MIPS core aims at home gateways

MIPS core aims at home gateways
By Craig Matsumoto , EE Times
April 24, 2001 (12:13 p.m. EST)
URL: http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20010423S0119

SAN MATEO, Calif. — Integrated Device Technology Inc. this week is targeting its RC32300 MIPS core at home gateways with a chip that interfaces to four networking protocols at once.

The RC32355 surrounds the 32-bit RC32300 core with interfaces for the Universal Serial Bus (USB), Ethernet, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) and time-division multiplexed (TDM) telephony. Among the target applications is a home gateway that receives outside data via DSL connections, which are based on ATM.

Offered in 133-MHz and 150-MHz varieties, the device is designed to keep all four interfaces running at full speed while leaving overhead for applications such as encryption. At either clock speed, the processor core will have enough cycles left over to handle functions such as security or encryption, said Sandra Chang, business development manager for IDT's network products division.

The four interfaces are linked to the CPU core via the 300-Mbyte/second IDT Peripheral Bus. The part also includes a 16-channel direct memory access controller that can be used to bypass the CPU in certain cases, providing "fly-by" memory access, Chang said.

To target the product at customer-premises equipment, IDT designed the chip to work with the Tornado for Home Gateways software package from Wind River Systems Inc., which allows OEMs to add networking functions to the chip.

25-Mbit/s SAR

The ATM interface on the RC32355 is a 25-Mbit/s segmentation and reassembly unit compliant with the Utopia Level 1 or 2 standards. The interface lacks ATM adaptation layer 1 or 2 (AAL1 or AAL2) support for voice, as IDT expects it to be used primarily for data.

For Ethernet, the RC32355 includes a 10/100-Mbit/s controller, capable of supporting four MAC addresses and a standard MII interface. The USB interface complies with the 12-Mbit/s USB 1.1 spec.

The RC32355 is sampling now, with pro duction volumes slated for June. Prices begin at $22 in lots of 10,000.