Zarlink Enables Fast Synchronous Ethernet Upgrade for Existing Carrier Equipment

Zarlink standards-compliant solutions allow simple upgrade of PDH/SONET/SDH equipment to include Synchronous Ethernet and support cost-effective delivery of time-sensitive services over IP networks
OTTAWA, CANADA--(Marketwire - Feb. 18, 2009) - Zarlink Semiconductor Inc. (TSX:ZL) today expanded its market-proven Synchronous Ethernet portfolio with new solutions for timing card and line card applications. These single-chip solutions help service providers increase revenue and lower operating costs by ensuring accurate end-to-end transmission of voice, video, data and wireless applications and services over packet networks.

Zarlink is the only supplier offering single-chip Synchronous Ethernet solutions in full compliance with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU-T) G.8262 recommendation, while supporting very low jitter clocks for both 1 GbE and 10 GbE PHYs. Zarlink is helping guide the development of standards governing Synchronous Ethernet timing requirements, including editing the ITU-T G.8262 recommendation. Full compliance with this recommendation is essential for service providers as they plan the synchronization of packet networks.

Zarlink's new timing card and line card solutions support both PDH/SONET/SDH and Synchronous Ethernet frequencies to offer a seamless interface between traditional and Ethernet clock domains. For equipment manufacturers, this translates into a simple, quick and cost-effective line card upgrade to fully support Synchronous Ethernet. Zarlink is already shipping its new Synchronous Ethernet solutions in volume, with lead customers designing the chips into access, wireless, router and metro Ethernet applications.

"Carriers are demanding new technologies that lower operating costs and enable revenue-generating communication services, translating into growing demand for Synchronous Ethernet solutions," said Jeremy Lewis, product line manager with Zarlink's Timing and Synchronization group. "Zarlink delivers the most comprehensive portfolio of integrated, ITU-T G.8262 compliant Synchronous Ethernet solutions tailored for the full range of architectures. The fully featured solutions provide unparalleled performance and integration to help our customers reduce costs and quickly deliver products to market."

Comprehensive Synchronous Ethernet portfolio

Zarlink's expanded Synchronous Ethernet portfolio includes two devices with integrated analog and digital phase locked loops (APLL/DPLL) targeting central timing cards in carrier-grade networking equipment. The ZL(TM)30143 Synchronous Ethernet timing card device provides two independent DPLLs for applications that require independent transmit and receive timing paths, while the ZL30142 device uses a single DPLL for clock and/or frame pulse synchronization. Both devices require only an inexpensive temperature controlled crystal oscillator (TCXO) to achieve full ITU-T G.8262 compliance, including low bandwidth wander filtering requirements, to enable high performance and lower design costs. The devices support full hitless reference switching for any frequencies on any combination of inputs.

Zarlink's Synchronous Ethernet portfolio also includes two devices tailored to line card applications. The ZL30146 chip incorporates two independently configurable DPLLs for PDH/SONET/SDH and Ethernet network interface cards requiring both transmit and receive paths between the backplane and physical layer. The ZL30145 provides one DPLL for clock synchronization, and delivers rate conversion and jitter attenuation compliant performance for Synchronous Ethernet, SDH and SONET equipment. To help lower design costs, the devices require only off-the-shelf, low-cost 20 MHz oscillators or even a crystal. In comparison, competing devices require an expensive high precision clock or high frequency rate oscillator.