Single-chip add-drop multiplexer integrates cross-connect
By Nicholas Cravotta -- 2/19/2004
Parama Networks’ ADM (add-drop multiplexer)-on-chip, which offers all the functions require to build applications such as SONET/SDH terminal equipment, metro digital-cross-connect systems, and transport and aggregation multiplexers, including cross-connect, line and tributary framers, and overhead processing.
The PNI8040 has eight software-programmable OC-3 to OC-48 or STM-1 to STM-16 rate ports, two OC-192/STM-64 ports, and 40 Gbps of digital-cross-connect capacity. The PNI8160 also has eight software-programmable OC-3-to-OC-48 or STM-1-to-STM-16 ports, two OC-768/STM-256 ports, and 160 Gbps of digital-cross-connect capacity. All 10 port interfaces provide complete read and write access to section and line overhead, path-trace access; pointer processing; alarm detection and insertion; and section, line, and path performance monitoring.
Next-generation SONET features include virtual rings, multiring termination, and SONET mesh. The nonblocking cross-connect offers full STS-1/STM-0 granular transport-level processing with “hitless grooming” across all ports and time slots, as well as support for hairpinning, broadcast, multicast, and drop and continue.
The company manufactures the device in a 0.13-micron CMOS process and packages it in a 1521-pin flip-chip BGA package. Maximum and typical power-dissipation figures are 8 and 6.4W, respectively. Both versions are currently available for sampling, and prices are $1250 and $2500 (1000), respectively.
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