PMC-Sierra intros 2.5g device for grooming Ethernet.

PMC-Sierra (Nasdaq:PMCS) has introduced the PM5364 TUPP 2488, an industry standard, tributary unit pointer processor and cross-connect for OC-48 SONET and STM-16 SDH networks.

The highly integrated TUPP 2488 performs grooming and cross-connecting for widely deployed private lines carrying Ethernet, Frame Relay and voice services in metropolitan access networks. This new capability in access networks substantially reduces carrier costs by replacing high-power, multi-chassis, digital cross-connects in the network core with flexible, low-cost service card solutions in access networks. These new service cards can be deployed into existing Add/Drop Multiplexers (ADM), Multiservice Provisioning Platforms (MSPP), and STS-1/AU-4 Optical Cross-Connects (see figure 1).

When adding new services to existing metro access equipment, such as Ethernet over SONET/SDH, a migration path is required to upgrade platforms while preserving existing investment. Tributary Unit containers (VT/TUs) provide a common transport mechanism for traditional T1/E1 services and emerging data services such as Ethernet over SONET/SDH. The TUPP 2488 device enables 10/100 Mbit/s Ethernet services to be groomed and cross-connected down to VT/TU granularity resulting in increased bandwidth utilization.

The TUPP 2488 substantially reduces customer premises, metro access ADM and MSPP costs and power consumption by integrating up to 13 devices previously needed for those solutions. While the metro core is built with OC-48/STM-16 networks, the metro access networks are predominately OC-3/STM-1 and OC-12/STM-4. The TUPP 2488 provides complete pointer processing, cross-connecting and line card fan-in for OC-3/STM-1 and OC-12/STM-4 transport solutions (see figure 2).

The OC-48/STM-16 device integrates pointer processing, payload alignment, a 2.5 Gbit/s VT/TU cross-connect, performance monitoring, and industry leading 622 Mbit/s and 2.5 Gbit/s serial I/O technology. For solutions requiring scalability beyond 2.5G, the TUPP 2488 connects seamlessly to PMC-Sierra's NSE-20G or NSE-8G cross-connects for 20 Gigabit and 7.5 Gigabit capacities respectively.

"PMC-Sierra has the industry's broadest DS-0 to OC-192 standard product portfolio and this fourth generation TUPP device extends our market leadership in VT/TU pointer processing," said Steve Perna, vice president and general manager of PMC-Sierra's Service Provider Division. "Interfacing seamlessly to PMC-Sierra's CHESS, CHESS II and CHESS III chip sets, the TUPP 2488 device provides a highly integrated, cost-effective solution for existing and future metro access equipment as carriers continue to enhance their service offerings."

The PM5364 TUPP 2488 is a 1.8V CMOS device packaged in 35 mm by 35 mm, 580-pin UBGA package. The device is priced at $750 in 1KU quantities with samples available in January 2003.