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Electronic News, April 21, 1997 by Crista Hardie

Packet Engines' media access controller (MAC) core for the emerging Gigabit Ethernet network protocol has hastened product development for several well known chip-and system-level licensees. VLSI Technologies is among those readying a chip product for the trade show, based on the Packet Engines core.

The MAC defines the protocols that control the way computer equipment communicates over an Ethernet link. According to Chris Parry, product marketing manager for networking chip start-up XaQti (pronounced shak'ti), there is a lot of early interest in the gigabit MAC cores, especially by systems vendors looking to build custom chips by wrapping their own intellectual property around the MAC.

XaQti last week introduced its core for Gigabit Ethernet--which it plans to license--as well as a controller chip for the merchant market. The chip, known as XMAC, is slated for customer sampling in early May, housed in a 256-pin PQFP. However, pricing has not been established yet, the company said.

VLSI is offering the Packet Engines core to its ASIC customers, and a chip (model no. VNS67500) for OEM customers. Working silicon is expected in May, but customers can currently sample 3.3-volt, 0.5-micron CMOS prototypes of the chip for $60 each.

VLSI is among a growing list of chip and system vendors that have licensed the Gigabit Ethernet MAC from Packet Engines since last August, including MMX Networks, Symbios Logic, Toshiba, UB Networks and XLNT Designs.

"We've seen that this chip is welcome news for product developers looking for proven Gigabit Ethernet silicon," commented Rex Naden, VP/GM of VLSI's communications product group.

Targeted for high-speed switches and routers, the VNS67500 supports copper cable and fiber interfaces through a SERDES serializer/deserializer. On the system side, the MAC provides 16- or 32-bit interfaces to the host system processor and 32-bit switch interface.

Separately, XaQti is hoping to make inroads in the heavily populated and highly competitive networking chip arena, by making an early market launch with a product that incorporates as much of the IEEE 802.3z draft proposal as possible.

"One of the features we have that other early MAC vendors don't is the ability to run at half-duplex. Half-duplex was born of the CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Detection) of 10 Megabit Ethernet, so having that capability gives the backward compatibility with legacy systems," Mr. Parry said.

One of many start-ups to emerge in the name of Gigabit Ethernet, XaQti was formed in September 1996 by a handful of networking veterans from Calpana, Seeq Technology, Cisco Systems, Sierra Networks and CNet. However, its focus will not remain entirely on Gigabit Ethernet. By the end of this year, XaQti expects to have a host of products for the various pieces of an Ethernet network.

"Our end goal is to have a network on a single piece of silicon," Mr. Parry said.

The company plans today to announce a license partner for its Gigabit Development Kit (GDK), a PCI card with software designed to generate, receive and analyze Ethernet traffic.