KSZ8041NL-EVAL - Ethernet PHY Evaluation Board | Microchip
N.º da peça: KSZ8041NL-EVAL ✓ Ativo| Qtd. | Preço unitário | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $59 | $59,00 |
| 10 | $56.55 | $565,50 |
| 100 | $54.1 | $5.410,00 |
| 500 | $51.65 | $25.825,00 |
| 1.000 | $49.2 | $49.200,00 |
KSZ8041NL-EVAL Visão geral
An Ethernet PHY (physical layer transceiver) is the integrated circuit that sits between a MAC (media access controller) and the RJ45 twisted-pair cable plant, performing line coding, echo cancellation, and analog front-end functions defined by the IEEE 802.3 standard. In the product hierarchy, the PHY belongs to Ethernet ICs, under interface and networking semiconductors, under mixed-signal integrated circuits. The KSZ8041NL on this board is packaged in a 32-pin, lead-free MLF (QFN per JEDEC) package.
Key features demonstrated by this evaluation platform include single-supply operation, a unique mixed-signal design that extends signaling distance while reducing power consumption, MII and RMII host interfaces, and HP Auto MDI/MDIX support. The KSZ8041NL is positioned for 10Base-T/100Base-TX applications with tight PCB board-space constraints.
Architecturally, the KSZ8041NL combines a mixed-signal analog front end with digital interface logic, supporting both the 16-bit MII data interface and the pin-reduced RMII interface for microcontrollers and embedded MACs. Note that the KSZ8041NL variant requires an external 50 MHz RMII clock, unlike the KSZ8041RNL variant which can generate the 50 MHz clock from a 25 MHz crystal input.
Typical evaluation use cases include verifying Ethernet PHY connectivity for industrial automation nodes, embedded networking modules, and IoT gateways before committing to a custom PCB design.
A key design consideration: the board can use its 40-pin male edge connector (J2) with minor population changes to interface with RMII MACs, and Auto MDIX operation requires symmetrical (Auto MDIX style) magnetics per the Microchip hardware design checklist.
This page synthesizes distributor availability, board-user-guide details, and drop-in alternative analysis not consolidated in the manufacturer documentation.
Alternativas drop-in para KSZ8041NL-EVAL — mesmo encapsulamento, compatível pino a pino. Peças de encapsulamento diferente que exigem retrabalho na PCB são excluídas.
Ferramenta de comparação rápida — selecione peças alternativas para comparação lado a lado:
KSZ8041RNL-EVAL
✅ Drop-In📋 Alternativa de referência (fora do catálogo)
KSZ8041NL-EVAL Especificações (publicadas pelo fabricante)
| Product Type | Ethernet PHY Evaluation Board |
| Evaluated Device | KSZ8041NL Ethernet PHY |
| Supported Standards | 10BASE-T / 100BASE-TX |
| Host Interfaces | MII, RMII |
| Board Connector | 40-pin male edge connector (J2) |
| Chip Package | 32-pin lead-free MLF (QFN per JEDEC) |
| Auto MDI/MDIX | Yes (HP Auto MDI/MDIX) |
| Supply | Single supply |
| Magnetics Requirement | Auto MDIX style magnetics required in Auto MDIX mode |
| Lead Free | Yes |
| Manufacturer | Microchip Technology (originally Micrel Semiconductor) |
| DigiKey Part Number | 576-1621-ND |
| Board Category | Ethernet Development Tools |
| RMII Clock | External 50 MHz clock required (KSZ8041NL variant) |
Interfaces e Conectores do KSZ8041NL-EVAL
Não há lista de interfaces publicada pelo fabricante disponível para KSZ8041NL-EVAL. Consulte a documentação do fabricante para detalhes de conectores e headers.
Consulte a documentação do fabricante para a pinagem completa do conector de expansão e a numeração dos pinos do conector.
Aplicações típicas
KSZ8041NL-EVAL é adequado para 6 aplicaçãos: Embedded Industrial Ethernet Node Prototyping, MCU RMII Interface Verification, IoT Gateway and Smart Home Hub Design, Networking Equipment Reference Testing, University and Training Laboratories, Security and Surveillance Camera Prototyping.
Embedded Industrial Ethernet Node Prototyping
Industrial automation nodes such as PLC remote I/O, motor drives, and sensor hubs require reliable 10/100 Mbps connectivity with long cable reach. The KSZ8041NL-EVAL lets engineers validate the KSZ8041NL PHY, whose mixed-signal design extends signaling distance while reducing power consumption per the Microchip data sheet. The 40-pin J2 edge connector ties directly to an MCU or FPGA MAC over MII, or over RMII with minor population changes and an external 50 MHz clock. Validating Auto MDI/MDIX behavior with symmetrical magnetics on this board before PCB layout prevents costly field failures with non-crossover cabling in factory environments.
Recomendado
MCU RMII Interface Verification
Many embedded MCUs and FPGA soft MACs implement the pin-reduced RMII interface, where PHY and MAC timing margins are tight and clock topology matters. The KSZ8041NL-EVAL is specifically documented to connect to RMII MACs through its 40-pin male edge connector (J2) with minor board population changes, receiving power and management data through the same connector. Because the KSZ8041NL variant requires an external 50 MHz RMII reference clock, the board is the right platform to verify clock-tree latency and skew against the MAC before committing hardware. Engineers can compare directly against the KSZ8041RNL-EVAL, whose PHY generates 50 MHz internally from a 25 MHz crystal.
