Microchip Technology VSC7558-V/5CC

Overview

VSC7558-V/5CC from Microchip Technology is a SparX-5-200 enterprise-grade Layer 2/Layer 3 Ethernet switch IC supporting up to 200 Gbps bandwidth, 20 × 10G or 8 × 25G port configurations, and dual-core 1 GHz ARM Cortex-A53 CPU for full onboard management. It delivers wire-speed switching, TCAM-based VCAP security classification, IPv4/IPv6 L3 routing (up to 18K IPv4/9K IPv6 unicast LPM entries), and integrated 32 Mb packet buffer - deployed in enterprise edge and WiFi aggregation switches.

For engineers reviewing the VSC7558-V/5CC datasheet, VSC7558-V/5CC pinout, VSC7558-V/5CC application, or VSC7558-V/5CC equivalent, key selection criteria include verified 25G SerDes lane count (8), VCAP IS2 ACL capacity (512 per super block), L3 multicast group support (up to 9K IPv4/3K IPv6), NPI interface speed (10/100/1000/2500/5000 Mbps), and DDR4 memory controller compatibility.

Technical Context

The VSC7558-V/5CC implements a multi-stage pipeline with ingress analyzer, VCAP CLM/IS2/ES2 classification engines, hierarchical scheduler, and egress rewriter - enabling simultaneous L2 forwarding, L3 routing, QoS mapping, and ACL enforcement per frame. Its architecture supports four ingress VCAP lookups and two egress lookups per frame copy, with dedicated TCAM blocks for VLAN, LPM, and security rules.

It integrates a dual-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU subsystem with MMU, DDR3/DDR4 SDRAM controller (up to 8 GB), PCIe 3.0 host interface, and auxiliary Cortex-M3 core for PoE and boot management. The switch core uses shared 32 Mb packet memory and supports cut-through forwarding with sub-5 μs latency for 64-byte frames at line rate.

Key Specifications

Pinout & Package

VSC7558-V/5CC is housed in a 1156-pin FC-BGA package (35 mm × 35 mm, 0.8 mm pitch) with thermal lid and exposed thermal pad. Pin assignments follow Microchip's standardized SparX-5 ballout layout optimized for high-speed SerDes routing and DDR4 signal integrity.

Key Features

Applications

Equivalent & Alternatives

The following parts are listed as comparable options for similar enterprise L2/L3 switching applications.

Compared with Marvell 88E6393X and Broadcom BCM56990, the VSC7558-V/5CC uniquely combines 200 Gbps switching, integrated dual-core ARM management, and full TCAM-based security processing in a single die - reducing BOM count and software integration effort for mid-tier enterprise platforms.

Availability

VSC7558-V/5CC is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for enterprise edge switching, WiFi aggregation, security appliance interconnect, baseband processor interconnect, and high-end SMB networking requiring stable component supply and long-term lifecycle support.

Supply support for VSC7558-V/5CC 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

Microchip Technology is a U.S.-based semiconductor company specializing in microcontrollers, analog devices, FPGAs, and connectivity solutions with emphasis on reliability and long-life product support.

The SparX-5 family, including VSC7558-V/5CC, was designed specifically for managed enterprise L2/L3 switching applications demanding high port density, hardware-accelerated security, and integrated CPU-based management - targeting SMB, SME, and campus edge deployments.

FAQ

What is the maximum number of 25G ports supported by the VSC7558-V/5CC?

The VSC7558-V/5CC supports up to eight 25G SerDes lanes, configurable as eight independent 25G ports or combined into higher-bandwidth interfaces. This is confirmed in Table 2-1 of the official datasheet (DS00003823B), which lists "Max number of 25G ports" as 8 for VSC7558. Each lane supports KR/CR/SR modes with R-FEC or RS-FEC, and the VSC7558-V/5CC implements all eight lanes in its 1156-ball FC-BGA package.

Does the VSC7558-V/5CC include an integrated CPU, and what is its architecture?

Yes, the VSC7558-V/5CC integrates a dual-core 1 GHz ARM Cortex-A53 CPU with MMU and a dedicated ARM Cortex-M3 co-processor. The Cortex-A53 runs full Linux-based management stacks and L3 routing protocols, while the Cortex-M3 handles real-time tasks like PoE control and PCIe boot sequencing. This dual-CPU architecture is documented in Section 5.4 ("VCore CPU") and Figure 3-1 of the VSC7558 datasheet.

What type of memory interface does the VSC7558-V/5CC support, and what is the maximum capacity?

The VSC7558-V/5CC supports a configurable 32-bit DDR3/DDR4 SDRAM interface with 8-bit ECC, capable of addressing up to eight gigabytes (GB) of external memory. This interface is fully compliant with JEDEC DDR4-2400 standards and is validated for use with Micron MT40A512M16 and Samsung K4A8G085WB-BCPB modules. Details appear in Section 5.8 ("DDR Memory Controller") of DS00003823B.

How many VCAP classification blocks does the VSC7558-V/5CC provide, and what are their primary uses?

The VSC7558-V/5CC provides ten super VCAP blocks, each containing 3K entries for LPM, CLM, and ES0, plus 512 entries for IS2 and 1K for ES2. These blocks are allocated across ingress classification (VCAP IS2 for ACLs), L3 forwarding (VCAP LPM), and egress rewriting (VCAP ES2). This allocation is specified in Table 2-1 and Section 4.10 of the datasheet, enabling concurrent L2/L3 security, routing, and policy enforcement.

Is the VSC7558-V/5CC compatible with Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE), and which port types support it?

Yes, the VSC7558-V/5CC supports IEEE 802.3az Energy Efficient Ethernet across all port types - including 1G SGMII, 2.5G, 5G, 10G, and 25G SerDes interfaces. EEE operation is implemented at the PCS layer with automatic transition between active and low-power states (sleep, quiet, refresh, wake), reducing dynamic power consumption by over 30% during idle periods. This is confirmed in Section 3.1 and Feature List page 2 of DS00003823B.