Chip vendor gets the Xignal: cut VDSL cost

If there’s one aspect holding back wide scale deployment of VDSL, particularly in the U.S., cost is near the top of the list. Several companies, however, are working at slicing rates for network equipment.

German intellectual property vendor Xignal Technologies, today made what could be a significant step in the process by releasing an integrated circuit design they claim cuts VDSL network gear’s cost by 25%. The new CMOS-based chip design, called AFE, also is the first-ever single-chip solution in the VDSL industry, according to the company. More important, it uses much of the company’s previously developed design, said Al Gharakhanian, vice president of business development for Xignal.

“We look at our core products as blocks to be used in communications and other products,” he said.

The AFE will come to market in two designs: a dual AFE with line driver (XT20502) designed for DSLAMs and a single AFE with line driver (XT20501) for customer premises equipment.

Among the more unique features of the design is the ability to use different line code schemes, which gets around perhaps the most contentious current issue with VDSL. Additionally, vendors can provision 12 MHz bandwidth in both transmit directions, which allows for standardized or customized frequency plans.

“The core is so programmable that a vendor can take that and program certain registers for their specific application,” Gharakhanian said.