CS8900A
Crystal LAN™ Ethernet Controller
•
On-chip LED ports can be used for either
optional LEDs, or as programmable out-
puts.
space designs, PacketPage is faster, simpler
and more efficient.
To boost performance further, the CS8900A
includes several key features that increase
throughput and lower CPU overhead, includ-
ing:
1.3 Key Features and Benefits
1.3.1 Very Low Cost
The CS8900A is designed to provide the low-
est-cost Ethernet solution available for embed-
ded applications, portable motherboards, non-
ISA bus systems and adapter cards. Cost-sav-
ing features include:
•
StreamTransfer cuts up to 87% of inter-
rupts to the host CPU during large block
transfers.
•
Auto-Switch DMA allows the CS8900A to
maximize throughput while minimizing
missed frames.
•
Integrated RAM eliminates the need for ex-
pensive external memory chips.
•
•
Early interrupts allow the host to prepro-
cess incoming frames.
•
On-chip 10BASE-T filters allow designers
to use simple isolation transformers in-
stead of more costly filter/transformer
packages.
On-chip buffering of full frames cuts the
amount of host bandwidth needed to man-
age Ethernet traffic.
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•
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The serial EEPROM port, used for configu-
ration and initialization, eliminates the need
for expensive switches and jumpers.
1.3.3 Low Power and Low Noise
For low power needs, the CS8900A offers
The CS8900A is designed to be used on a three power-down options: Hardware Stand-
2-layer circuit board instead of a more ex-
pensive multilayer board.
by, Hardware Suspend, and Software Sus-
pend. In Standby mode, the chip is powered
down with the exception of the 10BASE-T re-
ceiver, which is enabled to listen for link activ-
ity. In either Hardware or Software Suspend
mode, the receiver is disabled and power con-
sumption drops to the micro-ampere range.
The 8900A-based solution offers the small-
est footprint available, saving valuable
printed circuit board area.
A set of certified software drivers is avail-
able at no charge, eliminating the need for
costly software development.
In addition, the CS8900A has been designed
for very low noise emission, thus shortening
the time required for EMI testing and qualifica-
tion.
1.3.2 High Performance
The CS8900A is a full 16-bit Ethernet control-
ler designed to provide optimal system perfor-
mance by minimizing time on the ISA bus and
CPU overhead per frame. It offers equal or su-
perior performance for less money when com-
pared to other Ethernet controllers. The
CS8900A’s PacketPage architecture allows
software to select whichever access method is
best suited to each particular CPU/ISA-bus
configuration. When compared to older I/O-
1.3.4 Complete Support
The CS8900A comes with a suite of software
drivers for immediate use with most industry
standard network operating systems. In addi-
tion, complete evaluation kits and manufactur-
ing packages are available, significantly
reducing the cost and time required to produce
new Ethernet products.
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