Realtek Chosen to Supply Gigabit Ethernet & Audio ICs for AMD RDK

Both ICs, the RTL8110S-32 LAN on Motherboard 10/100/1000M Gigabit Ethernet controller and the ALC203 2-channel audio IC, are designed to meet today's demands for higher performance with lower power consumption, and with a smaller footprint.

"The AMD Geode GX Thin Client RDK provides designers with a complete solution for the development of small form factor devices that operate at low power and reduce total cost of development," said Erik Salo, Director of Marketing, AMD Personal Connectivity Solutions Group. "Incorporating Realtek's 10/100/1000M Gigabit Ethernet and Audio Codec ICs on the Geode GX Thin Client RDK allows for the development of enhanced solutions for communications and multimedia systems. The combination of these products enables design engineers to deliver innovative products that meet their customers' needs".

The convergence of computers and household appliances has led to a greater need for smaller, more powerful, energy efficient components, often mobile and battery-operated.

"The requirement for richly-featured connected devices in all areas of modern life has driven the demand for high-performance ICs with low-power needs," said Realtek's Executive Vice President Jessy Chen. "Realtek is pleased to provide quality components that meet the performance and energy efficiency criteria of the AMD Geode GX Thin Client development board".

The Realtek RTL8110S-32 combines a triple-speed IEEE 802.3-compliant Media Access Controller (MAC) with a triple-speed Ethernet transceiver, a PCI bus controller, and embedded memory. On-chip cable testing technology allows a device equipped with an RTL8110S-32 to detect and report cabling problems; reducing expensive support issues and improving device uptime. A comprehensive driver set gives the RTL8110S-32 the flexibility to be used in a wide range of operating system environments. 

With state-of-the-art DSP technology and mixed-mode signal technology, it offers high-speed transmission over Ethernet cable. Functions such as polarity correction, power management, adaptive equalization, cross-talk cancellation, echo cancellation, timing recovery, and error correction are implemented to provide robust transmission and reception capability at high speeds. It is fully compliant with Microsoft® NDIS5 (IP, TCP, UDP) Checksum and Segmentation Task-offload features, and supports IEEE 802.1p (Transmit Priority Queue) and IEEE 802.1Q VLAN (Virtual Bridged Local Area Network). The RTL8110S-32 contributes to lowered CPU utilization, considerably improving overall system performance.

The ALC203 audio IC is a 20-bit DAC and 18-bit ADC full-duplex AC'97 2.3 compatible stereo audio codec designed for PC multimedia systems, including host/soft audio, and AMR/CNR based designs. The ALC203 incorporates proprietary converter technology to achieve a high SNR (greater than 100dB), sensing logics for device reporting, and a Universal Audio Jack® for improved user convenience. The ALC203 AC'97 codec supports multiple codec extensions and independent variable sampling rates. It provides two pairs of stereo outputs with independent volume controls, a mono output, multiple stereo and mono inputs, along with flexible mixing, gain, and mute functions to offer a complete integrated audio solution for PCs.

The ALC203 codec operates from a 3.3V digital and 3.3V/5V analog power supply with EAPD (External Amplifier Power Down) control for use in applications where low power consumption is required. A 50mW/20ohm headset audio amplifier is integrated into the codec, saving BOM costs. The ALC203 also supports the S/PDIF out function (complies with AC'97 2.3) that offers easy connection of PCs to consumer electronic products, such as AC3 decoders/speakers and mini disk devices.

About Realtek

Realtek Semiconductor Corp. designs and develops a wide range of IC products for communications network, multimedia, and computer peripheral applications. The products include 10/100/1000M Ethernet Controllers, 10/100/1000M Ethernet Switch/Gateway Controllers, 10/100/1000M Ethernet Transceivers, Wireless LAN Controllers & AP/Router SoC, ADSL Chips, VoIP Chips, AC'97/High Definition Audio Codecs, Motherboard Clock Generators, LCD Monitor & LCD TV Controllers, Multi-Function Peripheral Image Controllers, and Card Reader Controllers.