IEEE forms study group to explore reduced twisted pair Gigabit Ethernet

PISCATAWAY, USA: IEEE announced the formation of the IEEE 802.3 Reduced Twisted Pair Gigabit Ethernet PHY study group.

IEEE 802.3 physical-interface transceivers (PHYs) are being deployed in ever-increasing numbers in a wide variety of application spaces. Recently, the global automotive industry has started to embrace Ethernet as a networking technology. The application areas range from a backbone for all data services to “infotainment” to driver assistance to vehicle control systems such as those used in brakes, suspension and transmission.

To achieve Gigabit Ethernet networking speeds via 1000BASE-T for those applications, four pairs of wires would be required. Reducing the number of wire pairs would cut the size and weight of Ethernet wiring in a vehicle. Considering the market demand and technology requirements of achieving such performance gains via the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet and IEEE 802.1 Audio/Video Bridging standards, the new IEEE 802.3 study group will explore the potential for an IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standards project to define a Reduced Twisted Pair Gigabit Ethernet PHY.

“With a tremendous expansion in the number of Ethernet nodes in automobiles forecasted, the efficiencies to be realized in reducing wire pairs to achieve Gigabit Ethernet networking speeds will be of growing importance to that industry,” said Steve Carlson, chairperson of the IEEE 802.3 Reduced Twisted Pair Gigabit Ethernet PHY Study Group and president of High Speed Design Inc.

Dr. Kirsten Matheus, project manager for Ethernet IP & Strategy at BMW, added: “The automotive industry is moving full speed towards Ethernet-based in-car networking. A reduced pair Gigabit Ethernet standard suitable for automotive use is the missing link toward the flexible, scalable and future-proof networking technology we would like to deploy. We are excited at the prospect of this IEEE 802.3 activity.”

“The formation of an IEEE 802.3 study group occurs when there is interest in developing a request to initiate an IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standards-development project,” said David Law, chair of the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet working group and distinguished engineer with HP Networking. “Reducing the number of wire pairs required to achieve high bandwidth could introduce additional, untapped markets for IEEE 802.3-based Ethernet technology, such as industrial-control and avionics, and have far-reaching impact across varied industries.”