Product category:
Communications ICs (Wired)
News Release from: Zarlink Semiconductor | Subject: ZL50031
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 07 March 2005
Digital switch chip aims for VoIP
expansion
Zarlink Semiconductor has expanded its H.110 digital switch family with a time division multiplex digital switch that integrates a Stratum 4E digital phase locked loop.
Zarlink Semiconductor has expanded its industry-leading H.110 digital switch family by introducing the ZL50031 TDM (time division multiplex) digital switch with an integrated Stratum 4E DPLL (digital phase locked loop) With performance claimed to outpace any competing device, the new chip meets all key H.110 data interface and timing requirements to simplify the design of mid-density networking equipment handling converged voice and data traffic
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 7 Feb 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Packet processor for broadband networks
Mitel Semiconductor has introduced the world's highest density AAL2 segmentation and re-assembly (SAR) device.
Quality of service is key to Gigabit Ethernet ICs
The MVTX2800 family of Gigabit Ethernet switching ICs from Zarlink Semiconductor deliver full-wire speed forwarding and leading quality of service features to metropolitan optical access equipment.
Zarlink's TDM switch family is designed for applications where timing signals and data interfaces are defined by the ECTF (Enterprise Computer Telephony Forum) H.110 CompactPCI standard.
CompactPCI is widely used in network edge applications, such as VoIP media gateways, wireless basestations, multiservice access platforms and PBXs.
Motorola has already designed VoIP gateway and media processing platforms using Zarlink's existing H.110 TDM switching family.
Further reading
Chipset saves space, cuts costs for TDMA handsets
Zarlink Semiconductor has announced a new highly integrated RF chipset for cellular handsets operating in dual-mode TDMA/AMPS networks.
First AAL1 device to perform on-chip ATM switching
Zarlink Semiconductor claims the MT90503 is the industry's highest density AAL1 segmentation and reassembly (SAR) chip for TDM to ATM conversion.
Ultra-low-power process aims for low-voltage SoCs
Zarlink Semiconductor has expanded its foundry services with a new ultra-low-power analogue nonvolatile 0.35-micron CMOS process optimised for low-voltage (1V) and low-power applications.
The convergence of circuit and packet networks and the growth of VoIP services require media gateways that carry legacy and IP-based voice, video and data traffic.
Yankee Group predicts that VoIP subscribers will grow to 17.5 million US households by the end of 2008.
Company research indicates that the VoIP market will contribute US $32 billion to the US $260 billion telephony market by 2009.
"Meeting H.110 data and timing requirements is key to ensuring quality of service for VoIP and other applications", said Kam Aite, Product Line Marketing Manager, Zarlink Semiconductor.
"Our H.110 digital switch family integrates the industry's highest performance DPLL to attenuate jitter and eliminate data loss when circuit and packet traffic converge onto the network infrastructure".
"Competing devices force designers to employ an external DPLL to meet H.110 requirements, resulting in increased system costs, component count and board complexity".
Using Zarlink's H.110 TDM switches, Motorola has designed carrier-grade media processing and gateway platforms for fixed and wireless networks, enterprise/campus toll bypass gateways, digital local loop carrier and Class 5 switch replacement.
Motorola's CompactPCI packet voice resource boards (PVRB672 and PVRB384) allow equipment manufacturers to quickly enable existing or new network systems with VoIP capability.
Motorola's WTRB500 is a CompactPCI media processing blade with a low-overhead framework that allows users to plug in additional resources for applications such as push-to-talk, satellite download and IP multimedia subsystems.
Zarlink's MT90866 H.110 TDM switch controls the mapping of circuit switched channels on all three boards, providing local-to-local and local-to-H.110 streams in nonblocking mode with rate conversion between the backplane and local streams.
These boards are already deployed and in field trials with leading telecommunications companies.
Zarlink's three-device H.110 digital switch includes the MT90866 with up to 4096 x 2432 switching channels and 2432 x 2432 channels local switching performance, and the new ZL50031 device with up to 4096 x 2048 switching channels and 2048 x 2048 channels local switching capability.
The ZL50030 switches up to 4096 x 2048 channels and is cost-effective for applications requiring only 1024 x 1024 switching among local streams.
The MT90866 and ZL50030/1 switches feature an integrated Telcordia Stratum 4E-compliant DPLL that ensures synchronisation, clock monitoring and hitless reference switching when the timing source is lost or disabled.
The DPLL meets all necessary H.110 jitter and clocking mode specifications without requiring external circuitry.
This reduces component count, eases board layout and lowers overall cost.
The integrated DPLL provides master/slave mode, jitter and wander attenuation from 1.52Hz, holdover mode with 0.07ppm frequency stability, and an MTIE circuit with maximum time interval error of less than 21ns per reference switching, allowing seamless transition between the primary and secondary clock inputs.
Zarlink's TDM switches are the only devices in the industry to provide a standard H.110 interface with 32 bidirectional streams operating at 8Mbit/s, with the option to run 16 bidirectional streams operating at 16Mbit/s.
This unique 16Mbit/s mode allows designers to double the capacity of the H.110 backplane using half the streams, while maintaining all H.110 timing requirements.
For equipment manufacturers not needing to meet H.110 requirements, the 16Mbit/s mode can be used to simplify design and lower costs by reducing backplane connections.
The TDM switch family's four-in-one architecture allows simultaneous switching between backplane-to-local, local-to-backplane, backplane-to-backplane, and local-to-local.
This permits system designers to flexibly accommodate a range of equipment requirements.
The ZL50031 TDM switch is in volume production, supported by an evaluation board and API (application programming interface) drivers.
An application note describing how to design a hot swap board using Zarlink H.110 switches is also available.
Hot swap provides the ability to perform live insertion and removal of boards, without adversely affecting a running system.
The ZL50031 is offered in a lead-free 256-pin HQFP (heat spreader quad flatpack).
In quantities of 1000, the ZL50031 is priced at US $41.44.
• Zarlink Semiconductor: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Electronicstalk email newsletter
• Electronicstalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
