WAYNE, N.J. — As the DSL sector sorts out the implications of the Conexant/GlobespanVirata merger, LSI Logic is continuing to move its ADSL product line forward with the release this week of four chips supporting the emerging ADSL2+ specification.
While many developers are looking to integrate ADSL and ADSL2+ at the silicon or package level, LSI Logic has pushed forward with a multipackage approach where the baseband and analog front-end (AFE) remain as two separate chips. The company is keeping that trend alive on the ADSL2 front with the release of three new baseband processing chips and an upgraded AFE/line driver IC.
The three baseband chips include the AR902, AR922 and AR942 processors. Developed around a 200-MHz ARM9 processor, the 0.18-micron AR902 includes a hardware-based ATM/HDLC controller, a 10/100 Ethernet controller and a 100-MHz DRAM controller. The processor targets lower-end designs and delivers a 0.8-W power dissipation figure.
With the AR902 covering lower-end designs, LSI Logic built the AR922 and AR942 for higher-end gateway designs requiring expanded Ethernet capabilities and security capabilities. The chips are essentially the same. Both house a crypto coprocessor for accelerating IPSec processing, a 250-MHz ARM10 processor, a 250-MHz SDRAM controller, PCI interface and a hardware-based ATM/HDLC controller.
The difference in the parts lies in their Ethernet capabilities. The AR922, which draws 0.5-W power, supports twin 10/100 Ethernet ports while the AR942, which draws 1.2-W power, integrates a five-port 10/100 Ethernet switch.
To complement its new baseband ICs, LSI Logic has also released the AR8204 SpeedREACH AFE for ADSL2+ designs. This front-end IC comes equipped with a +5-V line driver, -160-dBm/Hz noise floor and a 1-W power dissipation figure. LSI also replaced the voltage-controlled crystal oscillator typically found in a DSL AFE with a 17.664-MHz digitally-controlled crystal oscillator and a phase-lock loop.
The new ADSL2+ devices support Windows CE, Linux and VxWorks operating systems. The devices will start sampling by the end of the year.
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