EZchip intros new Ethernet network processors for access market

OCTOBER 11, 2007-- EZchip Technologies Ltd. (search for EZchip), a fabless semiconductor company providing Ethernet network processors, today announced a new family of network processors targeting Ethernet Access applications. Several models of the network processors, named NPA, will be offered in 2008 with combinations of 100-Mbit, 1-Gbit, and 10-Gbit Ethernet ports with an aggregate throughput of up to 10-Gbits at varying price points starting at under $100, says the company.
 
The NPA product family addresses the transition of carrier access from ATM/TDM-based networks to Ethernet packet-based networks and the provisioning of triple-play services that command increased bandwidth and service guarantees to residential and business users. According to the company, the addition of the NPA will round up EZchip's product offering to feature a series of Ethernet network processors for the carrier edge, metro, and access markets, with throughputs ranging from 1-Gbit to 100-Gbits and a common architecture and software. EZchip says it will discuss the NPA next week, October 18, at the Gilder/Forbes Telecosm 2007 Conference in Lake George, NY.
 
EZchip says the NPA is a scaled down version of the company's NP-3 30-Gigabit network processor. It features the same architecture, integrated traffic management, and full software compatibility with the NP-3. It provides system vendors with an integrated offering for a variety of carrier access applications, including:
• Ethernet demarcation, access, and aggregation nodes;
• Wireless backhaul and base stations aggregation for mobile access;
• GPON/EPON aggregation nodes (OLT) for optical access; and
• VDSL aggregation nodes (DSLAM) for copper access.

"We are entering the Access Network Processors market with Ethernet-centric Network Processors as carriers are transitioning to Ethernet networks," explains Eli Fruchter, president and CEO of EZchip Technologies. "Through a reuse of our technology and a moderate and gradual increase in R&D expenses, we will see approximately 20% rise in OPEX starting in 2008," he reports. "With the NPA family, we gain an estimated three-fold increase in our total available market [TAM] to encompass the entire network processors market. Our NPA will provide far more Ethernet ports and more bandwidth than other offerings and an integrated traffic management to deal with the new challenges of video on the net."
 
According to the company, the NPA provides system vendors with flexible packet processing and integrates key functions needed for access networks that deliver triple-play services. NPA highlights include:
• Several chip models with programmable packet processing with throughput ranging from several Gigabits and up to 10-Gigabit throughput.
• Several chip models featuring multiple 10-Gigabit, 1-Gigabit, and 100-Megabit Ethernet ports.
• Integrated hierarchical traffic management providing granular bandwidth control to enable the delivery of triple-play services in Ethernet networks.
• On-chip Operations, Administration and Management (OAM) processing offload.
• Software compatibility with EZchip's present NP-2 and NP-3 network processors.
 
Similar to EZchip's other network processors, the NPA family delivers a variety of applications such as L2 switching, Q-in-Q, PBT, VPLS, MPLS, and IPv4/IPv6 routing through programming. EZchip says the NPA's flexible packet processing enables system designers to future proof their designs to support new protocols and features through software updates. Packet parsing is supported for any field anywhere in the packet. Various table lookup options are provided with support for long lookup keys and results. Flows are classified based on any combination of extracted packet information. Any packet header and content can be edited and packets can easily be replicated to support multicast applications, says the company. A 'run to completion' processing model guarantees support for processing scenarios of any complexity. Large code space is provided to support complex applications as well as true hitless code updates.
 
Integrated hierarchical traffic management assigns individual flows with specific Quality of Service (QoS) and enforces Service Level Agreements (SLA) for applications, services, and users. A variety of QoS services are provided, including flow-based metering, marking and policing, congestion avoidance through profile-based WRED early packet discards, shaping flows to conform to their assigned bandwidth properties, and scheduling of flows using a priority scheme and Weighted Fair Queuing, say EZchip representatives.
 
NPA also features dedicated hardware for OAM processing offload. OAM is a set of specifications that provide the cornerstone for reliability and high availability in Carrier Ethernet networks. However, OAM processing burdens CESR equipment with significant processing overhead related to complex packet classification, simultaneous monitoring of many sessions, and accurate bandwidth control, says EZchip. By contrast, the NPA, through its processing flexibility, integrated traffic management and OAM support hardware, enables high-performance OAM processing that can adapt to changing standards and requirements, claims the company.
 
Several models of EZchip's NPA family of Ethernet access NPUs are scheduled to sample in 2008. Pricing varies according to model and starts at under $100 in quantities.
 

Visit EZchip Technologies