Mindspeed Technologies' new ZipWireMulti DSL chips come with improved LoopWizard software that's designed to enable self-testing equipment and therefore more efficient, cost-effective DSL deployments.

by Wayne Kawamoto [December 3, 2001]

Mindspeed Technologies, the Internet infrastructure business of Conexant Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CNXT), announced significant enhancements to its LoopWizard Software. The enhancements promise to offer broadband noise measurement technology in the latest diagnostic software for the Mindspeed's ZipWireMulti octal symmetrical high-bit-rate digital subscriber line (G.SHDSL) transceiver silicon.

LoopWizard software is an integral part of Mindspeed's multi-mode G.SHDSL solution for business-class applications that provides diagnostic technology embedded in transceiver silicon, which may eliminate the need for expensive external test boxes and switching systems. By using the loop test technology built into the company's DSL chips, operators may enjoy cost savings and gain increased reliability.

According to Mindspeed, the broadband noise measurement software performs the function of a high-end spectrum analyzer as well as of a traditional transmission noise measurement system. These noise and spectrum measurements may then be used to estimate the capabilities of a copper loop prior to deployment and determine the cause of subsequent connection failures.

Mindspeed says that large carriers are often unable to deploy loop testing on a scale required for a typical large city central office, as the amount of switching and test equipment required for such a vast number of lines is prohibitively expensive. With LoopWizard, every port is designed to effectively become a test head, which may result in a more scalable solution.

MindSpeed claims that LoopWizard is one of the few practical test solutions available to carriers as they deploy DSL via unmanned remote terminals or Digital Loop Carrier (DLC) equipment. DSLAM manufacturers may now be able to offer enhanced capabilities including sophisticated pre-qualification of lines and automated disaster recovery.

"Smart DSLAMs" may be able to report outages along with details of why they have occurred.

LoopWizard's latest offering performs the core functions of a broadband test head and implements them as broadband noise measurement software running on Mindspeed's RISC-based CX28985 ZipWireMulti chipset. This should eliminate the need for external test equipment and the associated relay matrices required with conventional solutions in order to temporarily switch the line through a cross-connect during testing.

The broadband noise measurement capability emulates two separate test systems: a spectrum analyzer and a transmission noise measurement system. As a spectrum analyzer, the software outputs a spectral plot with a maximum bandwidth from 7 KHz (limited by the line transformer selected) to 850 KHz with the ability to output the average of a user-selectable number of scans and measurement bandwidth.

The measured spectrum data is stored in a format that is compatible with most Agilent spectrum analyzers, allowing users to employ a range of commercially available analysis tools. Mindspeed also provides analysis and stimulus software. Additional capabilities of broadband noise measurement software include fixed-filter energy measurements such as those found in conventional telephone test equipment, user-definable filters, and additional features. Fixed-filter measurements should allow rapid and reliable correlation to noise measurements previously made with traditional transmission noise test sets.

According to Mindspeed, the broadband noise measurement software takes advantage of the RISC processor integrated into the CX28985 chipset without any of the hardware modification needed for standard G.SHDSL operation. A manufacturer simply enters a Mindspeed authorization code via an API command during the chipset's initialization. Also, LoopWizard is designed to be easily integrated into previously designed CX28985-based products as well as into new ones, giving OEMs choices for system features, options, and enhancements.

The CX28985 chipset is designed to have the versatility to accommodate multiple protocols. It offers G.SHDSL, HDSL2, HDSL, IDSL, or STDR in any mix on any port at any time. In all cases, Mindspeed says that the external circuitry remains fixed and unchanged.

Future LoopWizard offerings will include additional diagnostic capabilities, such as impulse noise, crosstalk analysis, DC measurements, and others, further reducing the cost of deploying and operating successful DSL service.

"This latest installment of LoopWizard technology continues to deliver on the promise of efficiency, cost savings, and ease of DSL deployment that Mindspeed inaugurated with the simple—yet revolutionary—concept of sophisticated diagnostic capabilities built right into the silicon at the heart of a DSLAM," said Tom Kovanic, vice president of marketing for Mindspeed. "The benefits to the industry are far reaching, providing more intelligent DSL equipment, more manageable and less costly DSL deployment, and, ultimately, better DSL service for everyone."

Availability and pricing
LoopWizard's broadband noise measurement software is available immediately for use with Mindspeed's CX28985 ZipWireMulti eight-port G.SHDSL chipset.

The CX28985 is priced at $160 per unit in OEM volumes of 10,000.

LoopWizard is available for a one-time license fee on a per-product basis, permitting unlimited use and distribution as an integrated feature on Mindspeed devices.

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