HP Delivers First ADSL Manufacturing Test Solution Check It Out
Copyright c 1997 TeleChoice, Inc.
November 10, 1997 -- Hewlett-Packard Company announces the first manufacturing
functional-test solution for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) modems
designed to serve manufacturers' needs for fast ramp-up to high-quality, low-cost
volume production. The solution meets ADSL and "plain old telephone systems"
(POTS) industry-standard specifications and supports Carrier Amplitude/Phase
Modulation (CAP) and Discrete Multitone (DMT) technologies.
ADSL technology allows a dramatic increase in the data-rate capabilities of existing
phone lines. Individuals with ADSL modems can use their existing phone lines
simultaneously for normal telephone voice traffic and for high-speed data transfer,
such as Internet browsing. Many ADSL field trials are now under way, and, as the
technology proves itself, the demand for ADSL modems is expected to increase
sharply.
"Although ADSL is in the pilot testing stage in a number of markets, the prospects
for it are certainly promising," said Brian Cotton, industry manager, Wireless
Communications and Advanced Transmission, at market-research firm Frost &
Sullivan. "Our estimates suggest that the market for ADSL modems could increase
more than 70 percent (CAGR) over the next seven years. This rising demand is
expected to drive prices down dramatically during this same period, further driving
the market upward."
HP MEETS ADSL MANUFACTURING TEST CHALLENGES
"To meet ADSL modem performance specifications, manufacturers must address a
long list of design and production challenges," said Kamran Firooz, general manager
of HP's Manufacturing Test Division. "Manufacturing test provides a key ingredient
to the successful deployment of ADSL technology and will help bring products to
market faster."
HP's ADSL manufacturing test solution satisfies three primary elements required to
address complex ADSL modem-manufacturing test requirements:
o comprehensive parametric testing -- ensures modem interoperability at a physical
level, including such factors as separation of voice and data, and minimization of
signal interference and distortion;
o transmission testing (Bit Error Rate) "go/no-go" tests -- give confidence the modem
is working within specification, with or without wireline impairments; and
o digital I/O testing -- focuses on digital interfaces for subscriber/network
connections to verify correct functioning of the control and transfer of data through
complex backplanes and digital interfaces.
The HP ADSL solution tests up to four modems concurrently, reducing the time
required for transmission as well as parametric testing.
ADSL SOLUTION OFFERS SCALABLE TEST
The HP ADSL solution provides an open and flexible architecture that supports
multiple test strategies and enables concurrent testing for high throughput. It provides
traceable and calibrated measurements with innovative functional-test-repair
diagnostics and automated test fixturing.
The HP ADSL solution's software environment enables rapid test development with
HP visual test advisor (see related product announcement).
HP's wide range of manufacturing functional-test solutions is installed in more than
100 manufacturing sites worldwide, testing POTS, ISDN, pair-gain, HFC and E1/T1
products.
U.S. PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
HP's ADSL manufacturing test solution is expected to be available in March for the
new HP 79000 FCT platform, with prices starting at $250,000. It is expected to be
available in January for the HP 3079 CT platform, which is used for both functional
and in-circuit testing, with prices starting at $275,000. HP ADSL pay-per-use
solutions for lower-volume manufacturing will start at $150,000. |
