VSC8574EV - 4-Port Gigabit Ethernet PHY Evaluation Board
N.º da peça: VSC8574EV ✓ AtivoVSC8574EV Visão geral
An evaluation board is a hardware development platform used to evaluate the electrical, functional, and system-level performance of an integrated circuit without first fabricating a production design. In this product category, the board incorporates the VSC8574 Ethernet PHY and its supporting implementation into a testable assembly. Engineers use this platform to examine interface interoperability, network behavior, timing characteristics, power-supply implementation, and printed-circuit-board layout considerations before adapting the design into production equipment.
The evaluated VSC8574 device is identified by Microchip as a 4-port Gigabit Ethernet PHY transceiver. Its supported MAC-facing SerDes interfaces include SGMII and QSGMII, allowing the PHY to participate in designs using serial Gigabit Ethernet links or a quad serial Gigabit Ethernet MAC connection. The board therefore supports laboratory evaluation of interface configuration, multiport Ethernet operation, and the relationship between the PHY and external network-processing hardware.
The VSC8574 family includes VeriTime IEEE 1588 timing technology and Ring Resiliency capabilities. These features distinguish the platform from a basic Ethernet link-layer breakout board because the evaluation environment can be used to investigate synchronization-related behavior and ring-oriented network recovery. The evaluation-board user guide also identifies the VSC8504, VSC8552, and VSC8572 as related devices in the family, although their port counts, supported interfaces, and available features differ from the VSC8574 covered by the guide.
Typical uses include qualifying an industrial Ethernet switch, evaluating a communications gateway, checking MAC-to-PHY interoperability in a SGMII or QSGMII topology, and studying synchronization or ring-resiliency behavior. The platform may also support protocol-stack development and hardware bring-up because engineers can validate physical-layer behavior before integrating the VSC8574 into a custom carrier or line card.
Board-level evaluation requires careful review of the VSC8574 hardware design checklist. The checklist recommends low-resistance power delivery, correctly positioned local decoupling, bulk decoupling capacitors, and ferrite beads in place of series inductors where appropriate. Designers should compare those recommendations with the actual board implementation and preserve adequate copper and component placement when adapting the design to a production PCB.
This product page combines the verified manufacturer descriptions, evaluation-board documentation, hardware checklist, distributor listings, and available pricing. It distinguishes the VSC8574EV evaluation board from the VSC8574 production transceiver, preserves the source-reported price as of 2026-10-28, and identifies unverified technical fields explicitly rather than estimating them.
Alternativas drop-in para VSC8574EV — mesmo encapsulamento, compatível pino a pino. Peças de encapsulamento diferente que exigem retrabalho na PCB são excluídas.
Nenhuma alternativa drop-in disponível para este produto.
Solicitar alternativasVSC8574EV Especificações (publicadas pelo fabricante)
| Product Type | Gigabit Ethernet PHY transceiver evaluation board |
| Evaluated Device | VSC8574 |
| Gigabit Ethernet Port Count | 4 ports |
| Supported MAC Interfaces | SGMII and QSGMII |
| Ethernet Data Rate | Gigabit Ethernet |
| Timing Technology | VeriTime IEEE 1588 |
| Network Resilience Feature | Ring Resiliency |
| Evaluation-Board Family Members | VSC8504, VSC8552, VSC8572, and VSC8574 |
| Power-Supply Recommendation | Lowest resistive drop possible with correctly positioned local decoupling |
| Bulk Decoupling | Required; placement details are described in the VSC8574 hardware design checklist |
| EMI Filtering Recommendation | Ferrite beads preferred over series inductors where suitable |
Interfaces e Conectores do VSC8574EV
VSC8574EV expõe as seguintes interfaces e conectores conforme publicado pelo fabricante: Ethernet. A pinagem do header de expansão, a numeração dos pinos do conector e os limites elétricos estão definidos na documentação do fabricante.
| Ethernet | 4 ports |
Consulte a documentação do fabricante para a pinagem completa do conector de expansão e a numeração dos pinos do conector.
Aplicações típicas
VSC8574EV é adequado para 6 aplicaçãos: Industrial Gigabit Ethernet Switch Bring-Up, SGMII MAC Interface Interoperability, QSGMII Quad-Serial MAC Integration, IEEE 1588 Timing Evaluation, Ring Resiliency Network Testing, Custom Carrier and Line-Card Development.
Industrial Gigabit Ethernet Switch Bring-Up
The VSC8574EV is appropriate for laboratory bring-up of an industrial switch because the evaluated VSC8574 provides four Gigabit Ethernet ports and both SGMII and QSGMII MAC interfaces. Engineers can use the board to validate MAC-to-PHY interoperability, port behavior, and multiport system operation before laying out a custom switching line card. The evaluation format accelerates early software and hardware integration, although the completed production design must independently pass thermal, EMC, and environmental qualification. The board is therefore best used for functional validation rather than treated as a finished field-deployable switch.
