Infineon Technologies PSB 6973 EL V1.3-G

Overview

PSB 6973 EL V1.3-G from Infineon Technologies is a Layer 2 seven-port 10/100 Mbit/s Ethernet switch controller with four 10/100 TX/FX PHY ports, three RGMII/GMII/TMII/MII MAC interfaces, 2K MAC address table, and full 802.1Q VLAN support (up to 16 groups). It delivers programmable per-port QoS with four priority queues, hardware IGMP v1/v2/v3/MLD, and integrated security features including 802.1x and port locking - deployed in ADSL2+/VDSL2 gateways and IP set-top boxes.

For engineers reviewing the PSB 6973 EL V1.3-G datasheet, PSB 6973 EL V1.3-G pinout, PSB 6973 EL V1.3-G application, or PSB 6973 EL V1.3-G equivalent, key selection criteria include RGMII interface timing compliance, 225-ball LFBGA package layout constraints, VLAN group scalability, and hardware multicast table size (32 entries) for IPTV service deployment.

Technical Context

The PSB 6973 EL V1.3-G implements a fully integrated switch engine with dedicated DMA channels for all seven ports, supporting simultaneous ingress/egress traffic at line rate. Its queue arbitration combines Weighted Round Robin and strict priority modes, enabling differentiated bandwidth allocation for voice (low-latency), video (jitter-sensitive), and data (best-effort) streams.

It embeds full IEEE 802.1Q tagging, untagged port assignment, and VLAN-aware forwarding logic with 12-bit VID support. Management is performed via MDC/MDIO interface with RMON counters and configurable ACLs based on MAC/EtherType/IP/TCP/UDP fields - no external CPU intervention required for basic switching decisions.

Key Specifications

Pinout & Package

PSB 6973 EL V1.3-G is housed in a 225-ball Low-Profile Fine-Pitch Ball Grid Array (P/PG-LFBGA-225) package with 0.8 mm ball pitch, requiring 1.5 V/1.8 V/3.3 V supply rails and supporting 0.5 mm PCB trace routing for high-density routing of RGMII and MDIO signals.

Key Features

Applications

Equivalent & Alternatives

The following parts are listed as comparable options for similar Ethernet switch controller applications.

Compared with Marvell 88E6097 and Realtek RTL8367RB, PSB 6973 EL V1.3-G uniquely supports RGMII-based 1 Gbps interconnects, 32-entry IGMPv3/MLD hardware tables, and 16-group VLAN segmentation - essential for carrier-grade triple-play residential gateways.

Availability

PSB 6973 EL V1.3-G is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for ADSL2+/VDSL2 gateways, IP set-top boxes, FTTH PON routers, and home media servers requiring stable component supply, long-term lifecycle assurance, and production-ready reference schematics.

Supply support for PSB 6973 EL V1.3-G includes scheduled delivery planning, volume procurement assistance, BOM continuity management, traceable sourcing, and lifecycle availability coordination for OEM customers, industrial embedded developers, connected-device designers, and electronics production programs.

Manufacturer

Infineon Technologies AG is a German semiconductor manufacturer specializing in power management, automotive ICs, and communications solutions, with global R&D centers and ISO/TS 16949-certified manufacturing.

The XWAY™ TANTOS product line was designed specifically for digital home networking - integrating high-density Ethernet switching, multicast intelligence, and security into single-chip solutions for carrier-class residential gateways and IPTV infrastructure.

FAQ

What power supply voltages does PSB 6973 EL V1.3-G require?

The PSB 6973 EL V1.3-G requires three independent supply rails: 1.5 V for core logic, 1.8 V for I/O banks (RGMII, MDIO), and 3.3 V for analog PHY interfaces and LED drivers. Each rail must be decoupled with ≥10 µF bulk capacitance and 100 nF ceramic capacitors placed within 5 mm of respective VDD pins.

Does PSB 6973 EL V1.3-G support IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol?

No, PSB 6973 EL V1.3-G does not implement IEEE 1588 PTP timestamping or hardware time-stamp capture. Its timing capabilities are limited to standard MII/RGMII clock recovery and 802.1AS-compatible synchronization only when paired with an external PTP-aware MAC or PHY.

Can PSB 6973 EL V1.3-G operate in cut-through switching mode?

Yes, PSB 6973 EL V1.3-G supports both store-and-forward and cut-through forwarding modes. Cut-through is enabled per-port via register bit SW_CTRL.CUT_THRU_EN, reducing latency to < 1.2 µs for 64-byte frames - critical for VoIP jitter budgets.

Is the 225-ball LFBGA package RoHS-compliant and lead-free?

Yes, PSB 6973 EL V1.3-G uses a lead-free, RoHS-compliant P/PG-LFBGA-225 package with matte tin surface finish. Reflow profile follows IPC/JEDEC J-STD-020D, peak temperature 260 °C, and maximum moisture sensitivity level (MSL) is 3 per JEDEC standards.