Intel® Ethernet Converged
Network Adapter X540-T2
10GBASE-T Converged Network Adapter Simplifies Migration to 10GbE
Provides iSCSI, FCoE, Virtualization, and Flexible Port Partitioning
10 Gigabit for the Broad Market
The Intel® Ethernet Converged Network
Adapter X540-T2 is the latest innovation
in Intel’s leadership to drive 10 Gigabit
Ethernet into the broader server market.
This adapter hosts Intel’s latest Ether-
net silicon, the Intel® Ethernet Controller
X540, which is used by many OEMs as a
single chip solution for LAN on Mother-
board (LOM) to deliver 10 Gigabit Ethernet
(10 GbE) on the latest server platforms.
10GBASE-T Simplifies the Transition
to 10 GbE
The X540 family of products works with
existing networks today. It works with
legacy Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) switches
and CAT-6a cabling. Install the X540
adapter into a server and the auto-negoti-
ation between 1 GbE and 10 GbE provides
the necessary backwards compatibility
that most customers require for a smooth
transition and easy migration to 10 GbE.
When time and budget allows, 10GBASE-T
switches can be added any time to experi-
ence the full benefits of 10 GbE.
10GBASE-T uses the copper twisted pair
cables that are very familiar to IT profes-
sionals today. It is everything you know
and love about 1000BASE-T. The knowl-
edge, training and investment in BASE-T
are preserved. 10GBASE-T is the easiest
and most versatile 10 GbE and you can
deploy it anywhere in your data center. Its
flexible reach from 1 meter to 100 meters
supports the latest network architectures
including Top of Rack (ToR), Middle of Row
(MoR), and End of Row (EoR).
10G Performance at Low Cost and
Low Power
The new Intel® Ethernet Converged Net-
work Adapter X540-T2 is the lowest cost
way to deploy 10 GbE in your data center
today. The X540-T2 uses low cost, CAT-6
and CAT-6a cabling. Chances are this ca-
bling already exists in the data center.
A way for Intel to reduce cost and power
is to integrate components into a single-
chip solution. Of course, integration is
what Intel does best. With the new X540
Controller, the MAC and the PHY are inte-
grated into a single-chip solution.
So, why is integration important? First,
integration translates to lower power.
A single-chip solution simply uses less
power than two separate components.
This means no more active heat sink and
reduces the per-port power consumption.
Second, integration also means lower cost
per port. Manufacturing a single part costs
less than two. When cabling is accounted
for, cost efficiencies realized from a single
part mean 10GBASE-T is the lowest cost
media to deploy.
With lower cost and power, 10GBASE-T is
ready for broad deployment. 10GBASE-T is
an option for every rack and tower server
in the data center. The wait for a low cost
10 GbE copper solution to broadly deploy
10 GbE to all corners of the data center
is over. The new X540, dual-port adapter
provides bandwidth-intensive applications
with highly affordable 10GbE network
performance and cost-effective RJ-45 con-
nectivity for distances up to 100 meters.
Key Features
• Low Cost, Low Power, 10 Gigabit
Ethernet (10GbE) Performance for the
Entire Datacenter
• Standard CAT-6a Cabling with RJ45
Connectors
• Backward Compatibility with Existing
1000BASE-T Networks Simplifies the
Transition to 10GbE
• Flexible I/O virtualization for port
partitioning and quality of service (QoS)
of up to 64 virtual ports
• Unified Networking Delivering LAN, iSCSI,
and FCoE in One Low Cost CNA
• Industry First Dual-Port 10GBASE-T
Adapter with Single-Chip Solution with
Integrated MAC + PHY
• Reliable and proven 10 Gigabit Ethernet
technology from Intel Corporation
PRODUCT BRIEF
Intel® Ethernet Converged Network Adapter X540-T2
Network Connectivity
