TI adds MIPS-based broadband processor to ADSL chip set for gateway solutions

TI adds MIPS-based broadband processor to ADSL chip set for gateway solutions
By J. Robert Lineback, Semiconductor Business News
February 27, 2001 (5:26 a.m. EST)
URL: http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20010226S0140

DALLAS -- Texas instruments Inc. today added new communications processors to its digital subscriber line (DSL) chip set and software to offer what TI says is the most complete solution for home and small-office gateway systems.

TI's broadband communication processors are based on a 32-bit RISC core, called "Jade," which was licensed from MIPS Technologies Inc. two years ago (see Feb. 16, 1999, story). Two of the new processors contain TI's 320C54 digital signal processor cores for voice processing in addition to the packet processing, which is handled by the 32-bit MIPS Jade core, which is running at 125 MHz.

"We are introducing a family of integrated DSL communications processor solutions to address the entire router voice-over-DSL gateway space," said Terry Riley, director of business development for TI's Broadband Communications Group in Dallas. The new family of processo rs is supported by voice-over-DSL software from Telogy, which was acquired by TI in 1999. The processors also leverage TI's Asymmetric DSL physical layer (PHY) chip architecture, which has been certified by local exchange carriers (LEC), said Riley.

The initial members of the series--AR5D00, AR5V10, and AR5V20--are aimed at the residential and small enterprise gateways. The AR5D00, which no DSP core on chip, is for data only gateways. The AR5V10 adds one DSP core for up to four channels of voice, and the AR5V20 has two digital signal processor cores for eight channels of voice.

The three-chip set DSL solution consists of the new broadband processor, an AX5 ADSL PHY device and the TNETD5014 analog frontend (AFE), which includes codec, filters, line driver and line receiver. Operating system, and software stacks for gateway applications are also available from TI.

In 10,000-piece quantities, the high-end AR5V20 will sell for $55 each. The AR5V10 will be priced at $45, while the data-only processor will cost less than $40 each in 10,000-piece quantities.

All three chip set solutions are sampling today, said TI. Volume production is set to begin in the second quarter of 2001.