PMC-Sierra is sampling a family of Linux-based residential gateway designs that support next-generation broadband network protocols such as ADSL2+, VDSL2, EPON (Ethernet passive optical networking), and fiber-to-the-home/curb. The designs are based on the company's MSP7100 “multi-service processor,” and target “triple-play” (voice-video-data) service delivery.

PMC-Sierra announced its MSP7100 multi-service processor family in May. The chips were billed as the first to use MIPS Ltd.'s MIPS34K core. The MIPS34K cores feature hardware multi-threading, and can support multiple OSes in either SMP or AMP configurations (symmetrical or asymmetrical multiprocessing).

MSP7120 function block diagram
PMC-Sierra says its multi-service reference designs for the MSP7100-series SoCs (system-on-chip processors) share a consistent architecture and open-source software model. The designs offer a choice of AFEs (analog front-ends) and digital networking interfaces aimed at supporting the various ways network providers are trying to remove the “last mile bottleneck,” according to the company.

Designs include:

• PM2326-KIT ADSL2+ residential gateway based on the MSP7120 multi-service processor and PM4381 ADSL2+ AFE (analog front-end) (diagram)
• PM2327-KIT VDSL2 residential gateway based on the MSP7130 multi-service processor and PM4380 VDSL2 AFE (diagram)
• PM2325-KIT Fast Ethernet residential gateway based on the MSP7130 multi-service processor (diagram)
• PM2328-KIT EPON residential gateway based on the MSP7130 multi-service processor and PMC-Sierra's PAS6201 EPON chipset (diagram)

Additional touted features include:

• Supports wire-rate VDSL2 with processing headroom to support RG-hosted service expansion, such as gateway-attached storage, remote-access servers, and fixed-mobile convergence
• QoS (quality-of-service) protocols needed for video and voice
• Full-rate 802.11n wireless LAN bridging
• IPSec security engine
• “Dynamic multiprocessing core technology,” said to allow a gateway to “simultaneously perform multiple critical functions with deterministic performance”
• An open-standard programming model using standard MIPS tool chains and C-language programming

VP of marketing Dino Bekis stated, “Carriers must support multiple broadband access technologies when faced with a wide range of physical plant conditions in their networks. Coupled with demand for new high-bandwidth services, they must deliver a full suite of robust DSL, PON, and Ethernet solutions. With these reference platforms, PMC-Sierra has done much of the difficult design work.”

Availability

The MSP7100 gateway platform reference designs are available for evaluation now, along with a Linux 2.6-based SDK (software development kit). The designs are being demonstrated at the ITU Telecom World show this week in Hong Kong, China.

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