physical layer (PHY) for copper cable. With the cost of optical 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GE) ports lingering at about the $3000 level, copper ports still look attractive at $500/port with existing chips. Now, Teranet-ics is changing all that with its TN2022 10GE copper PHY chip. Offering two ports, it further reduces that per channel cost. 10GE copper PHy chips typically allow standard Ethernet LITP CAT5e and RJ-45 connectors to carry 10 Gbits/s up to approximately 30 to 50 m. This is basically okay for most data centers, but the usual 100-m range offered by Ethernet would be better. This range can usually be achieved by using the higher-grade CAT6a unshielded twisted pair (UTP).