Microchip Expands 10BASE-T1S Portfolio With New Transceivers for Zonal Vehicles

New LAN8679 and LAN8680 chips support multidrop topologies to reduce wiring weight and eliminate gateways in edge nodes.

By Maya Navarro · October 4, 2026 · 3 min read

Microchip Technology has introduced two new physical medium dependent (PMD) transceivers, the LAN8679 and LAN8680, along with a new family of endpoints, to support 10BASE-T1S single-pair Ethernet in zonal vehicle architectures.

What Happened

The LAN8679 utilizes the standardized OPEN Alliance 3-Pin (OA3P) interface and is housed in an 8-pin VDFN package measuring 3 × 3 mm. The LAN8680 integrates system basis chip (SBC) functions, including power management, wake/sleep control, and watchdog supervision, within a 16-pin, 3 × 4.5 mm VDFN package. Additionally, Microchip released the LAN8660X/1X/2X family of endpoints, which integrate a PMD transceiver into a single-chip Remote Control Protocol (RCP) device. These endpoints feature up to four serial communication interfaces for sensors and actuators and store configuration in on-chip non-volatile memory, allowing for network-based management without additional software programming.

Why It Matters

The new components are designed to meet AEC-Q100 and ISO 26262 functional safety standards and operate within a temperature range of -40° C to 125° C. By supporting 10BASE-T1S multidrop topologies, where multiple nodes share a single bus line, the technology reduces wiring weight and system costs. Microchip states that this approach eliminates the need for gateways, facilitating direct connections for sensors and actuators at the network edge. The same physical layer is also specified for charging communication in the Megawatt Charging System (MCS), where it is used by chargebyte’s CCL MCS charge controller instead of power line communication.