Zarlink's New High-Density TDM Devices Set Performance Standard for Converged and Wireless Networking Equipment

Zarlink, the market leader in TDM switching, developed its 32 K ZL(TM)50073 TDM switch family to meet the exacting requirements of high- bandwidth, wired and wireless networking equipment - such as media gateways, wireless base stations, and remote access concentrators - that carry converged voice, data and multimedia services. Customers are also demanding higher- performance TDM devices to upgrade the Class 4/Class 5 Central Office switches that still dominate today's carrier networks.

"The ZL50073 family is the only TDM switch platform that delivers a complete mix of features for next-generation converged and wireless traffic, as well as basic voice services," said Kam Aite, product line marketing manager, TDM/TSI Switching, Zarlink Semiconductor.

Zarlink's four-device ZL50073 family provides the industry's most flexible and cost-effective centralized switching approach for high-bandwidth voice and data equipment. The family's premier ZL50073 switch doubles the capabilities of competing high-density devices, offering 128 input and 128 output streams for interfacing to peripheral components and different data rates up to 64 Mbps.

Zarlink Semiconductor offers the industry's broadest portfolio of blocking and non-blocking TDM/TSI switches. Global equipment manufacturers are currently evaluating the ZL50073 switch family for wireless and wired access media gateways, and Central Office switches supporting traditional voice services.

Performance standard for high-density TDM switching

With unmatched integrated features, the ZL50073 family boosts the performance of high-bandwidth TDM equipment while also lowering board-level design cost and complexity. The devices include programmable data rate conversion circuitry, permitting them to directly transmit information between peripheral components without requiring intermediary FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays), glue logic, or other external circuitry that increases board complexity and cost.

Zarlink's patented rate conversion technology provides the industry's most flexible bandwidth allocation capability, allowing designers to select data rates on a per group of two-stream or four-stream basis. In comparison, competing devices offer more limited per group of eight-stream data rate selection.

The ZL50073 family includes the only 32 K TDM devices with integrated per channel A-Law/u -Law conversion circuitry, eliminating the need for external FPGAs or glue logic to convert between voice standards. The devices also offer integrated BER (bit error rate) testing circuits - with individual receivers and transmitters - which conform to the ITU-T (International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunications) 0.151 standard. This allows designers to simultaneously test all input/output streams. Competing devices require external test equipment, and can only test on a time-consuming channel-by- channel basis.

Most flexible timing architecture

The ZL50073 TDM switching family achieves exceptional jitter tolerance, permitting the switches to be timed directly from the backplane's clock and frame pulses. This saves design cost and effort by eliminating the need for intermediary chips such as CPLDs (complex programmable logic devices) and FPGAs.

If reference switching or holdover functionality is required, high jitter tolerance means the designer can choose from a range of low-cost digital PLLs (phase-locked loops). The ZL50073 devices offer three clock inputs accepting selectable frequencies of 8-, 16-, 32- or 64 MHz. Other commercial high- density TDM devices provide only a 32 MHz clock input, severely limiting a designer's options when choosing a timing device.

In addition, Zarlink's new TDM switches are the industry's only high- density devices featuring four frequency selectable output clocks and frame pulses, providing designers with the flexibility to drive a variety of peripheral TDM components or circuits.

Wide range of device options

Zarlink's high-density TDM switching family consists of three 32,768 channel devices, and one 24,576 channel device - the industry's only 24 K switch. A range of device options enables engineers to select the features they need to cost-effectively support their designs.

The ZL50073 switch is the world's most advanced 32 K device. The ZL50074 device is a 32 K switch with features optimized for price-sensitive applications. The ZL50073/74 both offer 128 input and 128 output streams.

The 32 K ZL50075 switch has 64 input and 64 output streams, integrated A- Law/u -Law conversion and BER testing, and the industry's highest granularity with per group of two-stream rate conversion. The ZL50070 switch is a richly featured 24 K device with 96 input and 96 output streams.

Zarlink continues to evolve its TDM switching line. Future developments will offer improved system-level integration for both low- and high-density devices.

Availability, packaging and price

The ZL50073 family is in volume production, and offered in a variety of size and packaging options. All pricing is in 1 K quantities.

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  Product  Size  no of streams   Size and Packaging               Pricing
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  ZL50070  24 K  96 In/96 Out    23 x 23 mm, 484-ball Ball Grid   US$127.50
                                 Array (BGA)
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  ZL50073  32 K  128 In/128 Out  23 x 23 mm, 484-ball BGA         US$170.00
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  ZL50074  32 K  128 In/128 Out  23 x 23 mm, 484-ball BGA         US$119.00
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  ZL50075  32 K  64 In/64 Out    19 x 19 mm, 324-ball BGA          US$70.00
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For more information, please visit http://products.zarlink.com/product_profiles/ZL50073

About Zarlink Semiconductor

For almost 30 years, Zarlink Semiconductor has delivered semiconductor solutions that drive the capabilities of voice, enterprise, broadband and wireless communications. The Company's success is built on its technology strengths, including voice and data networks, consumer and ultra low-power communications, and high-performance analog. For more information, visit http://www.zarlink.com/.

Certain statements in this press release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and assumptions include, among others, the risks discussed in documents filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors are encouraged to consider the risks detailed in those filings.

A high-resolution photograph is available at http://news.zarlink.com/visual_center/.

Zarlink, ZL, and the Zarlink Semiconductor logo are trademarks of Zarlink Semiconductor Inc.

CONTACT: Zarlink, Michael Salter, Media Relations,
613 270-7115, michael.salter@zarlink.com; United States, Natalie Sauve,
High Road Communications, 613 236-0909, nsauve@highroad.com; Europe, Simon
Krelle, Pinnacle Marketing Communications, 44 1908 2355 22,
simonk@pinnacle-marketing.com