Broadband customer premises equipment chip vendor PMC-Sierra is shipping a Linux-powered hardware/software reference design for VoIP WiFi broadband routers. The company says high-performance Linux routing helps the design deliver PSTN-like voice quality (public switched telephone network), while… simultaneously handling data and video traffic.

(Click for larger view of PMC-Sierra VoIP WiFi reference design)

According to PMC-Sierra, the reference design includes “all hardware and Linux-based software to build a production-ready product” that can provide wire-speed 100Mbps Ethernet routing and firewalling, and PSTN-like voice quality regardless of other network traffic loads. Additionally, the device is claimed capable of delivering video-over-IP services.

The design is based on PMC-Sierra's MSP4200 “VoIP router on a chip,” expected to begin shipping in Q3, 2005. The MSP4200 is a 32-bit MIPS-based SoC (system-on-chip) with integrated voice processor DSP (digital signal processor).

Onboard I/O includes two FXS (foreign exchange subscriber) ports and one FXO (foreign exchange officer) port for integration with analog PBX systems and handsets. Other ports include a WAN Ethernet port, an integrated 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi access point, and four fast Ethernet ports.

On the software side, the design includes a SIP stack supporting G.711, G.723.1, and G.729 compression, kernel-based routing and firewalling, and management interfaces based on open source application software.

PMC-Sierra says that VoIP technology based on the MSP4200 processor achieved a “mean opinion score” greater than 4.1 in China Netcom Group Labs voice quality tests, as well as certification from China Telecommunication Technology Labs and Korea's Telecommunications Technology Association. PMC-Sierra's VP of marketing, Dino Bekis, said, “Carrier validation of VoIP technology is essential. The China Netcom Group Labs testing has provided our best results to-date.”

ZyXEL's assistant VP of CPE, Albert Ju, said, “The residential broadband VoIP market is entering a period of very rapid growth. Carriers are demanding PSTN-equivalent voice service quality, combined with simultaneous high-bandwidth routing performance.”

Market research firm ABI said in June that it expects mobile phone makers to increasingly add VoWiFi capabilities to mobile phones, because the technology allows mobile phones to work better indoors.

Availability

PMC-Sierra's VoIP Wi-Fi Router “turnkey system design” is available now, including an MSP4200 processor, schematics, gerber files, sources, object code, and documentation.

PMC-Sierra acquired its MSP (multi-service processor) chip line from Brecis last year, with an eye on the emerging triple-play market. The line was originally launched by Brecis in April of 2003.

 
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