SMC Announces New Scalable Architecture for High-Speed Switching Technologies - SMC's "MAX" Technology Sets Stage for Universal Chip; Provides More "Bandwidth for the Buck".HAUPPAUGE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 27, 1995--SMC, an industry leader in the LAN switching
LAN switching is a form of packet switching used in local area networks. Switching technologies are crucial to network design, or to that minority of LANs that are used outside the home. arena, today introduced Multi-technology Asyncronous Switch (MAX) silicon, a network-independent, scalable switch technology that allows for the development of cost-effective, high-speed LAN switches A network device that cross-connects clients, servers and network devices. Also known as a "frame switch," stand-alone LAN switches are common in all Ethernet networks. A four-port switch is also typically built into a wired or wireless router for homes and small business (see wireless . This new technology, based on SMC's award-winning ES/1 multi-technology, multi-layer switching concept, clearly sets the stage for a universal switch chip that enables 100Base-T, 100Base-VG, FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface) Often pronounced "fiddy," it was a LAN and MAN access method that had its heyday in the mid-1990s. FDDI was an ANSI standard token passing network that transmitted 100 Mbps over optical fiber up to 10 kilometers. and ATM switches to be developed using the same core fabric. MAX, developed internally by SMC SMC Saint Mary's College SMC Santa Monica College SMC Solaris Management Console SMC Smooth Muscle Cell SMC Small Magellanic Cloud (also see LMC) SMC Safety Management Certificate (maritime shipping) , is the result of the company's advanced switch design capabilities and the company's in-depth knowledge of integrated circuit integrated circuit (IC), electronic circuit built on a semiconductor substrate, usually one of single-crystal silicon. The circuit, often called a chip, is packaged in a hermetically sealed case or a nonhermetic plastic capsule, with leads extending from it for design. The combination has produced a unique, innovative switch silicon that enables MAX to excel over similar, competing technologies with more scalable bandwidth, network independence and management features. These features allow SMC to develop more robust switches, translating into more "bandwidth for the buck." "LAN switch designs have increased in complexity with the advent of higher-speed technologies such as 100Base-T, 100Base-VG, FDDI and ATM," said William Clark, senior product manager, SMC. "SMC has addressed this transition by designing a single switch ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) Pronounced "a-sick." A chip that is custom designed for a specific application rather than a general-purpose chip such as a microprocessor. that can be applied to all high-speed switch designs." MAX Advantages Supporting aggregate bandwidth from 2.56 to 10.24 Gbps, the MAX's scalable architecture is ideal for workgroup, backbone or enterprise switches. Higher aggregate bandwidth is easily achieved by adding more MAXs. In addition, MAX is highlighted by its network independence. This ability enables MAX to support various high-speed (100+ Mbps) network technologies, including 100Base-TX, 100Base-VG, FDDI and ATM. Using the same switch fabric allows SMC to quickly develop future high-speed switches that are feature-rich and cost-effective. MAX also was specifically designed to support SMC's switch management applications, including virtual networking and SMC's emerging "virtual switching' applications. Virtual switching allows a single LAN switch to create multiple virtual switches within the same switch. Customer Benefits SMC's MAX technology benefits the end user in two distinct ways. First, MAX enables switches to be designed to provide higher performance than previously available in the market. For example, many competing silicons max-out at about 2 Gbps, thus limiting the overall throughput of the switch and the number of ports. MAX overcomes this limitation. Secondly, MAX increases the price/performance index by a factor of five when comparing an Ethernet switch A device that connects clients and servers to each other in an Ethernet network. See switched Ethernet. to a Fast Ethernet An earlier name for 100Mbps Ethernet. See 100Base-T. (networking) Fast Ethernet - A version of Ethernet developed in the 1990s(?) which can carry 100 Mbps compared with standard Ethernet's 10 Mbps. It requires upgraded network cards and hubs. switch using the MAX technology. Current Ethernet switch designs provide ample bandwidth for dedicated Ethernet ports. However, these designs do not scale up to high-speed switch designs. MAX can provide switches that operate at 10 times the performance for only twice the cost. MAX's Competitive Edge Similar switch silicons on the market, such as Bay Networks' FastFrame and 3COM's Integrated Switch Engine (ISE Ise (ē`sā), city (1990 pop. 104,164), Mie prefecture, S Honshu, Japan, on Ise Bay. It is one of the foremost religious centers of Shinto, the site of the shrines of Ise. ), are designed for specific types of switches, 100Base-T and 10Base-T/FDDI, respectively. MAX is designed to be universal, such that Fast Ethernet switches and ATM switches can be based on the same switch fabric. The first SMC switch design to use MAX is the 16-port 100Base-TX/100Base-FX Fast Ethernet Switch. Planned for released in the fall, this switch combines two of SMC's integrated components: MAX and FEAST. MAX provides the "switching" mechanism, whereas FEAST provides the 10/100 Mbps Fast Ethernet interface. Standard Microsystems Corporation (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on :SMSC SMSC Short Message Service Center SMSC Standard Microsystems Corporation (New York) SMSC Spiritual Moral Social Cultural (education) SMSC Stephenville Medical and Surgical Clinic ) provides a broad range of networking solutions for scaling, managing and connecting local area networks. SMC has annual sales of nearly $400 million and an installed based of over nine million nodes. SMC's products include LAN Switches, hubs, LAN adapters and network management software. SMC is based in Hauppauge, N.Y., and has locations in California, Massachusetts, Australia, Asia, Canada, Europe, Japan and Latin America Latin America, the Spanish-speaking, Portuguese-speaking, and French-speaking countries (except Canada) of North America, South America, Central America, and the West Indies. . Contact SMC by calling 1-800-SMC-4-YOU in the U.S. and Canada, or 516/435-6255 elsewhere. -0- SMC and Standard Microsystems are registered trademarks. Other products and company names are trademarks of their respective holders. CONTACT: SMC Erin Finkel 516/435-6305 or Kahn Communications Group Tony Telloni 212/593-6394 |
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