"This is the most significant market entry for C-Cube in a long time.".......................................
eet.com
C-Cube samples first cable modem chips
By Will Wade
EE Times
(11/20/00, 11:07 a.m. EST)
SAN MATEO, Calif. — Having established a position in the DVD player and set-top box markets, C-Cube Microsystems Inc. is now seeking a role in the cable modem market.
"This was a natural move for us," said Chris Adams, vice president of broadband marketing and corporate development for the C-Cube (Milpitas, Calif.), citing C-Cube's strong presence in other entertainment systems linked to the television. "We are really excited to be formally entering the cable broadband space." The move also positions the company to take advantage of the high growth rates expected for consumer broadband technologies worldwide.
C-Cube's first two products for the cable modem market are sampling now and will be available in volume early next year. Adams said the company has already lined up customers for both designs, and he expects to see systems commercially available as soon as the second quarter of next year.
C-Cube's core strengths are in set-top boxes and DVD players. Adams noted that chips aimed at those markets require processing functions, audio capabilities and real-time video decoding. By integrating a cable-modem front end into its existing designs, he said, C-Cube built the foundation for its foray into that broadband technology.
Broadband foray
The first part in the cable modem MultiLynx line is the CL2161, which is aimed at dedicated cable modems. It includes the cable modem front end and supports voice channels using Internet Protocol packets.
The second part is the CL2151, which is based on the CL2161 but includes a second demodulator, to support a second stream of data. The chip thus can power a broadband-capable set-top box with one channel for video downloads and a second for Internet functions.
The CL2151 requires an external CPU to function as a full-function set-top box or home gateway system.
Adams said the strength of the MultiLynx line is its ability to support multiple cable protocols. The current standard in this country is the Data Over Cable Systems Interface Spec (Docsis) 1.1 format, but markets in Europe and Asia have served up an alphabet soup of standards and protocols. MultiLynx accommodates the U.S. Docsis standard, the EuroDocsis spec and the DVB format.
"Our customers want to be able to ship boxes to markets in different parts of the world, and this is the first multimode integrated cable front end," Adams said.
He said the company has lined up customers for both MultiLynx devices and that key customers have also contributed to the development effort. As a result, he is confident that the parts will ship in volume right from the start.
"This is not a technology looking for customers," he said. "This is the most significant market entry for C-Cube in a long time." |
