Broadcom is diving into the market for optical network chips with a family of products for the gigabit passive optical network (GPON) market.
The company’s new GPON gateway processors are designed to be integrated into optical network terminals (ONTs) or optical network units (ONUs). An apparently unique feature of the product line is that Broadcom has built in support for the MoCA (Multimedia over Coax Alliance) home networking standard.
The Broadcom BCM6800 family of GPON gateway processors is based on the company’s 400 MHz dual core processor architecture and features hardware-assisted gigabit bridging and routing, hardware-assisted IPsec security for virtual private network (VPN) termination, gigabit switch and PHYs, VoIP, support for USB 2.0 host and devices, and support for Broadcom’s latest wireless LAN (WLAN) devices utilizing PCI Express. The BCM6800 family includes TR-069 and OMCI management software.
The chips are Linux-based and include a VoIP software suite.
The chips integrate a MoCA media access controller (MAC), PHY transceiver and RF tuner, which enable service providers (using GPON technology) to easily and cost-effectively transform a subscriber’s existing coax network into a home media distribution gateway. As a result, service providers that use coax for media distribution within the home can offer whole-home digital media services that allow subscribers to securely access, store and share multiple types of digital media content, including HDTV programs, video-on-demand, DVR recordings, Internet content and VoIP.
The most notable user of the combination of GPON and MoCA is Verizon, for its FiOS rollout, though the chips should be suitable for any enabling fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and fiber-to-the-node (FTTN) GPON network.
The Broadcom BCM6800 family of GPON devices is now shipping to early access customers. Pricing is available upon request.
Separately, the company announced a VDSL2-compliant FTTx line termination reference design that features what it is representing as uncompromised chipset-level crosstalk cancellation technology.
Vectoring or far end crosstalk (FEXT) cancellation significantly increases line performance by reducing the interference that originates from subscriber lines located in the same cable binder, Broadcom explained. In other words, the technology will enable service providers to increase capacity (throughput/data rates) on infrastructure equipment, extending the value of such equipment while offering a whole range of new broadband service opportunities in the further exploitation of copper telephone lines.
