ASIX ELECTRONICS CORPORATION

3

AX88178 L

USB to 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet/HomePNA Controller

1.0 Introduction

1.1 General Description

The AX88178 USB to 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet/HomePNA/HomePlug controller is a high performance and highly

integrated ASIC with embedded 40KB SRAM for packet buffering. It enables low cost and affordable Gigabit Ethernet

network connection to desktop and notebook PC using popular USB ports that are built-in to many PC today. It has an

USB interface to communicate with USB host controller and is compliant with USB specification V1.0, V1.1 and V2.0. It

implements 10/100/1000Mbps Ethernet LAN function based on IEEE802.3, IEEE802.3u, IEEE802.3ab standards or

HomePNA standard. It supports media-independent interface (MII) to simplify the design on implementing Fast Ethernet

and HomePNA functions. It also provides gigabit media-independent (GMII) and reduced gigabit media-independent

(RGMII) interface for interfacing with Gigabit Ethernet PHY.

The AX88178 needs 12MHz clock for USB operation and 125MHz clock for Gigabit Ethernet operation. It is in 128-pin

LQFP low profile package with CMOS process and requires only single 3.3V power supply to operate.

1.2 AX88178 Block Diagram

Figure 1: AX88178 Block Diagram

GPIO2~0

Gigabit

MAC

Core

Memory Arbiter

USB to

Ethernet

Bridge

USB Core and Interface

STA

SEEPROM

Loader I/F

DP/DM

DPRS/DMRS

MII/GMII/RGMII

I/F

MDC

MDIO

EECS

EECK

EEDI

EEDO

40KB

SRAM

General

Purpose I/O