Tom McKee
Centillium Communications, Inc
(510) 771-3446
[email protected]

 

CENTILLIUM’S FULL-RATE ADSL CHIPSET BREAKS ONE-WATT POWER BARRIER

Centillium’s Quad-Port Multi-Mode Chipset Supports Multiple ADSL Standards for Flexible Deployment

FREMONT, Calif., January 20, 2000 – Centillium Communications, Inc. today announced the CopperFlite™ (CT-L50SC04) Central Office chipset, the lowest power Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) solution currently available. CopperFlite is the first programmable, multi-mode, multi-port ADSL chipset to consume less than one-watt of power, breaking through a technical barrier that has delayed the mass deployment of ADSL services to date. By providing an optimal solution for both Full-Rate and G.lite operation, CopperFlite also allows equipment makers and service providers to mix-and-match standards and deploy whichever DSL technology provides the fastest and highest return on their investment.

The ultra-low power CopperFlite chipset addresses the high costs and technical challenges associated with mass deployment of ADSL services. CopperFlite uses just two chips to deliver all of the integrated silicon and software needed to design low-power multi-mode ADSL line cards with four ports. For maximum deployment flexibility, each port can be individually configured to support either Full-Rate or G.lite industry standards, including ITU G.992.1 (G.dmt), ITU G.992.2 (G.lite), or ANSI T1.413 Issue 2. With additional support for Japan’s G.lite Annex C standard, CopperFlite is the most flexible ADSL chipset product in the world today. The product has been sampling to customers since Q4 1999. It will be demonstrated at ComNet2000 (Booth #277) and in full production in Q1 2000.

"While Centillium fully supports the mass market advantages of G.lite with our industry leading eight-port CopperLite chipset, we are equally pleased to take the leadership position in the multi-mode ADSL market with our four-port CopperFlite solution," said Faraj Aalaei, co-founder and vice president of marketing for Centillium Communications. "Equipment manufacturers can now build super high-density G.lite-only line cards, or high-density multi-mode line cards with software compatible chipsets from Centillium, reducing their time-to-market and design investment".

Centillium CopperFlite CO Chipset Solution

Centillium's CopperFlite CO chipset (CT-L50SC04) is the industry's highest performance, most flexible, and lowest power-dissipation ADSL solution. For Full-Rate ADSL, CopperFlite enables end users to connect to the Internet at speeds up to 8.192 Mbps downstream and up to 1024kbps upstream, depending to the loop and the reach conditions. For G.lite ADSL, CopperFlite supports connection rates up to 1.536Mbps downstream, and up to 512Kbps upstream, complying with G.992.2 standards. Interoperability with both Full-Rate and G.lite customer premises equipment has been verified in multi-vendor environments.

CopperFlite consists of just two chips, the CopperFlite CT-L50AC04 analog front end (AFE) and the CopperFlite CT-L50DC04 digital signal processor (DSP). This solution offers a complete suite of silicon and software features, including Utopia Level-2, bit synch, and PCM bus for DSLAM, DLC, and MDU applications.

CopperFlite dramatically reduces the cost and footprint of central-office network-access line cards with industry leading silicon integration. The total physical area of a CopperFlite-based card and driver is less than three-inches, compared with five-inches for competitors. CopperFlite requires no external memory, "glue logic," or VCXO, saving additional component costs. This allows system vendors to design super high-density shelves, significantly reducing the cost per port.

CopperFlite also extends Centillium’s leadership in G.lite Annex C for the DSL market in Japan. As of today, Centillium is the only vendor in the world with an Annex C chipset solution in production, meeting stringent NTT loop performance requirements. This provides telecom equipment manufacturers with enormous flexibility, allowing them to design a single ADSL network access line card for telecom carriers in different regions of the world, including North America, Europe, and Japan.

CopperFlite Chipset is Pin-to-Pin Compatible with CopperLite Chipset

CopperFlite is fully pin-to-pin and software compatible with Centillium’s eight-port CopperLite ADSL G.lite solution (CT-L21SC08). This is an important benefit to existing Centillium customers who can now deploy Full-Rate line cards immediately. For both new and existing customers, CopperFlite dramatically reduces hardware engineering and software development efforts. It provides a single development platform that can branch into multiple products, including G.lite-only line cards, multi-mode line cards, or some combination of the two standards.

The CopperFlite platform makes it easier for DSL systems manufacturers to design line cards that allow network service providers to offer multi-tiered DSL services. Service providers can address mass consumer markets with very high-port density line cards based on the CopperLite chipset with the flexibility of using lower density multi-mode line cards based on the CopperFlite chipset for business markets or central office locations where rack space is less stringent.

Programmable CopperBullet DSP Core

Centillium’s fully programmable custom-DSP core (CopperBullet^®) is based on third-generation patented technology. Combined with state-of-the-art mixed signal designs in the AFE, the DSP eliminates costly CO infrastructure upgrades by offering the industry’s lowest power consumption, and ensures software upgradability over time by delivering ample processing power.

Availability

The Centillium CopperFlite CO chipset (CT-L50SC04) is available for sampling immediately. Full-scale production is expected to commence in Q1 2000. The CopperFlite digital chip is available in a 304-pin SBGA (super ball grid array), while the CopperFlite analog chip is available in a 128-pin MQFP (metric quad flat pack).

About Centillium Communications

Centillium Communications, Inc. is a communication solutions company dedicated to delivering high-speed Internet access to meet the increasing bandwidth requirements of businesses and consumers. The company designs and markets Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) chipset solutions for central office equipment, DLC line cards, and customer premises equipment. Centillium’s chipset family is the industry's highest port density, lowest power dissipation solution available to networking equipment manufacturers today. Centillium Communications, Inc. is located at 47211 Lakeview Blvd., Fremont, CA 94538. Additional information is available at http://www.centillium.com.

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© 2000 Centillium Communications, Inc. CopperFlite and CopperLite are trademarks of Centillium Communications, Inc. All of products or service names mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.