PLL helps real-time services over packet networks

Zarlink Semiconductor and Marvell have successfully demonstrated a synchronous Ethernet solution using already available products from both companies.

Zarlink Semiconductor and Marvell have successfully demonstrated a synchronous Ethernet solution using already available products from both companies that will allow carriers to support real-time services over packet-based networks.

Carriers face a major stumbling block in the drive towards network convergence because many applications with "built-in" timing requirements rely significantly on network synchronisation.

For example, economical cellular backhaul over IP networks requires synchronisation to allow legacy applications such as voice and fax to function properly.

As high-growth applications such as YouTube and AOL Video gain popularity, these applications need to coexist alongside critical time-sensitive services on IP backhaul networks.

To guarantee performance, carriers must currently operate a number of different networks and deploy costly external mechanisms to ensure synchronisation.

In response, Zarlink and Marvell's collaborative solution focuses on emerging synchronous Ethernet solutions that allow carriers to support real-time services over asynchronous Ethernet networks.

In synchronous Ethernet operation, each piece of network equipment must have synchronised timing capabilities.

To meet this requirement, the companies have successfully completed interoperability testing demonstrating that Zarlink's ZL30120 analogue/digital PLL can synchronise a Marvell 88E1145 Ethernet physical layer device to a telecomms networking timing reference, while generating a very low jitter (picoseconds) Ethernet clock.

This will enable developers of Ethernet switching and routing platforms to provide complete end-to-end solutions for next-generation IP networks.

"This interoperability testing advances Marvell's commitment to deliver the most comprehensive and technologically advanced Ethernet PHY solutions for the carrier market", said Ozdal Barkan, Director of PHY Technology for the Connectivity Business Unit, Communications and Consumer Business Group at Marvell.

"As IP networks become ubiquitous, the ability to accurately synchronise what is by design a best-effort infrastructure is just as critical as the data that is being carried across the network", said Mel Roberts, Director of Business Development, Zarlink Semiconductor.

"By combining best-in-class technologies from the two companies, we will be able to provide customers with unique synchronous Ethernet solutions that offer network quality synchronisation".

An application note on Zarlink-Marvell synchronous Ethernet interoperability testing is available from the Zarlink website.

Complete information on Zarlink's synchronous Ethernet timing technology, including detailed application notes and data sheets, is available to qualified customers.

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