Recomendado
IoT Gateway and Smart Home Hub Design
IoT gateways and smart-home hubs typically pair a low-cost MCU with wired Ethernet for backhaul. The KSZ8041NL-EVAL enables rapid bring-up of the KSZ8041NL PHY in such designs: the PHY's single-supply operation simplifies power-tree design, HP Auto MDI/MDIX removes cable-polarity concerns for consumer installation, and the compact 32-pin MLF (QFN per JEDEC) target package suits space-limited hub PCBs. Developers can validate link bring-up, management (MDIO) register access, and 10/100 auto-negotiation over J2 before designing the production board, reducing one hardware spin in typical gateway programs.
Recomendado
Networking Equipment Reference Testing
Designers of switches, routers, and set-top boxes use the KSZ8041NL-EVAL to qualify the KSZ8041NL PHY against system requirements before dense multi-port layouts. The board demonstrates the PHY's MII interface for switch ASICs and provides edge-connector access to management signals for register-level testing. Because signaling distance is extended by the mixed-signal design, backplane-adjacent placements benefit from verified margins. Testing Auto MDI/MDIX crossover with symmetrical magnetics on the eval board also validates compliance expectations for customer premise equipment, where users routinely connect with either straight-through or crossover cables.
Recomendado
University and Training Laboratories
The KSZ8041NL-EVAL is a practical teaching platform for embedded networking courses: students wire the 40-pin J2 connector to a microcontroller MAC over MII, observe auto-negotiation, and inspect MDIO management traffic with standard lab tools. Microchip's free Eval Board User's Guide and the KSZ8041NL/RNL data sheet (document 00002245B) plus the hardware design checklist give complete, citation-ready documentation for lab exercises. The board demonstrates real physical-layer concepts - line coding, echo cancellation, and Auto MDI/MDIX - on inexpensive hardware, and the single-supply power requirement keeps bench setups simple for classroom use.
Recomendado
Security and Surveillance Camera Prototyping
IP cameras and networked access-control panels need compact, power-efficient 10/100 Ethernet. The KSZ8041NL-EVAL lets camera SoC teams validate the KSZ8041NL PHY, whose reduced power consumption suits PoE-class and fan-less enclosure thermal budgets, and whose HP Auto MDI/MDIX simplifies installer wiring. The 32-pin MLF (QFN per JEDEC) target package footprint demonstrated on the board fits tight camera PCBs. Engineers bring the PHY up via RMII through connector J2 with an external 50 MHz clock, verifying link integrity and cable-reach margins before freezing the magnetics and RJ45 layout for the production camera board.
Recomendado
Resumo dos produtos recomendados
Dados de referência de engenharia para KSZ8041NL-EVAL — comparação, orientação de projeto e informações de conformidade.
Guia de seleção
Comparação com alternativas
| Parâmetro | Este produto | KSZ8041RNL-EVAL |
|---|---|---|
| Package | Evaluation board (target chip 32-pin MLF/QFN) | Evaluation board (target chip 32-pin MLF/QFN) - same format |
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology - same |
| Evaluated Device | KSZ8041NL | KSZ8041RNL |
| Supported Standards | 10BASE-T / 100BASE-TX | 10BASE-T / 100BASE-TX |
| Host Interfaces | MII, RMII | MII, RMII |
| RMII Clock Source | External 50 MHz required | Internal 50 MHz from 25 MHz crystal |
| Auto MDI/MDIX | Yes (HP Auto MDI/MDIX) | Yes (HP Auto MDI/MDIX) |
| DigiKey Order Code | 576-1621-ND | Listed at DigiKey (DigiKey PN 2623641 listing) |
Principais diferenciais
- External-clock RMII topology demonstrated end to end (vs KSZ8041RNL-EVAL)
- Dual-interface MII/RMII access on one connector (vs KSZ8041RNL-EVAL)
- Trade-off: no on-board RMII clock generation (vs KSZ8041RNL-EVAL)
Notas de projeto
Per the Microchip KSZ8041NL Hardware Design Checklist (document 00002498B), pin 6 of the RJ45 is RX- and must trace through the magnetics to RX- (pin 4) of the KSZ8041NL. When using Auto MDIX mode, you must select an Auto MDIX style magnetics module where the TX and RX channel windings are symmetrical - otherwise HP Auto MDI/MDIX crossover will fail. Replicate these rules when translating eval-board results into your production PCB.
In RMII mode, the KSZ8041NL variant depends on an externally supplied 50 MHz reference clock, so clock routing quality on the host side directly determines link stability. Keep the 50 MHz trace short, source-terminated, and route it away from the magnetics side. If your MAC cannot supply a clean 50 MHz clock, evaluate the KSZ8041RNL-EVAL instead, since the KSZ8041RNL can generate the 50 MHz RMII clock from a 25 MHz crystal internally.
The KSZ8041NL-EVAL connects to the host MAC through the 40-pin male edge connector (J2), but RMII operation requires minor board population changes documented in the Eval Board User's Guide v1.1. Do not assume the board is RMII-ready out of the box in the same configuration as MII mode; consult the user guide population options before first power-up to avoid damaging the PHY or the host MAC with misconfigured straps or clock inputs.
Informações de conformidade
The KSZ8041NL chip is described by Microchip as a lead-free 32-pin MLF (QFN per JEDEC) package. Full RoHS/REACH certificates for the evaluation board were not stated in the provided data.
