Overview
The BCM56870A0KFSBG is a high-performance Ethernet switch chip from Broadcom Limited's StrataXGS® Tomahawk® switch series. This device is designed to provide advanced Ethernet connectivity and networking features for data center and enterprise applications. It offers high-density Gigabit Ethernet (GbE), 10GbE, 25GbE, 40GbE, 50GbE, and 100GbE connectivity, making it suitable for demanding networking environments. The chip is known for its scalability, advanced management capabilities, and energy-efficient operation.
Key Specifications
| Manufacturer | Broadcom Limited |
|---|---|
| Part Number | BCM56870A0KFSBG |
| Package/Case | BGA |
| Product Status | Active |
| Protocol | Ethernet |
| Function | Switch |
| Interface | PCIe |
| RoHS Status | ROHS3 Compliant |
| Moisture Sensitivity Level (MSL) | 1 (Unlimited) |
| Ports | 32-port 100G multi-layer switch |
| Total Capacity | 3.2 terabits |
Key Features
- Fully programmable dataplane allowing introduction of new features via in-field upgrades.
- Support for new overlays and tunneling such as GENEVE, NSH, VXLAN, GPE, MPLS, MPLS over GRE/UDP, GUE, ILA, and PPPoE.
- Up to 128x 25G integrated SerDes with CL 74, CL 91, and CL 108 FEC.
- New instrumentation features such as timestamping, trace captures, and Inband Telemetry.
- 32MB of on-chip fully shared packet buffer.
- Dynamic Load Balancing enhances ECMP.
- Large, programmable on-chip forwarding databases for L2 switching, L3 routing, label switching, and overlay forwarding.
- 3X increased ACL scale to support evolving policy/security requirements.
- PCIe Gen3 x4 host CPU interface with on-chip accelerators improves control-plane update and boot performance by up to 5X.
- Programmable support for enhanced network telemetry, including per-packet timestamping, Flow Tracker, microburst detection, latency/drop monitor, Active-probe-based in-band network telemetry, and in-band OAM processing.
- Adaptive Routing for dynamic traffic engineering in non-Clos topologies.
- Full feature compatibility with previous generation Trident 2 and Trident 2+ devices.
Applications
- Single-chip solution for data center Top-of-Rack, Aggregation, and Spine Switches.
- Data center Fixed and Chassis/Modular switches.
- Enterprise aggregation and converged core.
- Data Center Interconnect (DCI).
- Software-Defined Networking Solutions.
Q & A
- Q: What are the supported Ethernet connectivity speeds of the BCM56870A0KFSBG?
A: The BCM56870A0KFSBG supports a range of Ethernet speeds including 10GbE, 25GbE, 40GbE, 50GbE, and 100GbE.
- Q: Is the BCM56870A0KFSBG suitable for energy-efficient data center deployments?
A: Yes, the BCM56870A0KFSBG includes energy-efficient features to optimize power consumption in data center environments.
- Q: What is the total capacity of the BCM56870A0KFSBG switch?
A: The BCM56870A0KFSBG is a 32-port 100G multi-layer switch with a total capacity of 3.2 terabits.
- Q: What kind of interfaces does the BCM56870A0KFSBG support?
A: The BCM56870A0KFSBG supports PCIe interfaces and various high-speed I/Os for managing Ethernet traffic.
- Q: Does the BCM56870A0KFSBG support programmable dataplane upgrades?
A: Yes, the BCM56870A0KFSBG has a fully programmable dataplane allowing for the introduction of new features via in-field upgrades.
- Q: What are some of the key instrumentation features of the BCM56870A0KFSBG?
A: The BCM56870A0KFSBG includes features such as timestamping, trace captures, and Inband Telemetry.
- Q: How does the BCM56870A0KFSBG enhance network telemetry?
A: The BCM56870A0KFSBG supports enhanced network telemetry, including per-packet timestamping, Flow Tracker, microburst detection, latency/drop monitor, Active-probe-based in-band network telemetry, and in-band OAM processing.
- Q: Is the BCM56870A0KFSBG compatible with previous generation devices?
A: Yes, the BCM56870A0KFSBG has full feature compatibility with previous generation Trident 2 and Trident 2+ devices.
- Q: What are the typical applications of the BCM56870A0KFSBG?
A: The BCM56870A0KFSBG is used in data center Top-of-Rack, Aggregation, and Spine Switches, as well as in enterprise and software-defined networking solutions.
- Q: How does the BCM56870A0KFSBG handle power and ground connections?
A: The BCM56870A0KFSBG has several power (ADD, DVDD) and ground (AND, DGND) pins that need to be connected to the respective power supplies and ground planes.
- Q: What is the role of the I2C pins in the BCM56870A0KFSBG?
A: The I2C pins (SCL and SDA) are used for communication with the chip and should be connected to the I2C bus.
