Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq:BRCM), a provider of integrated circuits enabling broadband communications, announced what the company claims is the first single-chip serial transceiver with a XAUI interface that connects 10-Gigabit Ethernet (10-GbE) data signals from the optical fiber to Ethernet networks, thereby providing a complete end-to-end 10-GbE network solution. This low power solution is expected to accelerate the mass deployment of 10-GbE into metropolitan area networks (MAN) and wide area networks (WAN) by enabling manufacturers to deliver compact, affordable 10-GbE systems to market more quickly.
This new single-chip transceiver, the Broadcom BCM8701 Serial 10-Gigabit Ethernet Transceiver, when combined with Broadcom's BCM8011 second-generation four channel, 3.125 Gigabit per Second (Gbps) transceiver, contains all the electronics necessary to establish a 10-Gigabit Ethernet connection directly from the optical fiber to the switch device.
The total component count for connecting the switch to the fiber optic signal will be reduced from four to two chips (BCM8701 plus BCM8011) as compared with competitive solutions, and total power consumption will be reduced to approximately 40 percent of competitive solutions.
Broadcom's BCM8701 10.3125 Gbps Serial Ethernet LAN PHY integrates the 10-Gigabit Attachment Unit Interface (XAUI) and exceeds the performance requirements of the IEEE802.3ae draft. It provides a single-chip physical layer solution and is targeted for use in 10-GbE laser modules and line cards for network applications linking Gigabit and 10-GbE traffic.
The BCM8701, combined with Broadcom's BCM8011 four-channel 3.125 Gigabaud (GBd) transceiver, creates an all-CMOS chipset for linking 10-GbE traffic directly from serial optical fiber modules to a switch device or customer ASIC. The BCM8011 links serial fiber modules to the switching chip via XAUI and 10-Gigabit Media Independent Interfaces (XGMII). The BCM8701/BCM8011 two-chip set complies with the proposed draft of the IEEE 803.2ae standards committee addressing the serial 10-GbE link, and is ideal for use in network equipment that aggregates Gigabit Ethernet traffic from the enterprise to 10-GbE for the MAN or WAN.
The XAUI interface used in Broadcom's solution reduces component count from four chips to two when compared to competitive solutions using a 10-Gigabit Serial Bus Interface (XSBI). The latter implementations require a mux/demux and XSBI to XGMII converter ICs. Design flexibility is also increased by use of the XAUI interface, which allows the BCM8011 to be placed up to 20 inches from the optical module using the BCM8701.
The BCM8701 serial 10-GbE to XAUI transceiver integrates an IEEE 802.3ae compliant 10.3125 Gbps serial Ethernet LAN PHY transmitter and receiver with Clock and Data Recovery (CDR), a four channel 3.125 Gbps XAUI interface, and a 64B/66B and 8B/10B encoder/decoder. The device is implemented in a standard CMOS process, with a single +1.8V power supply, enabling a low power dissipation of 2.5 watts. It is packaged in a 23 mm x 23 mm BGA with a 1 mm ball pitch.
The BCM8011 supports four channels of 3.125 GBd, resulting in an effective aggregate data rate of 10 Gbps. When combined with a XAUI interface to a serial 10 Gbps laser module or when used with wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), the BCM8011 enables an aggregate data transfer rate of 10 Gbps. Ultra-low transmitter jitter of less than 3 picoseconds root mean square (RMS) per channel and 32 bytes of de-skewing results in cable reach in excess of 40 kilometers. The BCM8011 is implemented in 0.18-micron standard CMOS process technology, using +1.8V and +2.5V power supplies, with power consumption of 2.5W including the on-chip termination resistors for the parallel and serial ports. The BCM8011 device is offered in a 324-pin, 19 mm X 19 mm FBGA package.
The BCM8701 and BCM8011 feature diagnostic loopback modes and Built-In Self Test (BIST) capability, which simplifies system design and improves manufacturability. In addition, a Programmable Pseudo-Random Binary Sequence facilitates self-testing of each device without need for an external bit generator.
The BCM8701 serial 10-Gigabit Ethernet transceiver with an XAUI interface is priced at $285 in quantities of 10,000. The companion BCM8011 XAUI-XGMII Transceiver/SerDes chip is priced at $88 in sample quantities. Samples of both devices are available now for early access partners, and production quantities are scheduled for availability in May. Broadcom also offers a complete evaluation kit, including documentation, evaluation boards and related software.
About Broadcom:
Broadcom Corporation is a provider of highly integrated silicon solutions that enable broadband communications and networking of voice, video and data services. For more information, visit www.broadcom.com.