Belkin is using the Agere ET1011 gigabit Ethernet chip in its USB 2.0 adapter cards.
Belkin Corporation, the global leader in connectivity solutions, is using the Agere ET1011 gigabit Ethernet chip in its Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 adapter cards. Measuring approximately the length of a business card, these adapters plug into desktop and notebook computers, as well as other end user gadgets used in corporate and home offices, to boost their data speeds. Belkin plans to start shipping its USB adapters this month.

‘Agere’s stellar customer support heavily influenced our decision to move forward with Agere’s single-chip solution’, said Mike Chen, Director of Product Management - Networking with Belkin.

‘Three other key factors were Agere’s industry-longest cable distance error free performance, extremely low power, low bill of material (BOM) and extensive digital technology expertise’.

Belkin will use Agere’s ET1011 PHY chip in its USB 2.0 gigabit Ethernet adapter card.

This card boosts data speeds up to 300Mbit/s for computer and other consumer products.

This is three times faster than 10/100Mbit/s Fast Ethernet technology available today.

Tripling the speed enables faster file transfers and multimedia downloads via a USB 2.0 port.

Based on its patented TruePHY gigabit Ethernet technology and cable diagnostic software, Agere’s ET1011 makes possible error-free cabling performance at 140m while consuming a very low 750mW of power in typical applications.

This power consumption is approximately 15% lower power than the nearest competing chip.

Agere offers the chip in two multilayer carrier chip package sizes.

Currently, Agere offers 84- and 68-pin versions.

The chip that houses 68 pins provides nearly 20% fewer than the nearest competing chip.

The dongle application uses the low-cost 68-pin version.

The 68-pin version supports a reduced gigabit media independent interface (RGMII), while the 84-pin version, in addition to RGMII also supports GMII, ten bit interface (TBI) and reduced ten bit interface.

The chip’s dimensions are 10 x 10 x 1mm.

‘Working with a global leader in connectivity solutions meshes with Agere’s sharpening focus to offer complete and economical hardware and software silicon solutions to our customers’, said Ngozi Bell, Director of Marketing for the Enterprise and Networking Division of Agere Systems.

‘Working with top-notch companies such as Belkin is helping to take Agere’s gigabit Ethernet chip business to a higher and broader level of penetration throughout enterprise and small/home office applications’.

This announcement builds on Agere’s recent momentum of engaging customers to select its portfolio of gigabit Ethernet chips.

During the past two months, the company has announced that SMC and Accton also are using Agere gigabit Ethernet chips.

Other equipment manufacturers also have chosen Agere’s gigabit Ethernet chips during this same time span, although have yet to be publicly announced.