Infineon announces the industry's first TC-PAM based SHDSL transceiver

Munich Germany, April 5, 2000 – In a move that further expands its leading System-on-Chip (SoC) portfolio, Infineon Technologies today announced a single-chip, single-channel SHDSL (Symmetric High-bit-rate Digital Subscriber Loop) transceiver for customized high-speed subscriber access or central-office applications in the fast-growing Internet driven xDSL market. Named SOCRATES™, the Infineon transceiver features variable bit rates from 160 Kbit/s to 2360 Kbit/s and is fully compatible with the ETSI SDSL and ITU G.shdsl standards. The device is based on the highly sophisticated 16-level TC-PAM (Trellis Coded Pulse Amplitude Modulation) linecode, giving it excellent spectral compatibility with other transmission technologies. The introduction is a major step in Infineon’s strategy to increase its data networking activities.
“Unlike currently available, HDSL based, single-pair 2.3 Mbit/s systems, the new SHDSL technology is standardized,” said Christian Wolff, vice president and general manager of the Transceivers Business Unit at Infineon Technologies AG. “This guarantees interoperability and spectral compatibility, which together with the higher loop-reach is the precondition for mass deployment.”

Approved by FSAN (Full Service Access Network), an international group of leading service providers, to co-exist with existing services, the SOCRATES transceiver is compatible with POTS, ISDN, ADSL, VDSL, or HDSL. It is also backwards compatible with Infineon’s MuBIC MDSL transceiver

With the SOCRATES transceiver, service providers such as ILECs, CLECs and ISPs can provide near leased line services over existing copper wires, enabling a smooth transition from ISDN and T1/E1 services. Thanks to its low power consumption – less than one watt – and its high level of integration, SOCRATES is ideally suited for remote-feed applications, high-density linecards, DSLAMs, digital loop carriers, IADs and network terminators. The part is also targeted for applications like digital subscriber voice and data access, digital loop carriers, PCM-X systems T1/E1 replacement and fractional E1/T1 services. The integration of features like delay measurement also makes it suitable for radio-in-the-loop applications.

SOCRATES transceiver integrates the AFE (Analog Front End) including the line driver and hybrid, DSP data pump, ROM-based controller for start-up procedure, HDLC controller and TDM framer. The integration of all functions from the line interface to the framer gives the engineer a very simple design and a small form factor that reduces the overall board space. The built-in 8032-type microcontroller provides the user with a simple and easy set of commands for controlling and operating the transceiver.

The SOCRATES SHDSL single-chip transceiver, part number PEB22622, is available in sample quantities now. Housed in a 144-pin P-TQFP package, SOCRATES is priced at $35 in volume quantities for the integrated solution, which includes framer, microcontroller, clock generation, HDLC controller and hybrid.