Analog Devices, Inc.recently announced the availability of its Fusiv™-Vx 150 network processing chipset. The chipset combines wire-speed network processing, signaling, and full-chain voice processing. The chipset is aimed at manufacturers creating customer premises equipment (CPE) designed to deliver one or more broadband services. The services range from voice over IP (VoIP), to wireless local-area network (WLAN), to triple-play (voice, data, video).

“The role of the residential gateway is becoming more demanding as multiservice applications are being rolled out in the market,” said John Croteau, general manager, Media Platforms and Services Group at Analog Devices, Inc. “As a member of the Fusiv network processor family, the Fusiv-Vx 150 chipset fills the need for a powerful, scalable network processor able to satisfy this important market segment’s ever-growing requirements, plus offering the headroom for future applications.

As a stand-alone processor, the Fusiv-Vx 150 chipset can act as a telephone adapter or Ethernet-to-Ethernet gateway, delivering networked voice and bundled voice and data applications such as VoIP to residential customers. An integrated digital signal processing (DSP)/voice processing engine handles up to four channels of low bit rate (LBR) codecs. Optimized voice-chain software supplies voice compression, echo cancellation, packet loss concealment, DTMF, caller ID, and more. Signaling and packetization software includes SIP, H.323, and MGCP functionality.

A variety of wired and wireless network interfaces help CPE manufacturers to implement desirable connectivity options, including WLAN or HomePlug®, for use inside the home. In addition, the Fusiv-Vx 150 processor can be combined with ADI’s Blackfin® Processor to enable greater voice channel density, and to add video processing capabilities including multiformat decoding and encoding.

The Fusiv family also includes the Fusiv-Vx 200 network processor (announced in May 2004), which adds hardware-based IPSec security. The Fusiv-Vx 200 network processor therefore handles the highly compute-intensive encryption required by VPNs, making it optimal for enterprise gateway applications.

In addition to the network processors themselves, ADI provides customers with multiple software options. Customers can make use of a comprehensive portfolio of software that includes IPSec/VPN, VoIP signaling, firewall/NAT, network management, IP middleware, routing and switching, SNDCP, and ATM. Other software options include porting of a customer’s own software stack, for which ADI provides a comprehensive Board Support Package (BSP). Alternatively, software can be provided through select third-party software companies.

Price and Availability
The Fusiv-Vx 150 chipset is available in per-unit pricing of $20 in low-volume quantities of 10,000.

ADI’s Fusiv Technology
ADI’s Fusiv network processing platforms reduce development time and cost for equipment providers creating the next generation of customer premises equipment (CPE) required to deliver a range of broadband services, beginning with VoIP services and extending to full triple-play voice, video, and data offerings. Complementing the established strengths of the company’s Blackfin® Processor in media processing, ADI’s Fusiv network processing provides wire-speed secure transport and dynamic QoS for small packet sizes, enabling the next generation of multiservice convergence platforms.

1 Blackfin is a registered trademark and Fusiv is a trademark of Analog Devices, Inc. All other trademarks included herein are the property of their respective holders.

Cynthia Hoye
cynthia.hoye@analog.com