Vitesse Introduces Industry's First Fully Integrated Multi-Rate SONET/SDH Section Terminator With Integrated Transceiver for DWDM Applications - VSC8151multiplexer - Product Announcement

Edge: Work-Group Computing Report, August 30, 1999

Vitesse Semiconductor Corp. Wednesday announced the latest addition to its 2.5Gb/s IC product line for SONET/SDH Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) system designers -- the VSC8151, the industry's first fully integrated multi-rate SONET/SDH section terminator that includes an integrated transceiver.

This IC provides the monitoring and modification of the section and line overhead of a SONET/SDH OC-3, OC-12 or OC-48 signal, as well as generation of the AIS-L signals, providing a complete section termination solution that is complaint to Bellcore, IEEE and ITU-T specifications.

The VSC8151 monitors the integrity of a SONET/SDH signal and provides a solution for implementing Operations, Administration, Maintenance, and Provisioning (OAM&P) features in DWDM equipment. The SONET/SDH signal is de-multiplexed, framed, descrambled, and processed providing indications of SONET/SDH frame status (SEF/LOF), received bit errors (B1/B2 Parity error detection), and allowing the user to monitor and, if necessary, modify all 27 bytes of the transport overhead.

Results of this overhead processing are output from the part using a low-speed TTL interface, allowing protocol information to be exchanged with low-cost programmable logic. The modified data is rescrambled, and B1/B2 recalculated, prior to serialization and output. The VSC8151 can be provisioned to analyze STS-48/STM-16, STS-12/STM-4, and STS-3/STM-1 signals, while the retimed data output functions up to frequencies of 2.488Gb/s.

"The VSC8151 combines the functions of discrete high-speed demultiplexers, multiplexers, and section terminators into a single IC for performance monitoring. This gives our customers the most integrated solution on the market, greatly reducing the complexity and cost of their system board," stated Simon Keeton, Vitesse's product marketing manager. "This high-performance device expands Vitesse's portfolio of DWDM ICs. Coupled with our FEC chipset, the VSC8151 provides DWDM equipment manufacturers with a potent solution for their DWDM applications," continued Keeton.

The VSC8151, when used in conjunction with the recently introduced FiberStream chipset that includes the VSC8122F Clock and Data Recovery IC and the VSC9210 Forward Error Correction (FEC) device, enables a dramatic reduction of overall system cost and improves the performance of DWDM and other optical equipment. The FiberStream chipset is the industry's first commercially available forward error correction chipset.

The VSC8151 uses a single 3.3V supply for lower-power operation. The device is packaged in a 160 pin, 28mm PQFP. Samples will be available in October with volume production in December. Pricing for the VSC8151 is $195 each in quantities of 1,000.

Vitesse Semiconductor is a world leader in the design, development and manufacturing of high-bandwidth communications and Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) integrated circuits (ICs). The company's products address the needs of telecommunications, datacommunications and ATE equipment manufacturers who demand a combination of high-speed, high-complexity and low-power dissipation. Vitesse is headquartered and performs manufacturing in Camarillo, California, with a second fabrication facility in Colorado Springs, Colo. producing high bandwidth ICs from 6-inch GaAs wafers.

Company/product information can be found on the Web at www.vitesse.com.