IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Broadcom Corporation , a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, today announced a new 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) physical layer (PHY) device that leverages its field proven digital signal processing (DSP) technology. The industry's first all DSP-based 10GbE serial transceiver enables IT professionals to preserve their existing multi-mode and single-mode fiber infrastructures by providing an upgrade path from 1 Gigabit Ethernet (1GbE) to 10GbE. The unique high-speed DSP provides significant performance, manufacturing and reliability advantages over competing analog solutions that will help drive significant growth in the 10GbE market. Utilizing the new Broadcom(R) DSP-based 10GbE PHY, enterprise data centers can now achieve higher bandwidth and performance, while maintaining significant savings in cost, resources and manpower when upgrading to 10GbE links.
Broadcom's 10GbE DSP PHY exceeds the requirements of the new IEEE802.aq standard, which was developed to provide a low cost 10x speed upgrade for existing Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) links in multi-mode fiber (MMF) applications. Today, more complex and higher cost 10GBASE-LX4 optical modules are currently servicing this market creating the need for simpler and lower cost solutions. Additionally, as density of 10GbE line cards increase from 8 to 16 channels today to as many as 48 channels on next generation designs, new smaller form factors and lower cost 10 Gigabit modules (such as SFP+) will be required. Broadcom is uniquely positioned to address these market deficiencies with its new 10GbE serial PHY.
"Broadcom's all DSP-based 10GbE PHY will enable future products that are consistent, predictable and have more tolerance to power supply noise and temperature variations. Additionally, when the PHY performs signal detection using advanced signal processing with DSP, it provides a significant performance advantage when compared to analog solutions," said Nariman Yousefi, Vice President and General Manager of Broadcom's Physical Layer line of business. "As a result of this new technology, the all DSP-based PHY provides the highest level of production quality that can also be easily integrated in complex ASICs, and together with Ethernet switch and controller products, provides a complete end-to-end solution that guarantees network design interoperability."
Broadcom changed the industry by being the first company to ship PHYs in high volume production based entirely on DSP technology. Today, all 10/100/1000 Megabit per second (Mbps) PHYs in the market are DSP-based, and Broadcom's new 10 Gigabit DSP equalizer technology will help to enable the rapid growth in data-intensive applications in next generation designs.
"With the growth of computational power and the number of servers in data centers, the requirement for high-speed connectivity becomes a critical requirement. As 10GbE technology becomes more cost-effective over the existing infrastructure that includes MMF, it will make strides to become the interconnection of choice in servicing the high bandwidth needs of the enterprise," said Jag Bolaria, Senior Analyst at The Linley Group. "We expect Broadcom's new 10GbE PHY technology to enable these high bandwidth links, which are expected to grow at a significant rate for the next few years."
Announced today is the Broadcom BCM8706 10GbE (SFP+ to XAUI) transceiver that builds on five generations of field proven 10GbE serial PHY technology, and will be used in SFP+ line card applications and inside X2 optical modules. The DSP equalizer provides optimal performance over 300 meters of multi-mode fiber that exceeds the IEEE specified link distance of 220 meters. An on-chip micro-controller provides additional flexibility to maintain optimal performance in even the most challenging operating conditions.
In support of the new SFP+ optical module standard, the BCM8706 product family incorporates multi-tap transmit pre-emphasis to compensate for FR-4 board material loss in line card applications. For additional flexibility, it supports backward compatibility using existing 1GbE SFP modules, providing a single PHY design that is capable of interfacing to both new and legacy Ethernet interfaces from a single PCB design.
Broadcom's complete end-to-end Ethernet networking product portfolio includes switching products, transceivers, security processors and high-speed controllers for servers, workstations, desktops and mobile PCs, providing the industry's most comprehensive portfolio of GbE networking solutions, and the most widely deployed and field proven in the industry.
Availability and Pricing
The BCM8706 serial 10GbE transceiver is a low power, 90nm device that is now sampling to early access customers. It is available in a 13mm x 13mm, PBGA, RoHS-compliant package and is compliant to all serial 10GbE interfaces including 10GBASE-SR, 10GBASE-LRM, 10GBASE-LR and 10GBASE-ER. Volume production is scheduled for the second quarter of 2007. Pricing is available upon request.
About Broadcom
Broadcom Corporation is a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications. Our products enable the delivery of voice, video, data and multimedia to and throughout the home, the office and the mobile environment. Broadcom provides the industry's broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art system-on-a-chip and software solutions to manufacturers of computing and networking equipment, digital entertainment and broadband access products, and mobile devices. These solutions support our core mission: Connecting everything(R).
Broadcom, one of the world's largest fabless semiconductor companies with annual 2005 revenue of $2.67 billion, is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and has offices and research facilities in North America, Asia and Europe. Broadcom may be contacted at 1-949-926-5000 or at http://www.broadcom.com/.
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All statements included or incorporated by reference in this release, other than statements or characterizations of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry and business, management's beliefs, and certain assumptions made by us, all of which are subject to change. Forward-looking statements can often be identified by words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "predicts," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will," "should," "would," "could," "potential," "continue," "ongoing," similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statement.
Important factors that may cause such a difference for Broadcom in connection with the BCM8706 serial 10 Gigabit Ethernet transceiver products include, but are not limited to, general economic and political conditions and specific conditions in the markets we address, including the volatility in the technology sector and semiconductor industry, trends in the broadband communications markets in various geographic regions, including seasonality in sales of consumer products into which our products are incorporated, and possible disruption in commercial activities related to terrorist activity or armed conflict in the United States and other locations; uncertainties as a result of the company's previously-disclosed ongoing review of its practices in respect of options/equity grants to employees, and the publicized more general review of option grant practices throughout the technology and other industries by public regulatory bodies, and potential changes in accounting and other practices resulting therefrom; the rate at which our present and future customers and end-users adopt Broadcom's technologies and products in the markets for enterprise networking applications; delays in the adoption and acceptance of industry standards in those markets; the timing, rescheduling or cancellation of significant customer orders and our ability, as well as the ability of our customers, to manage inventory; the gain or loss of a key customer, design win or order; our ability to scale our operations in response to changes in demand for our existing products and services or demand for new products requested by our customers; intellectual property disputes and customer indemnification claims and other types of litigation risk; our ability to specify, develop or acquire, complete, introduce, market and transition to volume production new products and technologies in a cost-effective and timely manner; our ability to retain, recruit and hire key executives, technical personnel and other employees in the positions and numbers, with the experience and capabilities, and at the compensation levels needed to implement our business and product plans; problems or delays that we may face in shifting our products to smaller geometry process technologies and in achieving higher levels of design integration; competitive pressures and other factors such as the qualification, availability and pricing of competing products and technologies and the resulting effects on sales and pricing of our products; the timing of customer-industry qualification and certification of our products and the risks of non-qualification or non-certification; our ability to timely and accurately predict market requirements and evolving industry standards and to identify opportunities in new markets; changes in our product or customer mix; the volume of our product sales and pricing concessions on volume sales; the availability and pricing of third party semiconductor foundry, assembly and test capacity and raw materials; fluctuations in the manufacturing yields of our third party semiconductor foundries and other problems or delays in the fabrication, assembly, testing or delivery of our products; the risks of producing products with new suppliers and at new fabrication and assembly facilities; the quality of our products and any remediation costs; the effectiveness of our expense and product cost control and reduction efforts; the risks and uncertainties associated with our international operations, particularly in light of recent events; the effects of natural disasters, public health emergencies, international conflicts and other events beyond our control; the level of orders received that can be shipped in a fiscal quarter; and other factors.
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