Ethernet chips are the core components of network communication, which can be classified into the following categories based on different dimensions such as functionality, speed, application scenarios, and technical standards:
1、 Classified by Function and Architecture
Physical Layer (PHY) chip
Responsible for signal modulation, demodulation, and physical medium transmission, converting digital signals into analog signals suitable for cable (such as copper wire, fiber optic) transmission, supporting RJ45, SFP, and other interfaces.
Example: The Qinheng CH182 series PHY chip supports 10/100M speed and is compatible with MCU, FPGA and other main controllers.
Media Access Control (MAC) chip
Located at the data link layer, it manages the encapsulation of data frames, address resolution, traffic control, and conflict detection, often working in conjunction with PHY chips.
Integrated PHY+MAC chip
Integrating the functions of the physical layer and data link layer simplifies the design and is suitable for embedded systems. For example, the Qinheng CH390 chip supports SPI/parallel port connection to the main control.
Ethernet switching chip
Used for switches, supporting multi port data forwarding, VLAN, QoS and other functions, with core indicators including backplane bandwidth and packet forwarding rate.
Applications: Data center switches, enterprise level routers.
Ethernet controller (protocol stack chip)
Integrate TCP/IP protocol stack to reduce the burden of main control processing. For example, the Qinheng CH395 has built-in UDP/TCP/IP protocol and supports 8 sockets for concurrent communication.
2、 Classified by transmission rate
Low speed Ethernet chip
Supports 10/100Mbps, suitable for consumer level scenarios such as home networks and security cameras.
Example: Realtek RTL8168 (Gigabit) DM9000CI（10/100M）。
High speed Ethernet chip
1Gbps/10Gbps: Used for enterprise networks and data centers, such as Intel X55 10G chips.
25Gbps/100Gbps and above: Targeting ultra large scale data centers and cloud computing, supporting high bandwidth requirements such as AI and 5G.
Ultra high speed chip (400G/800G)
For future AI training and edge computing, such as Marvell 88X2220 series.
3、 Classified by application scenario
Consumer grade chips
Low power consumption and low cost, used for smart homes, routers, etc., such as Qualcomm home network chips.
Industrial grade chips
Anti interference, wide temperature range (-40~85 ℃), supporting industrial protocols (EtherCAT, PROFINET), applied in automation control and power systems.
Vehicle grade chip
Compliant with AEC-Q100 standard, high temperature resistance (-40~125 ℃), used for vehicle Ethernet (such as ADAS, LiDAR).
Data center chip
High throughput, low latency, supports 25G/100G rates, such as Intel 800 series adapter cards.
4、 Classified by protocol and technical standards
Standard protocol chip
Supports basic protocols such as IEEE 802.3 (Ethernet) and IPv4/IPv6.
Industrial protocol chip
Integrated with EtherCAT, PROFINET, etc., suitable for industrial automation.
PoE chip
Supports Power over Ethernet (IEEE 802.3af/at) for IP cameras and wireless APs, reducing wiring complexity.
5、 Classified by integration level and interface type
Single chip solution
High integration, such as TI's integrated MAC+PHY chip, suitable for IoT devices with limited space.
Multi interface chip
Supports RJ45, SFP+, QSFP+and other interfaces to meet the requirements of mixed fiber and copper networking.
Wireless Ethernet chip
Integrating Wi Fi and wired Ethernet functions, such as Qualcomm dual band Wi Fi+Gigabit Ethernet chips.
6、 Technology Trends and Market Directions
High speed: Accelerating the popularization of 100G/400G chips to meet the needs of AI and big data transmission.
Low power design: aimed at IoT and mobile devices, such as TI's low-power gigabit PHY chip.
Intelligence: Integrated AI acceleration engine, supporting dynamic traffic management and secure encryption.
Vehicle regulations and industrial grade demand growth: Vehicle Ethernet and Industry 4.0 drive the expansion of related chip markets.
The classification of Ethernet chips covers multiple dimensions such as functional architecture, speed, scenarios, protocols, etc. The selection should be based on specific requirements (such as bandwidth, environmental adaptability, cost). In the future, with the development of 5G, AIoT, and autonomous driving, high-speed, highly reliable, and multi protocol integrated chips will become mainstream.