Texas Instruments announces DSP-based ADSL Chipset Technology Delivers Unprecedented Flexibility and Power for Service Provider and Consumer Access Products
DALLAS (Jan. 27, 1998) -- Texas Instruments (TI) (NYSE:TXN) today announced programmable digital signal processing solutions for both ends of the Internet local loop using Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) applications. The chipset technology will be optimized for use in infrastructure applications -- such as Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexers (DSLAMs), Digital Loop Carriers (DLCs), and central office line cards as well as in consumer applications such as PC modems.
TI's American National Standards Institute (ANSI) T1.413 Issue 2 - compliant chipset will combine TI's powerful TMS320C6x digital signal processing (DSP) core technology and precision mixed-signal components with DSL technology from Amati Communications. The result is an extremely flexible, yet powerful discrete multi-tone (DMT) - based ADSL chipset. TI's market and technology leadership in DSP and mixed-signal products, combined with Amati's leadership are well-suited to provide consumers and service providers with solutions that can bridge the gap between today's 56k modems and multi-megabit digital broadband communications for Internet access. The chipset will include a universal digital interface, a DSP-based transceiver, an optimized codec and a line driver. As a result, the DSP solution will deliver outstanding performance and flexibility leveraging a software-based ADSL data pump. The chipset will support up to 8 Mbps rates for downstream communications and 800 Kbps rates for upstream communications.
"TI's ADSL chipset will enable network equipment vendors, service providers and PC OEMs to bring superior, high-speed Internet access to market rapidly and cost-effectively," said James Collinge, Network Access Products Marketing Manager at TI. "And, as ADSL technology evolves and these services are widely deployed, TI's technology will deliver the outstanding performance, scalability, programmability, and extensibility that will help these customers continually improve their product and service offerings."
A Visionary Architecture That Meets Changing Market Needs
The new ADSL chipset is built upon a flexible architecture specifically designed to keep pace with the still evolving needs and standards of the ADSL market. TI's ADSL architecture delivers unparalleled benefits to equipment manufacturers, service providers, and consumers by incorporating the following key principles:
- Performance -- By leveraging Amati Communications's ADSL modem experience and the raw processing power of the TMS320C6x technology, the chipset will offer the industry's most robust ADSL modem performance.
- Scalability -- The ADSL transceiver will have the power to handle two full-rate lines and as the technology advances, the transceiver will handle additional ADSL lines. This multi-line architecture enables equipment vendors to develop high-density DSLAM devices for central office and point-of-presence (POP) deployment by reducing board space, power requirements, and per-port costs.
- Programmability -- TI's ADSL chipset will offer a programmable solution for both infrastructure and remote client/PC applications. This programmability enables quick and easy code fixes, code updates, and feature additions simply by downloading new software to the chip. TI will also take advantage of the programmable architecture to develop future code loads supporting applications such as G.lite, a consumer-based splitterless modem standard.
- Extensibility -- The architecture of the chipset has been designed to enable future derivatives to be brought to market quickly. By optimizing portions of the current chipset architecture and adding functions such as Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Protocol Control Information (PCI), Universal Serial Bus (USB), or Ethernet interfaces, Texas Instruments will be able to develop tailored versions to address specific market segments. In addition, the architecture will eventually enable equipment vendors to support different networking technologies, routing stacks, encryption, network management, and data compression on the ADSL chipset.
Leveraging TI and Amati Expertise
TI's track record includes a #1 market position in DSP, a #1 market position in the mixed-signal IC portion of the analog market according to Dataquest 1996 figures, and 40.6 million DSP modem chipsets sold to date. Additionally, TI offers companion technology for infrastructure applications such as TI's TNETC2080 DSLAM Multiprotocol Communications Controller. With expertise in these critical areas, TI will be able to offer an attractive product portfolio for network end-equipment vendors and service providers.
Recently acquired by TI, Amati Communications is the pioneer and leading ADSL developer. The company has been a significant contributor to ANSI and ITU standards. TI is also working with other DMT technology vendors to assure interoperability of central office and consumer equipment.
Availability
ADSL chipset evaluation kits will be available from TI in the first quarter 1998. Volume production is planned for the second quarter 1998. More information about TI's Network Acces Products is located on the World Wide Web at 
http://www.ti.com/sc/docs/network/nbuhomex.htm.
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