HSINCHU, Taiwan – October 09, 2009 – One of the world’s leading network and computer peripheral IC providers, Realtek Semiconductor Corp., today announced that the RTL8111E is the world’s first Single-chip Gigabit Ethernet Controller to implement the draft IEEE 802.3az standard (Energy Efficient Ethernet: EEE).

 

EEE defines a new mechanism that allows the RTL8111E to enter a low power idle state. In this state, unnecessary TX/RX circuitry is turned off to reduce power consumption. The RTL8111E transparently returns to a Normal operating state when TX/RX operation is required. EEE reduces unnecessary waste of energy to achieve a more energy efficient Ethernet. During periods of low link utilization (no TX/RX), the whole chip power consumption can be reduced by at least 80% (Approximately 99mW as compared to 500mW without EEE). 

 

“Demand for environmentally-responsible products that are designed for power saving as well as high performance has increased significantly. Staying on the technology leading edge helps Realtek to design and develop competitive products to meet this growing demand”, said Realtek’s Executive Vice President Jessy Chen. “Our combination of complete feature set, high-performance, and eco-friendly green power-saving features make Realtek the compelling choice for Gigabit Ethernet solutions”.