OmniPhy Announces 1000Base-T1 "Gigabit" Automotive Ethernet Silicon IP Development

San Jose CA, October 6, 2016 – OmniPhy, the leading supplier of Ethernet PHY intellectual property (IP) for the consumer, automotive, and industrial markets today announced the availability of a Gigabit automotive Ethernet PHY on an advanced process technology node. The design implements the automotive Ethernet 1000Base-T1 standard spearheaded by the I.E.E.E. through 802.3bp initiative. OmnPhy is the first to offer truly automotive Ethernet PHY’s in the increasingly popular licensing format, having licensed silicon-proven 100Base-T1 for the past 18 months.

A Sea-Change in Automotive

Automobiles are undergoing the biggest disruption in the past one hundred years, with a push towards autonomous driving capabilities that are poised to revolutionize our lives. Autonomous cars and features require a serious increase in internal connectivity and Ethernet is best-equipped to provide this network backbone. Automotive Ethernet retains the reliability and robustness of standard commercial Ethernet, but has significant optimizations for the automotive application to enable high speed and data bandwidth, weight reduction, and cost efficiency.

"Auto makers are already adopting Ethernet in production vehicles. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and Infotainment will be strong growth drivers for automotive Ethernet demand," said Ian Riches, VP of Strategy Analytics' Automotive Practice. "By 2022, we expect around 250 million Ethernet nodes to be installed annually in global car and light truck production."

The OmniPhy IP especially emphasizes unique power saving and reliability diagnostic modes which are critical for the automotive application. OmniPhy’s approach allows proliferation and integration of qualified Ethernet PHY technology directly into the sensors, radars, and camera IC’s. “Customers are extremely excited about the exponential changes and opportunities ahead in the automotive market and are reacting quickly to position themselves for the future,” said Ritesh Saraf, CEO of OmniPhy.

Design Highlights

Here are some highlights of this design:

Compliant to IEEE 802.3 1000Base-T1 standard
Customized power-saving modes that minimize standby power and enhance battery life
Unique diagnostics, leveraging industrial PHY features into automotive
Undergoing the full automotive qualification process
Automotive grade ESD and EMC, with post-silicon design hooks to further reduce EMI

By developing silicon intellectual property purpose-built for automotive applications, OmniPhy has become a driving force in the industry, rapidly enabling new technology and reducing risk and design times for silicon suppliers. The company allows partners to differentiate themselves and create unique offerings using the silicon-proven base. By integrating the PHY function, the total solutions have lower area, power, and cost.

About OmniPhy

Omniphy is an American Mixed-signal Semiconductor IP company based in San Jose, California, with satellite offices across the world. The company specializes in intellectual property and develops high-performance Ethernet PHY’s and SerDes interfaces for the Automotive, Industrial, Consumer, and Networking markets. For more information visit http://omniphysemi.com or contact sales@omniphysemi.com.