Conexant and Jungo intro world's first CableHome-based HomePlug system solution.

Conexant Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:CNXT) and Jungo Software Technologies Inc. have introduced the world's first CableHome-based HomePlug reference design for residential and small office/home office (SOHO) stand-alone gateways.

This will allow multi-service operators (MSOs) to deliver home networking services over existing electrical wiring to current cable modem customers, without requiring end-users to replace their existing cable modem equipment. The complete reference design is based on Conexant's CX82100 home network processor, Conexant's CX11656 HomePlug 1.0 physical layer device (PHY) and Jungo's Linux-based OpenRG software suite.

CableHome is a project managed by CableLabs that seeks to set specifications for home networking.

"By extending our development efforts with Jungo, Conexant is providing the cable industry with a cost-effective, robust and fast-track entry into the home networking market," said Peter Kempf, vice president of business development and technology planning for Conexant. "Certification assures seamless interoperability within multi-vendor networks, providing cable users with the ability to mix-and-match products from a wide range of sources, as opposed to being locked into a single supplier."

"Conexant's market-leading home network processor and system solutions provide exceptional value to OEMs and gateway device manufacturers," said Ofer Vilenski, president and chief executive officer of Jungo. "Coupled with Jungo's OpenRG for CableHome, Conexant is offering complete, best-of-breed reference platforms for stand-alone devices."

"Cable MSOs are seeing significant interest in adding networking capabilities to client devices, both to fulfill the growing demand for broadband sharing, as well as to open up new revenue streams from broadband-based services," said Michael Harris, president of Kinetic Strategies, a broadband research and consulting firm. "Stand-alone CableHome-based gateways will enable MSOs to rapidly deploy home networking services to their existing cable modem subscriber base."

The production-ready reference design supports a variety of local area network (LAN) interfaces including Ethernet, universal serial bus (USB) and HomePlug. In addition, its open-design architecture allows original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to customize their products by adding additional features.