ZestETM1 Gigabit Ethernet Module

The ZestETM1 is a low cost, compact module enabling high speed Gigabit Ethernet network connectivity in embedded devices. It acts as a bridge between a standard network port and familiar parallel and serial interfaces, offloading all networking tasks and allowing devices to communicate with the outside world without the need for specialist knowledge of complex protocols.


zestetm1-diagram-small.jpg


Orange Tree's proprietary GigExpedite® chip ("GigEx®") is a TCP/IP Offload Engine (TOE) that handles all the Ethernet communications protocols. This leaves the user device completely free for the user's application, and means the user doesn't have to know anything about Ethernet protocols. With the main processing engine implemented in TOE hardware, sustained data rates over 100MBytes/sec are achieved. You can read more about GigEx® here

The module's small form factor (30mm x 25mm), low power consumption (less than 1.5W), and straightforward interfaces simplify integration into end user systems, while its high performance removes bottlenecks in transferring data to and from remote devices. Supporting sustained transfer rates of 100MBytes/second, it can be used both for high data rate applications, or simply as a convenient way to add connectivity to lower bandwidth systems.

Support for real-time applications includes Precision Time Protocol (IEEE1588 PTP) and Synchronous Ethernet (SyncE). PTP synchronises networked devices together providing a high resolution 'time of day' counter on each device. SyncE generates a synchronized 125MHz clock on all compatible devices.

The array of interfaces provided by ZestETM1 includes parallel registers, FIFO interfaces, SPI master and slave and UART ports, which simplifies connection to existing devices. A single power supply and low external component count minimise carrier board cost and area.

A breakout board is available to simplify evaluation of the module. The breakout board has an RJ45 connector and connects the user interface of the module to standard 0.1 inch connectors for easy connection to external devices.

Benefits

  • Low cost and easy to use with no detailed Ethernet networking knowledge required
  • Offers simple access to very fast data rates over Gigabit Ethernet without having to integrate complex networking hardware and software
  • Devices can communicate via Ethernet without using a processor or incurring processor overheads
  • Synchronisation across networked devices for real-time control and data acquisition without any extra hardware or interconnect
  • Devices can build specialised application protocols on top of the base TCP and UDP support
  • Multiple standard interfaces reduce interfacing restrictions and provide glueless connection to a wide variety of devices


Features

  • 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet sustaining 100MBytes/second data transfer rates
  • Full offload of TCP and UDP data transfers
  • Flexible high speed data interface
    • Glueless direct connection
    • 16 bit register-based CPU interface
    • 8 bit register-based CPU interface
    • 8 bit FIFO interface
  • SPI master interface to boot external processors
  • SPI slave interface for control by external processors
  • UART interface up to 921kbps
  • Support for ARP, IPv4, TCP, UDP, ICMP, IGMP, PTPv2 and HTTP protocols
  • Up to 16 simultaneous high speed Ethernet connections
  • Embedded web server with 256 KBytes of Flash for user web pages
  • IEEE1588 PTP version 2 synchronisation with trigger and 1 pulse-per-second outputs and event capture input
  • Synchronous Ethernet (SyncE) clock recovery
  • Single 3.3V supply voltage
  • User Interface voltage from 1.8V to 3.3V
  • Power consumption less than 1.5W
  • Compact 25x30mm form factor
  • Industrial temperature range
  • Windows and Linux software support
  • Reference designs for when attached to an FPGA (including C, VHDL and Verilog source)


Pricing

Please use our contact form for a quote.

Discounts are available for volume orders, students, and non-commercial university projects

Orange Tree Technologies Ltd
173 Curie Avenue
Didcot
Oxfordshire
OX11 0QG
United Kingdom