CAST Introduces Ultra-Low Latency
                   TSN Ethernet Switch IP Core 


Woodcliff Lake, NJ — October 7, 2020 — Today at the virtual TSN/A Technology
and Applications Conference, silicon intellectual property provider CAST, Inc.
announced a new IP core that implements a switch for Time-Sensitive Networking
(TSN) Ethernet networks as increasingly used in automotive, industrial, medical, and
other systems. 


Having been developed for and evaluated by customers designing advanced TSN
applications, the new TSN-SW TSN Ethernet Switch core offers distinct competitive
advantages:  

   •    Ultra-Low Latency — Architected for low latency, the switch has what the
         company believes is the lowest sub-microsecond port-to-port latency available
         today, without sacrificing TSN switching features or performance. This low latency
         is critical for the deployment of TSN Ethernet in a wide range of automotive,
         industrial, healthcare and other applications with stringent real-time requirements.  

   •    Technology Independence — Available as synthesizable RTL or targeted netlists,
         customers can implement the TSN-SW in full-custom silicon or FPGA devices from
         Intel, Lattice, Microsemi, or Xilinx. 

•    Small Silicon Area — With         a compact silicon footprint,         smaller than most competing         IP cores, the TSN-SW allows         for economical implementations         even in low-cost FPGAs.     •    Linux Driver Support — The         TSN-SW will come with full         Linux and FreeRTOS™ Drivers         plus sample applications and         experienced support,         simplifying and accelerating         customer development efforts.         (Available in early 2021 and          a free upgrade to prior          licensees.)

The core was developed by CAST’s long-term technology partner Fraunhofer IPMS.
Fraunhofer IPMS’ engineers achieved the TSN-SW's remarkable low latency by
employing an all-hardware implementation of the necessary protocols and a
cut-through switching architecture. They did this without reducing functionality or
flexibility: The Layer-2 switch supports Ethernet bridging according to the IEEE
802.1Q-2018 standard, provides versatile frame forwarding and filtering options,
and implements all the essential TSN protocols for timing synchronization,
traffic-shaping, preemption, and redundancy. 


The new TSN-SW core and hardware evaluation platforms for it are available now.
Learn more at CAST's booth at the virtual TSN/A Conference, at CAST's website, or
by contacting CAST sales.  


The TSN Switch joins CAST's industry-leading family of Automotive IP Cores, which
includes TSN endpoints and bridges, CAN 2.0/FD/XL controllers, LIN and SENT bus
controllers, and more. These are part of CAST's broad IP product line, which also
features compression engines, microcontrollers and processors, SoC security modules,
and various peripherals, interfaces, and other IP cores. 


CAST is a trademark of CAST, Inc.
Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.