Teknovus, provider of semiconductors for digital broadband access networks, today announced a new family of EthernetPlus chips that deliver time division multiplex (TDM) circuits over standard point-to-point Ethernet links. The TK3501 is the first chip available from this family and supports up to four T1/E1 circuits over 100-Mbit/sec Ethernet links.
A key benefit of the EthernetPlus chip family is that it allows telecommunication service providers to deliver both Internet-Protocol (IP) data and revenue-critical TDM services over a common Ethernet platform, with the same quality as more expensive TDM networks. Several access equipment vendors have qualified the product for use in their equipment, including Allied Telesyn and TTC Group.
"Until we saw the Teknovus chipset, we were skeptical that it was possible to enable T1/E1 functionality over a cost-effective data infrastructure," contends Sean Tan, product manager at Allied Telesyn. "But the EthernetPlus chipset delivers TDM traffic over Ethernet at breakthrough prices that will help us dramatically improve the value proposition of our products."
Unlike currently available in-band techniques, which require complex timing and traffic management to deliver TDM traffic over Ethernet, the Teknovus EthernetPlus chips deliver dedicated out-of-band circuits on standard Ethernet connections, say company representatives. This approach ensures quality of service but is simpler and much lower cost.
EthernetPlus is designed for use in a wide range of fiber access equipment, including fiber-to-the-business (FTTB) and fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) optical network terminals (ONTs), Ethernet media converters, broadband SONET aggregation platforms, and a variety of Ethernet customer premise equipment (CPE). Applications for EthernetPlus include a range of T1/E1, DS3/E3, ISDN, high-speed data and management services.
"Teknovus solves a key problem--how to handle the rapid growth in IP data traffic without compromising the legacy TDM services that are still the bulk of carrier revenues," adds Thomas Su, chief executive officer of TTC Group. "Now, our carrier customers can enable simultaneous transport of revenue-critical T1/E1 circuits over standard Ethernet links."
Based on Teknovus's patent-pending EthernetPlus technology, EthernetPlus uses an innovative approach to carry TDM traffic without using any Ethernet bandwidth. According to the company, this results in a simpler chip design that offers true quality of service (QoS) and sells for one-sixth the cost of currently available in-band technologies.
Evaluation Kits for the TK3501 chipset are available for delivery. The devices are in 100-pin LQFP packages with dimensions of 14 mm x 14 mm.
For more information about Teknovus Inc. (Petaluma, CA), visit the company's Web site at www.teknovus.com.