[TI Solution]
bill c.
Excuse me for jumping in, but back in Feb. 1997 TI had this to say:
<Note: the C6X is praised for its flexibility--CAP may want to wait around for this too>
In local-loop wireline communications, the C6X will represent TI's main thrust into Digital Subscriber Line design-ins for both central-office access concentrators and subscriber-line modems. Gene Frantz, director of business development for DSP architectures at TI, said that programmable DSPs will make more sense than hard-wired xDSL transceivers in many applications. And all indications suggest that DSL pioneers accept that argument.
One month ago, Amati Communications Corp. (Sunnyvale, Calif.) announced that it was expanding from its base of Motorola and NEC Electronics Inc. processors to examine TI architectures for next-generation ADSL modems. At Design SuperCon two weeks ago, Amati chief technology officer John Cioffi said that programmable DSPs may represent the future of DSL modems, particularly if both Carrierless Amplitude/Phase modulation and Discrete Multitone ADSL line codes continue to be popular. Rather than choose between the two, Cioffi said, users may look to one modem with programmable DSP that supports either line code.
By sticking with a programmable modem approach, Frantz said, TI could adopt changes mandated by the Telecommunications Industry Association more quickly than vendors using a hard-wired approach. "So far, the momentum in the ADSL industry has been very much behind a full-custom solution," Frantz said. "But we believe strongly in using the concept of a 'soft solution' based on the C6X for both 56-kbit analog modems and DSL modems."
TI will begin taking orders immediately for the 200-MHz C6201, which is available now in an advanced-release version. Small-quantity piece pricing is $200.
Volume production will begin in the third quarter with the price reduced to $96 each in quantities of 25,000. The devices will be offered in ultrathin, 352-lead BGA packages.
-Loring Wirbel contributed to this story.
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997 CMP Media Inc. |
