networkZONE Products for the week of September 23, 2002
PMC-Sierra Says . . .
High Density Recipe - PMC's Multi-rate OC-48/STM-16
Channelized Framer Packs On-Chip PHY, & System Interfaces
SPECTRA 1´2488 Provides Upgrades to Existing Network
Equipment Line Cards With Integrated Telecom Bus, Framer and Physical Layer
Technologies
PMC-Sierra has dropped the cost of upgrades to metro SONET equipment
with the PM5332 SPECTRA 1´2488, the communications IC industry's highest
density, multi-rate SONET/SDH framer for single-channel OC-48/STM-16 or
four port channelized OC-12/STM-4 interfaces. The SPECTRA 1´2488 is
the first fully STS-1/AU-3 channelized framer with integrated multi-rate
clock and data recovery (CDR) and synthesis, replacing up to 5 discrete
devices (See Figure 1).
The highly-integrated, small footprint device enables networking original
equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to easily and efficiently upgrade existing
line cards to handle multiple transport operating modes while reducing system
cost, complexity, board space, and power. The SPECTRA 1x2488 device is ideal
for Multiservice Provisioning Platforms (MSPPs), Add/Drop Multiplexers (ADMs)
and Core Routers and Switches for both Metro and Access Networks.
Networking OEMs are attempting to develop equipment with higher density, flexible line card upgrades. By integrating clock and data recovery and clock synthesis on-chip, the SPECTRA 1´2488 adds multi-rate capabilities while eliminating the need for a discrete Serializer/Deserializer (SerDes) device. The SPECTRA 1´2488 device provides a direct interface to Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP) optical modules, enabling equipment to be field programmable for both OC-48/STM-16 and quad OC-12/STM-4 applications. This capability allows service providers to purchase one card that may be deployed in multiple applications, saving substantially on maintenance costs, in-service upgrades, and inventory.
Extensive PMC-Sierra Architectural Solutions for Metro Optical Networks
The SPECTRA 1x2488 uses the industry standard TelecomBus interface, enabling
seamless interfacing with a wide variety of PMC-Sierra's standard products,
as well as customer FPGAs and ASICs.
"With new network equipment costs consuming 40 to 60 percent of the capital budget, service providers are wary of network equipment migration strategies that require a complete network overhaul," said Steve Perna, vice president and general manager of PMC-Sierra's Service Provider Division. "The SPECTRA 1´2488 delivers the highest levels of integration with the lowest power consumption and smallest footprint enabling global equipment manufacturers to migrate to higher capacity and function with seamless line card upgrades. The SPECTRA 1x2488 is the latest example of PMC-Sierra's continuation in executing best-in-class OC-48 and OC-12 architectures for metro transport applications."
In STS-1 grooming applications, the SPECTRA 1x2488 connects to the PM5310 TBS device, enabling Automatic Protection Switching (APS), STS-1 cross-connecting and efficient Gigabit Ethernet transport with PM5397 ARROW 2xGE. In ATM/POS applications, the SPECTRA 1x2488 connects to the PM7390 S/UNI MACH48 device, allowing ATM and packet termination and mapping for all legal channelizations down to DS3 (See Figure 2). In all cases, the multirate line side interface allows a single card design to be software selectable for single channel OC-48/STM-16 or four channel OC-12/STM-4 applications.
SPECTRA 1´2488 Enables SONET and SDH Internetworking
European and Asian SDH standards add an additional layer of complexity beyond
that of the North American SONET standard. The SPECTRA 1´2488 supports
worldwide standards and further enables traffic to be transported between
SONET and SDH networks. This function eliminates the need for additional
devices to provide internetworking and is critical to sharing information
globally between North America, Europe and Asia.
analogZONE Says . . .
With SONET back in fashion, and capital budgets as tight as they are, it's no wonder we're seeing the likes of Agere, Cypress, PMC, and TranSwitch re-inventing the once-humble framer. These companies are using their talents at integration to create feature-laden products that slash the space, power and cost of terminating a SONET connection. PMC's PM5332 SPECTRA 1´2488 is a very nice example of this trend to use higher integration levels to squeeze the most value out of existing equipment and infrastructures. It's basically an upgrade which adds on-chip CDR, and clock synthesis, and SERDES elements PMC's earlier quad OC-48 framer (introduced with their CHESS architecture last year).
It provides the same framing and section/line termination for OC-48, or 4 OC-12 devices with integrated CDR and SERDES, but connects directly with the less expensive optical modules (containing only lasers and TIAs), thus eliminating the need for the expensive CDR/synthesis circuitry used in optical transceivers. The framer interfaces directly to most available optical modules, plus new small form-factor pluggable module. Since small form factor modules are field-replaceable, you can build a board which accommodates both OC-48 and OC-12, transceivers, and only populate it with the optics needed. This, and the flexible framing scheme allows you to build a cost-saving card that can be configured as needed.
In addition to its on-chip PHYs, the framer packs an on-chip Telecom Bus (parallel TDM interface) (See Figure 1). This should make interfacing with most existing chips (except some Agere products) and SONET equipment very straightforward.
PMC has also packed in the logic to perform AU-3/AU-4 conversion that bridges SDH and SONET. This handy (and exclusive) feature re-arranges the overhead and encapsulation between the North American and European formats, making it a shoe-in for inter-networking applications.
Besides use in transport applications (multi-service platforms and ADMs), the chip can find homes in IP Routers. You can also use a second mapper (PMC would like it to be their SUNI-48) to generate or terminate encapsulated IP packets or ATM cells.
Of course, the PM5332 framer is not the solution to all your application needs. For example, it was designed specifically for section line and path termination in metro applications, and does not process transparent overhead. If you need transparent overhead processing, you can look at Agere's new framer which was also introduced this week.
It's nice to see how PMC has leveraged its extensive experience in high-speed interfaces to provide a highly-integrated part that saves component cost, power, and board space.
The PM5332 SPECTRA 1´2488 is in a UBGA-500 priced at $350 in 10-k piece lots.
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