SiConnect's First Powerline Transceiver Enhances Performance of In-Home Powerline Networks.

SWINDON, England -- SiConnect has launched its first digital powerline transceiver chip. Providing a 16-level managed quality of service (QoS), whole home coverage and compliance with global EMC regulations, the $5 PLT050 aims to enhance the performance of a wide range of applications making use of existing electrical wiring to carry audio, video, voice and data around the home.

Designed to support ADSL speeds, the PLT050 achieves a real payload throughput of 14Mbps, equalling the performance of rival solutions claiming headline bandwidths of 85Mbps. The SiConnect chip will handle standard definition TV in triple play applications, home theatre and uncompressed audio distribution as well as VoIP and PC networking. Microcontroller based, the PLT050 embeds SiConnect's proprietary POEM[TM] technology to deliver digital modem, baseband signal and control processing functions.

Used in conjunction with a bidirectional analogue/digital interface IC (AD9865), a simple coupler circuit, an industry standard PHY (Ethernet, USB or serial) and a 512kbit EEPROM for system firmware and configuration upload, the chip requires minimal external components to create a complete powerline transceiver solution. It is expected that SiConnect's first chip will prove an attractive proposition for Ethernet adaptor manufacturers.

Unlike alternative powerline transceiver solutions, the POEM technology based PLT050 makes use of a Synchronous Multiple Access / Contention Resolution (SMA/CR) protocol and a 16 service level QoS management technique to guarantee fair and prioritised distribution of competing audio, video, VoIP and IP data streams.

Whole home coverage is also assured by the PLT050, irrespective of electrical wiring topology. Using a peer-to-peer meshed network topology, POEM technology enables each node to act as an intelligent repeater to create 'ad hoc' networks. Since networks self-configure, user installation is very much 'plug and play' and POEM's in-built encryption capability ensures privacy and security are maintained.

Importantly, the PLT050 will enable designers throughout the world to produce products that can comply with global EMC regulations, including FCC Part 15, CISPR 22 and its European derivative EN55022 - a mandatory requirement for the marketing of consumer electronic products in Europe.

The PLT050 offers three configurable GPIO pins for application specific control or display purposes. It requires core and I/O voltages of 1.8V and 3.3V respectively, is provided in a space efficient 80-pin LQFP package and is specified for commercial temperature range operation (0-70C). The chip is priced at $5 in 10,000 piece quantities.

About us:

SiConnect provides market leading powerline communications (PLC) technology for home networking applications. Its innovative silicon and software solutions enable existing domestic electrical wiring to be used to transport audio, video, voice and data throughout the home.

Working in partnership with the world's blue chip telecommunication operators, cable companies and consumer electronics manufacturers, SiConnect is creating new benchmarks for PLC technology that achieve all capacity, reliability, ease of use and cost point goals.

To date, more than 150 man-years have been invested in the company's PLC technology. SiConnect is a fabless semiconductor company head quartered in Swindon in the UK.