From the Nov 27, 2000 Peddie report.
jpa.com
C-Cube announces new Cable Modem Chips
gets a new chip in the box in time for OpenCable STBs
Last week, C-Cube Microsystems, Inc. (Milpitas, CA) introduced a new line of multi-standard cable ICs designed for support of the world's major cable standards. The line, called the MultiLynx family, is now sampling for cable-based set-top boxes (STBs) and cable modems and should allow manufacturers to create cable boxes that can be deployed on any two-way broadband cable network in the world. The MultiLynx family, which will debut at the Western Show in Los Angeles, comes in two flavors, the CL2151 and the CL2161, both of which support DOCSIS, EuroDOCSIS, and DVB in-band cable modem protocols.
C-Cube says the CL2151 is the first cable modem chip designed specifically for set-top boxes. It has two QAM demods for simultaneous data transfer and digital video (the CL2161 has only one). The CL2151 supports DAVIC, DVS-178, Starvue, and DVS-167 set-top media access controller protocols and provides a direct connection to a point of deployment module for OpenCable STBs. The chip also has interfaces for a number of different CPUs including PCI, PowerPC, and SH4 for use in advanced STBs. When combined with an STB decoder chip such as C-Cube's AviaT-9600, the CL2151 helps box makers create STBs that include such advanced features as voice-over-IP (VoIP), home networking, and PVR functionality at low cost.
C-Cubes' CL2161 uses a single QAM demodulator with an A/D converter downstream and a QAM/QPSK modulator with a D/A converter for the return stream. Integrated into the chip is a communications processor that acts as a host CPU with DSP extensions for VoIP. There is also a dedicated media access controller onboard, which together with the communications processor gives the CL2161 features enabling support of all major network standards.
(408.490.8707; www.c-cube.com)
Umesh Padval, President and CEO of C-Cube Microsystems described the new chip family as "precisely what the industry needs to support its rapid expansion." C-Cube can now offer a complete suite of chips including the new MultiLynx, their AviaT line, and the Ziva-5, which when coupled with a CPU such as a Philips Nexperia or National Semiconductor Geode, provides the guts for a low-cost, powerful advanced STB. The OpenCable functionality is especially useful considering that cable STBs will hit the retail channel in about eight months. The multiple protocols move C-Cube down the same road as Motorola, Broadcom, and others who are looking to create integrated ICs for the consumer space that essentially do "everything" so that the consumer only has to plug one cable in the back and one cable to the TV. The consumer is the ultimate arbiter of what technologies survive in the CE space and they don't care what standard a device adheres to, or in what form their broadband enters the house. C-Cube's MultiLynx family should help box makers deliver cheaper, more functional boxes. -AG
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Also from the same report:
Cirrus goes for the DVD business; licenses DVD decoder technology licenses technology from LuxSonor
Cirrus Logic (Austin, TX) announced a new license agreement with LuxSonor Semiconductors Inc. LuxSonor is a privately held company headquartered in Fremont, California that develops single-chip A/V decoders for DVD and VCD movie players and the company has been most active in China.
So far, Cirrus has been successfully building audio products and its Maverick chips have found a home in the new picture frames but the company is looking for greener pastures and seems to have found them in DVD. Cirrus has eyes for the DVD business in A/V mini-systems, digital set-top boxes, SA/V digital media controllers and Internet-enabled DVD players (iDVD). The strategy is one we've seen before, Cirrus would like to leverage its wins with customers in the audio industry and sell them DVD chips too.
The LuxSonor technology includes MPEG-2 video decoding, video DSP processing, a 32-bit audio DSP, audio and video DSP software, DVD navigation software and DVD player reference designs. Plans call for new products to be developed later this year. The company's current line of products is the LS500 family. (www.cirrus.com) (510.683.4668, www.luxsonor.com) |
