Infineon Technologies' SHDSL transceiver, SOCRATES 4, is designed to provide lower power consumption, a lower chip count, and the reach of ITU G.991.2 and ETSI TS 101524 SHDSL. The device can be a DSLAM, repeater, or part of a multi-channel IAD.

by Wayne Kawamoto [July 12, 2001]

Infineon Technologies, a supplier of communications integrated circuits, announced the availability of SOCRATES 4, the company's low power, symmetrical high-bit rate digital subscriber line (SHDSL) transceiver. The device combines four complete SHDSL channels, analog and digital, on a single device, which may make it ideal for multi-channel applications such as high-density linecards used in DSLAMs and DLCs.

According to Infineon, SOCRATES 4 is based on the SOCRATES single-channel transceiver and offers the industry's lowest chip count and a reduced number of passive components. Also, the company says that the device requires the lowest power of any comparable device on the market at less than 700mW per channel, a figure that the company says is 30 percent below competing solutions.

SHDSL features a bit-rate from 192 Kbps up to 2.3 Mbps and is standardized by ITU G.991.2 and ETSI TS 101524.

SHDSL provides roughly 25 percent more loop reach than currently deployed 2B1Q-based SDSL technology and offers excellent spectral compatibility with other DSL services like ADSL.

With interoperability an increasingly important requirement, SHDSL is well positioned to become the successor to all existing symmetric DSL technologies such as HDSL, HDSL 2 and SDSL.

By combining the analog front end, line driver, microcontroller, tunable hybrid, framer, HDLC controllers and memory into a single 388 pin BGA package, Infineon says that SOCRATES 4 reduces the board space required on high density linecards significantly.

For example, a 72 channel linecard requires only 1 square inch per port, saving customers overall system costs by reducing the amount of silicon real estate used. In addition to DSLAMs and DLCs, the device can also be used in multi channel IADs, as an E1/T1 replacement, and as a 4-wire repeater.

"The growing demand for higher density systems is driving system vendors to seek higher integration and lower power silicon solutions," said Christian Wolff, vice president of Infineon's communications business group and general manager of the carrier access business unit. The SOCRATES 4 enables our customers to reduce costs by optimizing these factors. With our new device, service providers such as ILECs, CLECs and ISPs can now offer the large business and SOHO markets more competitive solutions over existing copper wires."

Pricing and availability
The SOCRATES 4 SHDSL single-chip transceiver, part number PEB 242622, is now available in sample quantities accompanied by a complete firmware and evaluation package.

Housed in a 388-pin BGA package, SOCRATES 4 is priced at US$20 per channel and will start shipping in volume quantities in Q3/2001.

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