The devices provide end users with a cable single solution for true "plug and play" networking installation with the Automatic MDI/MDIX crossover feature. This feature enables Marvell's Fast Ethernet transceiver to automatically and transparently detect and correct incorrectly wired cables, making installation, debug and maintenance of the network easier and less expensive for the end user.
Marvell is first to market with devices that support the Source Synchronous option of Cisco's latest Serial Media Independent Interface (SMII) specification. This allows for simplified system design by reducing the I/O pin count between the transceiver and the Media Access Controller (MAC)/Switch.
Jumbo frame support (handling large data packets) allowing for effective utilization of networking bandwidth.
Low power consumption allowing for more reliable networking systems and higher port density.
Simplified board design with fewer external components providing lower overall system cost.

Marvell's DSP-based Fast Ethernet transceivers with advanced functionality address the networking requirements of the SOHO market where ease of use, cost and low power are essential. The DSP technology originates from the company's leading-edge Gigabit Ethernet solutions. Marvell's recent introduction of the Alaska™ family of Gigabit Ethernet transceivers has proven itself as the de facto solution for the gigabit market segment by demonstrating the industry's lowest power dissipation at 1.8 Watts per 10/100/1000 channel, the smallest form factor packaging and industry-leading performance. The Alaska family solution addresses the high-bandwidth requirements of the rapidly growing enterprise-class and business desktop markets.

"Marvell's high performance, low power and easy-to-use 10/100 Ethernet switches provide the SOHO market with a simplified and effective networking solution. Our broad portfolio of advanced Fast Ethernet transceivers and industry-leading Alaska family of Gigabit Ethernet transceivers for the enterprise-class and business desktop markets has made Marvell the 'one-stop shop' for the vast Ethernet market," stated Weili Dai, Marvell's Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Data Communications Group.

Marvell's 88E3061 Hex and 88E3081 Octal Fast Ethernet transceivers leverage technology developed through Marvell's first generation Physical Layer (PHY) transceivers as well as through its family of Alaska Gigabit Ethernet transceiver products and four generations of Partial Response Maximum Likelihood (PRML) read channels designed for the data storage market. The 88E3061/88E3081 is a six/eight port physical layer device for Ethernet 100BASE-X and 10BASE-T applications. It contains all of the active circuitry to convert data streams to and from six/eight MACS and twisted pair cables in full or half duplex mode.

Marvell's 88E3061 and 88E3081 transceivers support either the Reduced Media Independent Interface (RMII) or the Source Synchronous option of SMII (Serial Media Independent Interface) for connection to very high port count switch chips. Source Synchronous SMII (SSMII) is designed for applications requiring a trace delay of more than 1 ns. The receive and transmit paths in source synchronous mode operate identically to the SMII interface, and is backward-compatible to SMII version 1.2.

Marvell's Hex and Octal PHY transceivers also support Auto-Media Independent Interface crossover (Auto-MDI/MDIX feature) for 100BASE-TX and 10BASE-T connections. The PHY interface can automatically determine whether or not it needs to cross over between pairs so that an external crossover cable is not required. If the 88E3061/88E3081 interoperates with a device that cannot automatically correct for crossover, the PHY makes the necessary adjustment prior to commencing Auto-Negotiation. Last, Marvell's Hex and Octal PHY transceivers provide Jumbo frame support up to 10Kbytes with large frequency offset tolerance of +/- 150 ppm. This feature allows the transceiver to support applications that demand a larger packet size, effectively utilizing networking bandwidth.