The News: Marvell Technology announced its technology platform for 5nm multi-gigabit copper Ethernet PHYs to enable enterprise network equipment manufacturers and others to meet the exacting energy efficiency and performance targets of next generation multi-gigabit network technologies such as Wi-Fi 7. Read the full press release on the Marvell website.
Marvell 5nm Multi-Gig PHY Platform: Starting With W-Fi 7 Breakthroughs
Analyst Take: Marvell’s 5nm multi-gig PHY platform is based on optimized circuit designs, custom digital logic, enhanced digital signal processing (DSP) algorithms, and other innovations to deliver 10 Gbps performance at half the power of previous-generation devices from Marvell. The platform is developed to serve as the building block for additional standalone PHYs, integrated SoCs, and custom ASICs optimized for specific markets and applications.
Reducing PHY power consumption is a top development priority since it gives equipment manufacturers more flexibility in product design. For instance, heat sinks and fans can be decreased in size or eliminated, a greater portion of the power envelope can be redirected to other features to boost performance, and/or overall power can be reduced to help end users meet sustainable IT goals. Wi-Fi 7 Access Point design comes to mind. Marvell’s Alaska M multi-gigabit PHYs and the Prestera 2500, 3500, and 4500 series switches have been purpose-built to accelerate the multi-gigabit transition across enterprise network environments.
Marvell Alaska M 3610: Raising the Bar with Wi-Fi 7
The Alaska M 3610 Ethernet PHY, the first chip based on the new platform, is a single-port, multi-gigabit PHY built to enable the multi-gigabit backhaul links key to improving Wi-Fi performance. Wi-Fi 7 can provide over four times the maximum aggregate data rate of Wi-Fi 6 and 6E and nearly seven times the rate of Wi-Fi 5, a leap in performance that can enable more reliable connections.
Marvell’s Alaska M 3610 is designed to propagate the built-in advantages of Wi-Fi 7 across demanding high-bandwidth environments. For example, Wi-Fi 7 can deliver a maximum data rate of up to 46 Gbps in stark contrast to Wi-Fi 6E’s 9.6 Gbps. Wi-Fi 7’s maximum modulation is 4096 QAM, whereas Wi-Fi 6E is only 1024 QAM. Wi-Fi 7 provides maximum bandwidth channels of 320 MHz, double Wi-Fi 6E’s 160 MHz maximum.
Of key importance, Wi-Fi 7 APs are thermal and powered limited, using only 25-51 W (estimated) on par with Wi-Fi 6E’s 25-47 W consumption demands. This assures that Wi-Fi 7 delivers the power consumption required to remain within existing power envelopes, meeting the stringent energy efficiency demands of enterprises advancing their sustainability objectives.
The Alaska M 3610 also includes IEEE 802.1AE 256-bit hardware-based link-layer Media Access Control (MACsec) for flexible encryption deployment while eliminating the cost and power liability of including this functionality in an access point’s system-on-chip. MACsec is vital to a layered enterprise security implementation by providing comprehensive protection across a connection to prevent attacks such as denial-of-service, man-in-the-middle, masquerading, and passive wiretapping.
Plus, Wi-Fi 7 supports backhaul bandwidth in the 20 Gbps+ range, a twofold improvement over Wi-Fi 6E’s 10 Gbps capability. I anticipate that the demands for a widening array of enterprise applications will require Wi-Fi 7 20 Gbps+ backhaul capacity.
Through faster connections and improved latency determinism, Wi-Fi 7 can meet evolving enterprise application demands including private wireless, analytics, and simulation. Plus, I see enterprises expanding their adoption of edge computing in the support of use cases related to AI/ML, extended reality (XR), virtual reality (VR), autonomous fleets, drones, digital twins, and robots, which warrant accelerated Wi-Fi 7 adoption.
Key Takeaways: Marvell 5nm Multi-Gig Ethernet Copper PHY Innovation
From my view, Marvell’s 5nm multi-gigabit copper Ethernet PHYs are integral to advancing the energy efficiency performance proposition of emerging multi-gigabit network technologies such as Wi-Fi 7. Marvell is fully ready to play an integral role in delivering Wi-Fi 7 benefits and innovation that include faster connections through wider channel bandwidth and advanced modulation, adaptive connections, and the ability to form multiple connections in a flexible manner.
Disclosure: The Futurum Group is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.
Analysis and opinions expressed herein are specific to the analyst individually and data and other information that might have been provided for validation, not those of The Futurum Group as a whole.
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