HEADEND AMP SYSTEM

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Canada–CableServ has unveiled its second-generation CHAS Headend Amplifier System, the CHAS-2, which incorporates new features including SNMP-based remote monitoring, visual LED RF level alarm, 1 GHz amplifiers, and a narrowcast injection model. In addition, the updated product is backwards-compatible with the last generation CHAS system.

Like the original CHAS, the new model includes a 3RU chassis that can hold up to eight modules, convection-cooled amplifier modules for increased reliability, and optional power redundancy.
Visit:http://www.cableserv.com

IMS, VoIP TESTING

CALABASAS, Calif.–Ixia has added new VoIP and IMS testing capabilities to its latest release of its IxVoice test solution. The new features enable equipment manufacturers and operators to qualify IMS infrastructure, as well as allow more extensive VoIP interoperability testing, according to the company.

The IxVoice 4.10 release adds the capability to emulate the HSS (home subscriber server), as well as support for SIP Sigcomp for testing call service control functions (CSCF). IxVoice can now be used to test the functionality of the CSCFs independently or together as a system by emulating the surrounding network elements, including the HSS.

The IxVoice test solution is designed to validate the key IMS subsystems for interoperability, functionality and performance.

The company says that IxVoice recently was used in the IMS Forum’s IMS Plugfest, the first in a series of events intended to bring together service providers and IMS vendors committed to furthering the development of IMS interoperability and certification. IxVoice emulated the user equipment (UE) and tested the multi-vendor core network for interoperability. It was also used to emulate the HSS to test the core control elements’ functionality.

The 4.10 release also adds enhancements to the IxVoice H.323 protocol support for testing VoIP communications systems including call managers, softswitches and IP PBXs.
Visit:http://www.ixiacom.com

MPEG-4 ENCODER/DECODER

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, N.J.–Radiant Communications has launched its VL3500 series of MPEG-4 encoders and decoders. The series enables television-over-IP apps including remote broadcasting, distance learning, and security monitoring.

The new series has the ability to deliver synchronized audio and video over a cable modem or T-1 line. The series’ synchronization features enable cable operators to deliver full-motion video over IP networks with low bandwidth consumption, says the company.

Radiant designed its VL3500 Series for point-to-point applications over Ethernet. Users can select data rates ranging from 512 Kbps to 5 Mbps as permitted by their network bandwidth capacity.
Visit:http://www.rccfiber.com/index.htm

802.11g CHIP

SANTA CLARA, Calif.–Atheros Communications Inc. has introduced its AR2417 chip, an 802.11g solution for home gateways. The chip is the newest member of the company’s seventh-generation AR5007 family, and is a Wi-Fi add-on to existing DSL and xDSL gateway products.
Like its predecessor, the AR5005G, the new AR2417 integrates the media access controller, baseband processor and 2.4 GHz radio onto the single-chip design. In addition, the AR2417 now integrates the low noise amplifier (LNA) and power amplifier (PA) onto the digital CMOS system-on-chip.

The new chip offers a two-layer mini-PCI design. The compact size reduces the printed circuit board (PCB) cost by 50 percent, and RBOM component count by more than 40 percent over the previous generation’s four-layer design, according to the company. As a result of these enhancements, Atheros enables the implementation of Wi-Fi technology in existing DSL and xDSL residential gateway designs.
The AR2417 includes two development kits, which provide upgrade paths from previous Atheros platforms.
Visit:http://www.atheros.com