G.fast chipsets from Sckipio Technologies debut

Communications semiconductor startup Sckipio Technologies has boosted the rush to G.fast with the announcement of the DP3000 G.fast DPU Chipset and CP1000 G.fast CPE Chipset. Both are based on the ITU’s upcoming G.fast Recommendations G.9700/G.9701. The company is touting nine design wins for one or both of the chipsets, which can be used to support the transmission of an upstream/downstream aggregate of 1 Gbps over copper via fiber to the distribution point (FTTdp) architectures.

UPDATE: Together, the chipset families offer 2- to 106-MHz coverage. As its name implies, the DP3000 targets the distribution point node. The chipset, which comprises a four-port digital chip and AFE devices for each port, is now available as engineering samples. It can support up to 10 Gbps of aggregated backhaul as well as vectoring support for groups up to 64 subscribers. Each chip can accommodate four G.fast channels. With an eye toward additional applications besides residential broadband service provision, the device offers IEEE 1588 support for mobile backhaul. It also offers low power – about 1.5 W per line average.

In addition to the chip itself, Sckipio is shipping the DP3000 as part of the DP3016-EVM, a 16-port G.fast DPU reference design kit.

The CP1000 is a two-device chipset (one for AFE, the other for digital) for CPE use and will reach the engineering sampling stage in the first quarter of 2015. The device offers fast retraining. It also will provide IEEE 1588 backhaul support. The CP1000 will form the centerpiece of its own reference design kit, the CP1000-EVM, a CPE bridge design that Sckipio expects will be used for integration into residential gateways or for development of standalone bridges.

The nine design wins are just the tip of the iceberg, according to Michael Weissman, Sckipio’s vice president, marketing. They include designs for distribution point units (DPUs), residential gateways, and CPE bridges. Suttle, VTech, XAVi, and Zinwell will use Sckipio’s chips for DPUs and CPE bridges, while VTech also will leverage Sckipio for a residential gateway.

Meanwhile, Lantiq – which, given its place in the VDSL2 and vectoring chip market, would seem a natural future supplier of G.fast devices – has announced the EASY330 G.fast residential gateway reference design that combines Lantiq’s GRX330 multicore networking processing unit with the Sckipio CP1000. The pairing complements Sckipio’s use of Lantiq’s GPON SFP chip technology in the DP3016-EVM reference design.

While the ITU’s G.fast recommendations – which are expected to be ratified by year end – cover reaches as far as 500 m, Sckipio’s research indicates the technology really doesn’t provide a significant advantage over VDSL2 with vectoring at distances greater than 250 km, Weissman said. He indicated the chipsets would support an aggregate 1 Gbps at distances in the neighborhood of 100 m.

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