[TI/Amati go splitterless]
Texas Instruments Implements Splitterless Capabilities for ADSL Modems
Technology Will Speed Deployment of High-Speed Internet Access to Consumers
DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 15, 1998-- Building on the announcement of its breakthrough ADSL remote access chipset earlier this year, Texas Instruments (TI) (NYSE:TXN - news) today announced the development of a new software feature that will greatly reduce ADSL installation complexity and accelerate consumer acceptance -- all while giving end equipment, PC and modem OEMs more than 25 times the performance of current modems.
ADSL technology allows traditional voice and digital data to coexist on the same existing copper telephone wire, delivering high-bandwidth, multimedia-rich applications like streaming video, video-conferencing, interactive tele-gaming and ultra-fast Internet access.
The new ADSL implementation, called ''splitterless DSL'', will reduce the need for an external ''splitter'' to separate voice traffic from ultra-high-speed data traffic on the copper wire. Practically, it means telephone companies or other service providers will not be required to physically install an external splitter device outside a customer's home. This will reduce the cost and complexity of providing high-bandwidth ADSL technology, giving manufacturers a viable way to reach the consumer and small-office/home-office market. According to market research analyst firm Dataquest, more than three million consumers will use DSL by 2002.
''Splitterless ADSL will give this technology a real mass consumer appeal,'' said Bill Eversole, director of marketing for TI's Broadband Access Group. ''When you remove the need for an external splitter, an ADSL connection becomes just as simple as using today's analog modems, but with the added feature of simultaneous voice and data. The major difference, of course, is the vast speed improvements that DSL technology provides over today's analog modems.''
TI's new splitterless ADSL implementation uses TI's industry-leading, 1600 Millions of Instructions Per Second (MIPS) programmable TMS320C6000 DSP core technology. With more than 10 times the performance of any other DSP technology, core 'C6000 technology provides the performance and flexibility that allow manufacturers to meet multiple DSL protocol requirements with a single platform. TI's full-rate DSL implementation, which provides up to 8 Mbps data transfer rates, uses this same core 'C6000 technology. The new software-driven splitterless implementation will utilize some of the 'C6000 generation's performance headroom to move splitter
functionality into the core chipset and achieve a loop length up to 18,000 feet.
The C6000 technology uniquely positions TI with the flexibility to produce cost effective solutions supporting both T1.413 Issue 2 full rate ADSL as well as reduced rate (G.lite/UAWG) splitterless operations, on a single platform. The feature greatly extends the life of end equipment.
TI's Powerful 'C6x Core Technology
The highly flexible and powerful 'C6000 DSP-based chipset platform provides significant advantages over less programmable, hardwired solutions. For instance, manufacturers and consumers using TI's splitterless ADSL implementation can easily software upgrade to the G.Lite splitterless standard when it is fully defined and approved in 1999. When G.Lite is defined, TI will use the 'C6000 core to build customized programmable solutions that conform to the standard. In the meantime, TI's highly programmable solution will allow OEMs to begin developing products and then make an easy transfer to future 'C6000-based splitterless chipsets. Less programmable solutions cost developers time-to-market by requiring new hardware designs. They also require end customers to install new modem boards.
In addition, with the recent acquisition of ADSL pioneer Amati Communications, TI's robust ADSL solutions benefit from a proven history with thousands of real-world field trials and four earlier versions of ADSL solutions.
''TI's DSP technology has always been about programmability, and this is what gives manufacturers and consumers the ability to quickly and inexpensively conform to evolving protocols,'' continued Eversole. ''Our 'C6x DSP core technology provides a broad and powerful platform from which we can quickly develop and implement many emerging ADSL standards. In addition, the Amati acquisition and all of our work with standards bodies such as UAWG, ADSL Forum, ANSI, ETSI and ITU, giving us an experienced staff and a leadership position in the industry.''
For more information about TI's access products, please visit ti.com
The worldwide leader and pioneer in digital signal processing solutions since 1982, Texas Instruments provides innovative DSP and mixed signal/analog technologies to more than 30,000 customers in the computer, wireless communications, networking, Internet, consumer, digital motor control and mass storage markets worldwide. To help customers get to market faster, TI offers easy-to-use development tools and extensive software and hardware support, further complemented by close to 300 third-party DSP solutions providers.
Texas Instruments Incorporated is a global semiconductor company and the world's leading designer and supplier of digital signal processing solutions, the engines driving the digitization of electronics. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the company's businesses also include materials and controls, educational and productivity solutions, and digital imaging.
The company has manufacturing or sales operations in more than 25 countries.
Texas Instruments is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TXN. More information is located on the World Wide Web at ti.com |
