Zarlink Delivers Unrivalled TDM Switching Family for Converged and Wireless Networking Equipment
- ZL(TM)50021 low- to mid-density TDM/TSI (time division multiplex/time slot interchange) switching family first to integrate Stratum 3 timing - Saves design and component costs, cuts board space by up to 50%
OTTAWA, CANADA, Feb. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Zarlink Semiconductor (NYSE/TSX:ZL), the market leader in TDM switching, today launched a family of nine low- to mid- density TDM/TSI switches with the industry's widest range of programmable and integrated features, delivering performance advantages and driving down costs in wired and wireless network equipment.
Communications networks are evolving from a circuit-switched to packet switched infrastructure, allowing service providers to offer profitable new services and lower their operating costs. This evolution to a PSN (packet switched network) is expected to occur over several decades. Accordingly, designers require more flexible TDM switches optimized for use in networking equipment that must handle both packet- and circuit-switched services.
For example, IP-PBXs (Internet Protocol-private branch exchanges) that support enterprise VoIP (Voice over IP) services require TDM technology to interface with the circuit-switched PSTN (public switched telephone network). Similarly, TDM devices are needed in media gateways and wireless base stations for seamlessly transferring voice, data and multimedia traffic between legacy and emerging networks.
Zarlink has responded to customer requirements by completely updating its TDM/TSI non-blocking switching portfolio, recently introducing four high- density, eight medium-density, and today nine low- to mid-density TDM switches. The ZL50021 switching family includes the first commercially available 2 K and 4 K devices to integrate a Stratum 3 DPLL (digital phase- locked loop) in a monolithic integrated circuit.
"By combining switching with timing and other performance features, our low- and mid-density switches offer significant benefits for platforms delivering converged services," said Kam Aite, product line marketing manager, TDM/TSI Switching, Zarlink Semiconductor. "Integrated features such as per- channel A-Law/u-Law translation, per-stream rate conversion and Bit Error Rate Test circuits, and a Stratum 3 DPLL with low intrinsic jitter, eliminate the need for external components, making designs simpler and less costly."
Zarlink's premier ZL50021 saves design and component costs - and reduces board space requirements by up to 50% - by combining the functionality of over five components and programmable logic devices in a single monolithic integrated circuit.
First low- to mid-density TDM switches with Stratum 3 DPLL
The ZL50021 family comprises three 4,096 channel, three 2,048 channel, and three 1,024 channel switches with up to 32 input and 32 output or 32 bi- directional streams for interfacing with peripheral components at data rates from 2 Mbps to 16 Mbps. With a range of performance options, the switches support the cost-effective design of low-bandwidth equipment, such as remote access servers and concentrators, IP-PBXs, small media gateways, wireless base stations, and digital loop carriers.
The ZL50021 family's premier 2 K and 4 K switches are the industry's first commercially available devices with an integrated DPLL meeting Telcordia's Stratum 3 specification (GR-1244-CORE). With jitter tolerance less than 1 ns (nanosecond), the integrated DPLL ensures precise network timing and synchronization. The premier 1 K device includes an integrated Stratum 4E DPLL. Competing devices provide on-chip timing that does not meet the jitter performance of the ZL50021 devices, or require an external analog PLL to ensure accurate timing.
Zarlink's integrated DPLL provides four independent reference source inputs selectable from 8 kHz, 1.544 MHz, 2.048 MHz, 4.096 MHz, 8.192 MHz, 16.384 MHz, and 19.44 MHZ, combined with holdover mode performance to ensure data is accurately aligned with the rest of the system. The DPLL generates multiple frame pulses of 31 ns, 61 ns, 122 ns, and 244 ns and six clock timing outputs out of 1.544 MHz, 2.048 MHz, 4.096 MHz, 8.192 MHz, 16.384 MHz, 19.44 MHz, and 32.768 MHz.
New performance standard for low- to mid-density TDM switching
The ZL50021 family's premier 1 K, 2 K, and 4 K devices include unrivalled features that boost equipment performance while lowering board-level design costs and complexity. With programmable per-stream data rate conversion circuitry, the devices can directly transmit information between peripheral components operating at different speeds - without requiring external components to perform rate conversion.
Rate conversion technology provides flexible bandwidth allocation capability, allowing designers to select data rates on a per-stream basis to seamlessly interconnect new high-speed peripheral equipment with slower legacy equipment. Most competing devices require external circuitry to accommodate equipment operating at different data rates, adding to design costs and complexity.
The ZL50021 TDM family includes the industry's only low- to mid-density devices with per channel ITU-T G.711 PCM A-Law/u-Law translation, eliminating the need for external components to convert between voice standards. With integrated per-stream BER (bit error rate) testing complying with ITU-0.151, designers can simultaneously test all input/output streams. Other devices require external testing equipment, and can only test on a time-consuming channel-by-channel basis.
With reference monitoring capability that meets Telcordia GR-253-CORE clock monitoring requirements, the ZL50021 devices monitor the quality of the four DPLL input references. Fast lock performance allows the DPLL to lock onto a signal in less than two seconds, thereby increasing the utilization of the system at power-up and speeding manufacturing test times. Integrated Software Control mode (programmable target frequency offset) means the phase detector can be implemented in software, providing efficient synchronization for TDM- over-IP applications.
Pin-to-pin compatibility
All devices in the ZL50021 low-density TDM switching family are pin-to- pin compatible. Designers can easily migrate to any device within the family without replacing the entire circuit board as network traffic demands increase or new customer services are deployed.
Going forward, Zarlink is continuing to evolve its TDM switching portfolio to deliver enhanced performance across its high-, mid-, and low- density products.
Availability, packaging and price
The ZL50021 switching family is available now. The devices are offered in 17 mm (millimeter) x 17 mm, 256-ball PBGA (plastic ball grid array) and 28 mm x 28 mm, 256-pin LQFP (low quad flat pack) packaging. All pricing is in 1 K quantities.
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Product Size No. of streams Description Pricing
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ZL50015 1 K x 1 K 16in/16out or Enhanced 1 K switch US$30.50
16bi-direction with integrated
Stratum 4E DPLL
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ZL50016 1 K x 1 K 16in/16out or Enhanced 1 K switch US$22.50
16bi-direction
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ZL50017 1 K x 1 K 16in/16out or Basic 1 K switch US$17.50
16bi-direction
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ZL50018 2 K x 2 K 32in/32out or Enhanced 2 K switch US$55.00
32bi-direction with integrated
Stratum 3 DPLL
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ZL50019 2 K x 2 K 32in/32out or Enhanced 2 K switch US$39.00
32bi-direction with integrated
Stratum 4E DPLL
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ZL50020 2 K x 2 K 32in/32out or Enhanced 2 K switch US$31.00
32 bi-direction
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ZL50021 4 K x 4 K 32in/32out or Enhanced 4 K switch US$69.00
32 bi-direction with integrated
Stratum 3 DPLL
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ZL50022 4 K x 4 K 32in/32out or Enhanced 4 K switch US$53.00
32 bi-direction with integrated
Stratum 4E DPLL
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ZL50023 4 K x 4 K 32in/32out or Enhanced 4 K switch US$45.00
32 bi-direction
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For more information, please visit
http://products.zarlink.com/product_profiles/ZL50021
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
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