APRIL 16, 2008 -- Zarlink Semiconductor Inc. (search for Zarlink Semiconductor) has introduced Synchronous Ethernet devices that allow manufacturers to design next-generation equipment or retrofit existing equipment to support the more cost-effective delivery of time-sensitive services over packet networks. Lead customers have already designed Zarlink's Synchronous Ethernet products into networking equipment, says the company, including passive optical network (PON), cellular backhaul, and optical transport platforms and routers.
"Carrier-grade Ethernet is now a reality as service providers deliver a complete range of communication applications over higher bandwidth, lower cost IP networks," explains Jeremy Lewis, product line manager with Zarlink's Timing and Synchronization group. "Zarlink is the first supplier to deliver a comprehensive portfolio of integrated, high-performance and standards-compliant Synchronous Ethernet timing chips. Our Synchronous Ethernet devices are a critical technology allowing service providers to deliver truly reliable voice, video, data, and legacy services across the growing packet network," he contends.
Zarlink says its ZL30130 and ZL30138 are highly integrated 1-GbE and 10-GbE network synchronization devices that ease system integration, lower component count, and reduce power consumption. The new devices meet Synchronous Ethernet timing requirements, including the ITU-T G.8262 recommendation. The ITU-T G.8262 recommendation defines phase locked-loop (PLL) performance characteristics, including wander, jitter, phase transients, clock bandwidth, frequency accuracy, and holdover. Full compliance with this recommendation is essential for service providers as they plan the synchronization of packet networks.
As well as supporting Synchronous Ethernet, the ZL30130 and ZL30138 Timing Card devices meet the requirements of Telcordia GR-1244 Stratum 2/3/3E & GR-253, as well as ITU-T G.812 and G.813. Support for ITU-T G.781 SETS is also offered, meeting SONET/SDH jitter generation requirements up to OC-192/STM-64.
These devices are ideal for both carrier-class Ethernet and SONET/SDH network equipment, contends the company. The ZL30130 device fully meets the jitter-generation requirements for all 1-GbE clocks, including 25 MHz, 50 MHz, 62.5 MHz and 125 MHz. The ZL30138 device provides ultra-low jitter performance ideal for providing 10-GbE clocks up to 156.25 MHz and 312.25 MHz, coupled with telecom clock rates up to 622.08 MHz with low jitter for OC-192/STM-64 SONET/SDH applications.
Both products integrate dual digital PLLs to simultaneously support transmit and receive timing paths, allowing the devices to offer rate conversion of the recovered PHY clock at the same time as providing a filtered reference clock for use on the backplane or by the Ethernet PHY. Both devices also offer loop filter values down to 0.3 mHz, suitable for both SONET/SDH and Synchronous Ethernet applications, says Zarlink.
Zarlink's second-generation Synchronous Ethernet timing chips are now in volume production with Tier 1 equipment manufacturers.
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