Product category:
Communications ICs (Wired)
News Release from: Zarlink Semiconductor | Subject: ZLT50010/11/12 series
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 19 December 2002
512-channel switches cram in the
features for TDM
Zarlink Semiconductor has a new platform of voice communications chips it claims redefines the market for low-bandwidth digital TDM switches.
Zarlink Semiconductor has a new platform of voice communications chips that redefines the market for low-bandwidth digital TDM switches Zarlink's new TDM switching platform delivers features previously available only on high-bandwidth devices, allowing customers to boost the capabilities of existing low- to medium-bandwidth TDM access equipment, while achieving significant size and cost savings
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 7 Feb 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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"We're raising the benchmarks in the low-bandwidth TDM market", said Andrew Faulkner, Product Line Director, Network Access Business Unit, Zarlink Semiconductor.
"With our new low-density TDM switch platform, designers can easily upgrade installed equipment to deliver new services - such as combined voice, data, and Internet offerings - and more effectively deal with increased traffic volumes and changing traffic patterns".
The first products in Zarlink's innovative low-bandwidth platform - the three-chip ZLT50010/11/12 series - are the industry's most flexible, highly featured, and cost-effective 512-channel devices.
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The premiere ZL50010 switch integrates a suite of programmable features - including per-stream datarate conversion, and advanced input/output synchronisation - with high-quality digital PLL (phase-locked loop) circuitry for precise network timing and synchronisation.
One high-performance, compact, off-the-shelf ZL50010 replaces up to five devices, allowing designers to slash the cost of low-bandwidth digital TDM switch designs by more than 50%.
Zarlink's 512-channel ZL50010/11/12 devices are designed for use in small- to medium-sized multiservice access platforms, IP PBXs, integrated access devices, small routers, data/voice multiplexers, digital loop carriers, and computer-telephony integration systems.
As with all devices in Zarlink's TDM switching portfolio, the low-density ZL50010/11/12 chips process channels at the DS-0 level, allowing nonblocking 512 x 512-channel connections in Nx64Kbit/s configurations.
Designers can reduce system cost and size by using a single ZL50010 or ZL50011 to replace four conventional 256 x 256-channel TDM switches and one digital PLL.
The TDM input and output streams on Zarlink's new devices operate at datarates of 2.048, 4.096 or 8.192Mbit/s, providing flexible support for different service needs.
The datarate selection feature uses patent-pending circuit techniques that reduce on-chip memory requirements and minimise die size.
All three chips are equipped with programmable data rate conversion circuitry, allowing designers to adapt the rate of incoming data on-chip, instead of using external conversion devices.
Highly granular input delay and output advancement features further enhance the flexibility of Zarlink's low-density TDM switches.
With these features, designers can synchronise input/output data to the system timing source on a per-bit and per-channel basis, thus eliminating the need for external glue logic.
The ZL50010 and ZL50011 contain integrated, digital PLLs that meet the network synchronisation requirements of Telcordia's GR-1244-CORE standard for Stratum 4E clocks.
The input clocking reference signals for both PLLs operate at 2.048MHz, 1.544MHz or 8kHz.
The PLL in the ZL50010 features additional circuitry that enhances system integrity and service quality.
This PLL uses two reference clocks and has holdover capabilities.
If the primary reference becomes unstable, the holdover circuitry maintains network synchronisation while the chip switches to the secondary reference.
The ZL50010/11/12 are now in volume production.
The chips are offered in a 24 x 24mm, 160-pin LQFP and a 13 x 13mm, 144-pin BGA.
The BGA package, one of the industry's most compact 512-channel footprints, is 58% smaller than competing devices with similar functionality.
In 100-off quantities, the ZL50010 is priced at US $18.50 in the LQFP package and US $19.50 in the BGA package.
The ZL50011 is US $15 in the LQFP and US $16 in the BGA.
The ZL50012 costs US $11 in the LQFP and US $12 in the BGA.
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