TO ALL: ROCKWELL JOINS PAIR ALLIANCE.
Folks: I don't see this news here, so I thought I'd share it. Here ya go!
08:03 Rockwell Joins PairGain And Others In Alliance Developing Single-Pair
HDSL Standard
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 16, 1997--
Rockwell will collaborate with PairGain and other leading telecom
companies; plans to develop silicon solutions for the new standard
that will enable full HDSL performance over single-pair copper
wiring.
Rockwell Semiconductor Systems Tuesday announced that it has joined an
alliance formed by PairGain Technologies and other leading telecommunications
companies to collaborate on a new single-pair T1 standard for High-bit-rate
Digital Subscriber Line technology, known as HDSL2.
PairGain and other founders of the HDSL2 alliance presented a proposal in
June to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for a unified suite
of line codes, modulation and error-correction standards for the emerging
single-pair HDSL standard.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRESS (RETURN) FOR MORE, /M FOR HEADLINES, OR ENTER A NEW REQUEST.
BUSINESSWIRE STORY 4 PAGE 2 OF 6
The group's proposal has been named OPTIS (Overlapped PAM Transmission with
Interlocking Spectra). In support of the OPTIS proposal, Rockwell plans to
expand its already broad offering of HDSL solutions and add a family of
HDSL2-compliant chips that provide the same performance and service distance
over a single line that HDSL currently provides over two lines.
"Rockwell is very excited to be joining this group of organizations
supporting and developing the OPTIS HDSL2 standard," said Ron Cates, product
line manager at Rockwell's Network Access Division. "We consider HDSL2 to be
one of the most important developments in the evolving local loop telecom
infrastructure, and will be actively contributing to the group's work."
The proposed OPTIS HDSL2 specifications will let service providers deliver
full T1 (1.544 Mbps) performance over a single twisted pair cable, with the
same reach, robustness and spectral compatibility of today's two-pair HDSL.
This will allow local exchange carriers (LECs) and telecom service providers
to meet rapidly increasing demands for business and Internet access services
in environments where copper pair shortages exist.
"We're pleased to have Rockwell join this alliance," said George Zimmerman,
chief scientist at PairGain Technologies.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRESS (RETURN) FOR MORE, /M FOR HEADLINES, OR ENTER A NEW REQUEST.
BUSINESSWIRE STORY 4 PAGE 3 OF 6
"Rockwell brings tremendous expertise in silicon solutions for
communications systems, and will help us to accelerate the development and
deployment of interoperable HDSL2-based solutions."
Rockwell was an early pioneer in HDSL technology through its acquisition of
Brooktree Corp. in September 1996. The company's first product for this
market was a low-cost CMOS analog-to-digital converter introduced in 1992,
followed by the industry's first all-digital HDSL transceiver in 1994 and a
single-pair version of that transceiver in 1995.
In 1996 and 1997, Rockwell took the first step toward low-cost DSL-based
modems for digital pair gain and Internet access applications with its ZipWire
family of highly integrated single-chip HDSL modem chips. The Bt8960 ZipWire
chip provides rate adaptive transport from 160Kbps to 416Kbps at distances up
to 14,520 feet, while the Bt8970 provides rates from 160Kbps to 1168Kbps with
a reach up to 22,700 feet.
About HDSL2
Products based on the new HDSL2 standard are expected to have broad
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRESS (RETURN) FOR MORE, /M FOR HEADLINES, OR ENTER A NEW REQUEST.
BUSINESSWIRE STORY 4 PAGE 4 OF 6
applications. Current two-pair HDSL, which uses 2B1Q code, was developed in
1991 and is used throughout the world by LECs and network service providers
for fast, low-cost deployment of T1 (1.544 Mbps) and E1 (2.048 Mbps) services.
It currently delivers either 1.544 Mbps or 2.048 Mbps over two twisted pairs
at distances up to 12,000 feet. The HDSL2 standard is intended to provide the
same performance and service distance over a single line. This is becoming
increasingly important as carriers seek to meet accelerating demand for T1/E1
services using a dwindling supply of available copper pairs within the public
telephone network.
A central component of the OPTIS standard proposal is a spectrally-shaped
waveform that does not interfere with existing T1, HDSL or ADSL (Asymmetric
Digital Subscriber Line) services, while providing good performance even in
worst case environments containing a mixture of other signals. Other recent
proposals for HDSL2 have not been able to make this claim. Network service
providers will be able to install HDSL2 equipment without being required to
upgrade or redesign their cable plant.
The HDSL2 alliance was founded by PairGain, ADC Telecommunications Inc. and
Level One Communications Inc.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRESS (RETURN) FOR MORE, /M FOR HEADLINES, OR ENTER A NEW REQUEST.
BUSINESSWIRE STORY 4 PAGE 5 OF 6
About Rockwell Semiconductor Systems
Rockwell Semiconductor Systems, based in Newport Beach, is a leading
worldwide provider of semiconductor system solutions for personal
communications electronics. Rockwell Semiconductor Systems comprises the
Personal Computing, Wireless Communications, Network Access, Digital
Infotainment and Electronic Commerce divisions.
Personal Computing is the leading supplier of facsimile and PC modem
chipsets. Wireless Communications provides total system solutions for
advanced cordless telephony and global positioning systems receiver engines.
Network Access offers a broad line of high-bandwidth communications and
networking devices. Digital Infotainment focuses on products for the digital
consumer electronics information and entertainment markets. Electronic
Commerce is a leading supplier of mission-critical call center systems and
personalized electronic commerce applications.
Rockwell is a global electronics company with leadership market positions in
industrial automation, semiconductor systems and avionics and communications,
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRESS (RETURN) FOR MORE, /M FOR HEADLINES, OR ENTER A NEW REQUEST.
BUSINESSWIRE STORY 4 PAGE 6 OF 6
with projected fiscal 1997 sales of approximately $8 billion and 44,000
employees. In March, Rockwell announced that it planned to spin off its
automotive components business. This transaction is expected to be completed
on Sept. 30, 1997.
CONTACT: The Benjamin Group Inc.
Carolyn Fromm, 714/245-7500
cfromm@oc.tbgi.com
or
Rockwell Semiconductor Systems
Eileen Algaze
714/221-6849
eileen.algaze@nb.rockwell.com
08:03 EDT SEPTEMBER 16, 1997
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