Recomendado
SGMII MAC Interface Interoperability
The VSC8574EV supports laboratory testing of a MAC connected through the VSC8574's SGMII interface. This configuration is useful when verifying clocking, serializer behavior, link establishment, and packet-path interoperability between a network processor and a four-port Gigabit Ethernet PHY. Because the evaluation board already presents a working implementation, engineers can isolate MAC-side problems before transferring the proven arrangement to custom hardware. Exact connector assignments, signal rates, and test procedures should be taken from the official evaluation-board user guide.
Recomendado
QSGMII Quad-Serial MAC Integration
The VSC8574EV is useful for evaluating a QSGMII connection between a quad-serial MAC and the four-port VSC8574 PHY. This topology can reduce the number of serial links relative to individual SGMII connections and is relevant to high-throughput switching and gateway architectures. On the evaluation platform, engineers can observe the relationship between the MAC-facing interface and all four Gigabit Ethernet ports, then use the findings to guide custom clocking, layout, and signal-integrity work. The final product still requires board-specific validation.
Recomendado
IEEE 1588 Timing Evaluation
The VSC8574EV can support evaluation of the VSC8574's VeriTime IEEE 1588 timing capability. This makes the platform relevant to systems where precise network timing must be investigated alongside four-port Gigabit Ethernet operation. Engineers can use test equipment and the board's existing implementation to study timing behavior before integrating equivalent PHY circuitry into industrial or communications equipment. The evaluation board does not by itself establish final timing accuracy for a custom design; synchronization behavior must be reconfirmed after schematic changes, layout changes, and integration of the final system clocking architecture.
Recomendado
Ring Resiliency Network Testing
The VSC8574EV is a practical platform for examining Ring Resiliency behavior in a multiport Ethernet network. The evaluated device combines four Gigabit Ethernet ports with the feature, allowing engineers to construct laboratory topologies and observe how a resilient-ring design responds during link or port disruption. This use case is especially relevant to industrial communications systems that use ring topologies for operational continuity. Testing should cover the intended switching policy, recovery timing, traffic behavior, and system-level fault interactions rather than relying on the presence of Ring Resiliency alone.
Recomendado
Custom Carrier and Line-Card Development
The VSC8574EV can serve as the reference platform while engineers develop a custom VSC8574 carrier or line card. Its documented implementation provides a known-good baseline for examining supply routing, local and bulk decoupling, SerDes connections, and multiport Ethernet operation. Microchip's separate VSC8574 hardware design checklist should be applied during schematic capture and PCB layout rather than copying the evaluation board without verification. The final board must be tested for power integrity, signal integrity, heat dissipation, EMC emissions, and immunity under the target product's operating conditions.
Recomendado
Resumo dos produtos recomendados
Dados de referência de engenharia para VSC8574EV — comparação, orientação de projeto e informações de conformidade.
Guia de seleção
Comparação com alternativas
| Parâmetro | Este produto |
|---|---|
| Product Type | VSC8574 evaluation board |
| Brand | Microchip Technology |
| Evaluated Device | VSC8574 |
| Gigabit Ethernet Port Count | 4 ports |
| Supported MAC Interfaces | SGMII and QSGMII |
| Timing Feature | VeriTime IEEE 1588 |
| Resilience Feature | Ring Resiliency |
| Verified Unit Price | $3295.6618 as of 2026-10-28 |
Principais diferenciais
- Provides a working platform for the four-port VSC8574 (vs Custom VSC8574 board)
- Exercises both principal MAC-facing SerDes options (vs VSC8572)
- Includes timing and network-resilience validation functions (vs Basic Ethernet PHY breakout board)
Notas de projeto
Microchip's VSC8574 hardware design checklist states that each supply should use the lowest possible resistive drop to the device power pins and should include correctly positioned local decoupling. When adapting the evaluation implementation, preserve short supply paths and place high-frequency decoupling at the relevant power pins rather than relying on distant bulk capacitors. Verify the final rail under maximum port activity, startup, line transients, and the required temperature range.
Follow the checklist's bulk-decoupling guidance and determine capacitor values and placement for the custom power architecture rather than treating the evaluation board as a universal layout template. High-speed SGMII and QSGMII signals also require controlled routing and return paths. The provided data does not specify the evaluation board's stackup or exact trace geometry, so those details must be obtained from the board documentation or measured in the custom design.
For suitable supply filtering points, Microchip recommends ferrite beads rather than series inducters, particularly in high-density or high-power implementations. Account for ferrite impedance, DC resistance, and transient behavior instead of selecting a value solely from the nominal operating current. Confirm EMC performance at the product level because the evaluation platform's enclosure, cable configuration, grounding, and test setup will differ from the finished equipment.
Do not treat VSC8574EV as the orderable production VSC8574 transceiver; it is an evaluation platform with supporting board-level circuitry and interconnects. Likewise, do not assume that the VSC8504, VSC8552, or VSC8572 boards are interchangeable replacements. Microchip states that these family devices differ in port count, supported interfaces, and features, so substitutions require explicit board and application verification.
Informações de conformidade
The supplied verified data does not state RoHS, REACH, lead-free, halogen-free, or conflict-minerals status for the VSC8574EV evaluation board. AEC-Q100 is treated as not applicable because this MPN is a development board rather than an automotive-qualified production transistor.