VATIV DEBUTES LOW-COST 10GBPS STACKING LINK IC TO V10LAN.

Vativ Technologies, Inc., San Diego, Calif., a provider of innovative DSP-based silicon solutions, has introduced a reduced-cost, 10Gbps stacking link IC to its V10LAN product line; V10LAN is the industry's first and only family of single-chip 10-Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) transceivers for full- duplex operation over a single CAT5e unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cable. The new VTV1115 chip is targeted toward 10Gbps stacking links in Gigabit Ethernet switches as a user-friendly alternative to other technologies that is both easier to manage and less expensive.

The VTV1115 transceiver allows OEMs of Gigabit Ethernet switching equipment to implement 10Gbps ring or mesh architecture stacking links using ubiquitous CAT 5e cable with a standard RJ45 connector. Competing stacking link solutions use connectors and cables that are expensive and difficult to implement. In addition to common ring architectures, it is now much easier to implement advanced stacking architectures such as mesh stacking with a full duplex 10Gbps throughput, which can significantly improve switch backbone performance by minimizing the switching path between two nodes in a network.

"This latest addition to our V10LAN family will further help drive down the cost of 10-Gigabit Ethernet in the data center," said Sreen Raghavan, Vativ Technologies' president and CEO. "It expands our leadership position in 10-Gigabit Ethernet UTP transceivers."

The new VTV1115 transceiver is a shorter-reach, reduced-cost version of Vativ's original V10LAN transceiver announced in March, the VTV1110. Manufactured in 0.13 CMOS technology, the VTV1115 device implements 5m stacking link connections over industry-standard UTP cable. On the host side, its XAUI interface connects directly to switch-fabric ICs. Besides being able to carry data over CAT 5e cable, this transceiver allows a greater degree of flexibility in the placement and routing of the switch on a printed circuit board.

The VTV1115 includes a standard two-wire MDIO (management data input/output) interface for host management, diagnostic information and status monitoring. It also includes an IEEE 802.3ae-compliant XAUI interface. The chip allows the use of a single low-cost 25MHz crystal oscillator to generate the internal reference clocks.

Whereas the VTV1110 transceiver enables rack-to-rack 10GbE connections such as switch-to-server, switch-to-router and server-to-server links -- and is available as a XENPAK copper module and as a stand-alone chip for implementation in 10GbE NIC cards -- the new VTV1115 is a shorter-reach solution for interconnecting stackable equipment and is available in chip form only.

Price and Availability

The VTV1115 transceiver is priced at $75 in 10K quantities. Customer samples and evaluation modules are available now, with volume production scheduled for early Q4 of 2005.

Visit http://www.vativ.com/products.php?productfamily=lan.

About Vativ Technologies

Vativ Technologies, Inc. is a fabless semiconductor company focused on providing innovative high-bandwidth, advanced digital signal processing solutions for digital television and 10Gigabit Ethernet LAN markets. Vativ's novel DSP technology has resulted in multiple patents filed in the U.S. and internationally. The company's advanced architecture enables higher data rate and lower system cost, while providing greater robustness and higher performance margins required for using low-cost media interconnects. Vativ is headquartered in San Diego.

For more information, visit http://www.vativ.com or call 858/658-0050.