MARVELL 88E6131-LAR1 Gigabit Ethernet Switch Controller Datasheet and Technical Overview

The MARVELL 88E6131-LAR1 is a highly integrated, low-power, and cost-effective single-chip solution designed for advanced managed Layer 2 switching applications. This Gigabit Ethernet switch controller combines an eight-port 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet switch with an integrated five-port PHY transceiver, making it a versatile core for a wide range of networking equipment, including Small and Medium Business (SMB) switches, industrial control systems, and network infrastructure appliances.

At the heart of the 88E6131-LAR1 is a powerful packet processing engine that supports wire-speed switching on all ports. Its architecture includes eight integrated MACs and five copper PHYs, providing significant design flexibility. The remaining three ports are interface-independent and can be configured for use with external PHYs via RGMII, GMII, MII, or TBI interfaces, allowing for fiber uplinks or other media types. This design significantly reduces the total Bill of Materials (BOM) and board space requirements.

A key strength of this controller is its comprehensive Quality of Service (QoS) and traffic management capabilities. It supports up to four priority queues per port, enabling strict priority and Weighted Round Robin (WRR) scheduling algorithms. Advanced features like Access Control Lists (ACL) provide robust security and policy enforcement, allowing for packet filtering based on Layer 2, Layer 3, and Layer 4 information. This ensures critical network traffic is prioritized, enhancing overall network performance and reliability.

For network management, the 88E6131-LAR1 offers a rich set of options. It fully supports the IEEE 802.3az Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) standard, which minimizes power consumption during periods of low data activity. It is managed via a standard SMI (Serial Management Interface) clause 22/45 MDIO interface, providing access to an extensive set of MIB counters for comprehensive network monitoring and diagnostics. VLAN support (IEEE 802.1Q), port-based and protocol-based, allows for logical segmentation of the network to improve security and traffic management.

The device is housed in a 216-pin MQFP package and is engineered for robust operation in demanding environments. Its low-power design philosophy makes it an excellent choice for modern, eco-conscious networking products.

ICGOODFIND: The Marvell 88E6131-LAR1 stands out as a highly integrated and flexible managed switch controller. Its blend of integrated PHYs, versatile media interfaces, and advanced Layer 2 features like comprehensive QoS, ACLs, and Energy Efficient Ethernet makes it a powerful and cost-optimized solution for building reliable and intelligent managed network switches.

Keywords: Managed Layer 2 Switch, Quality of Service (QoS), Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE), Access Control List (ACL), RGMII Interface.