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Broadband Access Group
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Texas Instruments Bridges the Communication Gap – Combines Voiceband and ADSL on One ChipsetDSP-based Chipset Delivers a Single-Card Solution for Migrating from Today’s Voiceband Networking to New Broadband ServicesDALLAS (November 16, 1998) – Combining its strength in voiceband technology and high-speed Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) solutions, Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) today disclosed it is developing one chipset that will give the consumer a 56 kilobits per second (kbps) voiceband modem and an ADSL modem. Referred to as a "hybrid" chipset, this DSP-based technology will be housed on a half-size, peripheral component interconnect (PCI) card and placed into a single slot in a personal computer. This revolutionary capability eliminates a barrier to purchase and will speed the deployment of interoperable high-speed Internet access. The hybrid chipset will be built upon TI’s powerful TMS320C6x digital signal processing (DSP) technology and precision mixed-signal components, as well as field-proven technology from Amati Communications for discrete multi-tone (DMT), echo cancellation ADSL. The industry leadership of TI for DSP performance, as well as mixed-signal and ADSL technology, will assure that consumers and OEMs can bridge the gap between today’s 56k modems and the megabits-per-second performance of ADSL for Internet access. "Users want high-performance Internet access, but ADSL services are not yet widely available. By offering a modem that connects to both 56k and ADSL services, networking OEMs can capture and keep those customers," said Todd Andreini, TI’s marketing manager for remote access ADSL solutions. "And consumers will benefit from a future-proof product that means they will not need to replace the modem when switching from 56k dial-up to an ADSL service." TI’s hybrid chipset will include an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) PCI interface, a universal digital interface, ADSL transceiver, analog and digital codecs, and an analog line driver. TI also will deliver software drivers for Windows® 95/98 and Windows NT operating systems. The hybrid voiceband/ADSL chipset will be compliant with V.90 standards, the latest to address voiceband networking at 56 kbps, as well as the earlier V.34 standard. The chipset also will fully support ANSI T1.413 Issue 2 and Universal ADSL Working Group standards for access to ADSL services. Lower Costs and Simplicity for OEMs and Consumers For modem manufacturers, TI’s hybrid chipset will reduce product cost because it can be implemented as a single modem on a PCI card or in an external device. The chipset’s efficient use of board space, low power requirements and software programmability also enable PC and modem OEMs to offer hybrid voiceband and ADSL products at a very attractive price point. The ‘C6000 DSP provides a common core for a variety of value-added applications, which can be incorporated into the hybrid modem via software. This programmability of the chipset reduces overall development costs and speeds time to market for modem developers while enabling new applications such as home networking. Modem users will gain a product that provides a migration path from voiceband to broadband technology. The most apparent benefit of migrating to ADSL will be access performance; ADSL supports a 100-fold increase over today’s fastest 56 kbps modems. TI’s chipset will be delivered on a single, half-size PCI card to save on precious slot space in PCs. In contrast, competitive solutions that require two chipsets in order to deliver both ADSL and 56k communications also require a full-size PCI card, limiting flexibility for configuring the PC. Addressing Market Needs for "All-in-One" Solutions Because it will take time for service providers to deploy the necessary infrastructure to offer ADSL services, wide commercial availability will occur over the next few years. In the meantime, users will be able to purchase a modem that incorporates TI’s hybrid chipset in order to access V.90 voiceband services now, then activate ADSL support in the modem when the service provider offers ADSL access. Internet access isn’t the only application for modems; many users create modem-to-modem connections between computers, such as between home and office PCs. These connections will always be analog and require support for V.34 communications, such as that provided by TI’s hybrid chipset. Users also will enjoy simultaneous data and fax communications when using a PC’s fax capabilities, with the ADSL modem handling the data call and the V.90 modem handling the fax. Leveraging the Advantages of TI’s ADSL Architecture As the foundation of all TI ADSL chipsets, the ‘C6000 core DSP technology enables feature integration for a variety of network access applications. This integration assures interoperability of consumer modems with central office equipment. In the case of the hybrid chipset, TI leads the industry with interoperability for ADSL equipment while V.90 compliance assures interoperability with a service provider’s voiceband equipment. The hybrid voiceband/ADSL chipset is part of TI’s roadmap for remote access solutions. TI also recently announced an optimized client-side chipset for use in pure ADSL modems. Availability
Evaluation kits and volume production for the hybrid voiceband/ADSL chipset will be available from TI in the first half of 1999. For more information on TI’s broadband communications products, visit
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