Antmicro has just released an open-source hardware Thunderbolt to (dual) 10GbE adapter that serves as a reference design for a high-speed Ethernet accessory, further customizable for smart terminals, Point of Sale systems, smart cameras, IoT gateways, and more.
The company has a history of releasing open-source hardware designs, and we previously covered a baseboard for Quectel SA800U-WF System-on-Module (Qualcomm Snapdragon 845) and an AMD Xilinx Kintex-7 K410T FPGA development board, both designed in KiCad. The Thunderbolt to 10GbE adapter adds to the list.
Antmicro Thunderbolt to 10GbE adapter specifications:
- Networking – 2x 10GbE RJ45 ports via Intel X710-AT2 Ethernet controller
- Host interface – Thunderbolt 3 USB-C connector via Intel JHL6340SLLSQ Thunderbolt 3 controller (PCIe Gen3 x4)
- Misc
- Passive cooling via heatsink
- 4-pin PWM fan connector
- 3x LEDs
- Power Supply – 5V via USB-C port and DC jack
- Dimensions – 110 x 70 mm
The company tested the adapter, I assume with iperf 3, achieving a 9.4 Gbps transfer rate in full-duplex (bidirectional) mode using one 10 Gbps Ethernet port, and 2x 5.5 Gbps with two Ethernet ports, again in full-duplex mode. Power consumption was under 9 W at all times, making it suitable for passive cooling. They also tested the latter with the ATS-61500R-C2-R0 (53.0 x 53.0 x 19.5 mm) heatsink, and the temperature (of the chips) stabilized at 65°C at a typical ambient temperature.
Since it’s open-source hardware, you’ll find KiCad PCB project files and basic documentation on GitHub, released under an Apache License Version 2.0.
It’s actually the third open-source hardware Thunderbolt platform released by Antmicro, since they released the KiCad schematics for a Thunderbolt to GPU adapter and a Thunderbolt to PCIe adapter last December. Antmicro’s open-source hardware designs are not mass-produced (and not directly for sale), and as I understand it, one motivation is to promote their hardware customization services. A few more details may also be found in the announcement.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
Support CNX Software! Donate via cryptocurrencies, become a Patron on Patreon, or purchase goods on Amazon or Aliexpress. We also use affiliate links in articles to earn commissions if you make a purchase after clicking on those links.
