Ethernet has dominated networking applications for decades due to its excellent data rate performance. However, early standards were impractical for real-time, deterministic or cost-sensitive applications required by many industrial control and automotive systems, which developed around standards like CAN bus, PROFIBUS, Modbus and CC-Link.
Ethernet has evolved significantly, with low-cost 100 Mbps and 1,000 Mbps connections becoming commonplace. Networking performance now reaches 800 Gbps. Enhancements like 1,000 Base-T1, Single Pair Ethernet, and Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) improve real-time capabilities, synchronization, latency and reliability while optimizing physical layer performance for harsh conditions.
Source: Rochester Electronics
Industrial and automotive applications are incorporating higher-performance sensors and data-intensive systems, making Ethernet’s performance increasingly advantageous. As Ethernet designs increase, older serial technologies are being phased out or relegated to niche roles. Applications with lengthy design cycles must monitor the supply chain for serial devices used by mature applications.
For over 50 years, the semiconductor industry has been driven by volume and production capacity. As applications transition to new technologies, semiconductor suppliers adapt accordingly. Devices used in CAN bus, RS-232, RS-422, RS-485, and similar mature technologies reside at the latter end of the lifecycle curve. As this occurs, suppliers reduce production, streamline product lines and phase out obsolete products. However, through careful planning and management, existing products can remain in production long after a supplier declares a component obsolete.
Rochester has an inventory of 27 million units covering 3,800 part-number combinations of devices designed for CAN and legacy serial bus applications. The inventory includes the following:
- Over 100 specific microcontrollers with integrated CAN controllers
- 450 dedicated CAN controllers and transceivers
- More than 3,000 RS232, R422 and RS485 transceivers
- Over 100 power management System Basis Controllers (SBC)
The company's inventory is 100% authorized, traceable, certified and guaranteed. It is sourced from key suppliers, including Analog Devices, Infineon, NXP, Texas Instruments and Renesas — leaders in the industry who are also enabling advancements in Ethernet designs. These partnerships allow Rochester to support new technologies while maintaining the production of 47-part numbers made obsolete by original suppliers through wafer storage and licensed manufacturing agreements, such as the Intel 82527 CAN controller. This ensures customers can continue production even when competitive solutions are discontinued. To further assist customers, they are investing in product replication efforts on the Intel 82527 CAN controller to meet ongoing demand for this device.
