Vitesse Introduces 6.375G SerDes Solution with VScope(TM) Waveform Viewing Technology

CAMARILLO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vitesse Semiconductor Corporation (Pink Sheets: VTSS), a leader in advanced ICs for Carrier and Enterprise Ethernet networks, announced today the VSC3441, the industry’s first, multi-protocol, 6.375 Gigabit per second (Gbps) multi-rate Serialization/De-serialization (SerDes) transceiver device. As the most advanced, high-speed SerDes solution available today, Vitesse’s VSC3441 device is well suited for next-generation backplanes and communication equipment running multiple protocols, including Gigabit Ethernet, XAUI, 2xXAUI, Fibre Channel, Serial Attached SCSI (SAS), Serial ATA (SATA), Serial Rapid IO, Infiniband and PCI Express (PCIe).

“With over a decade of leadership in high-speed signal integrity, SerDes and CDR technologies, Vitesse is uniquely qualified to deliver this product”

The VSC3441 operates at selected data rates from 125 Mbps to 6.375 Gbps and incorporates advanced equalization to compensate for various impairments and losses encountered in copper cables, backplane traces and connectors. Further adding to the robust feature set of this transceiver is the unique combination of integrated technologies: SerDes, Clock and Data Recovery (CDR) and advanced signal equalization. The VSC3441 is also the first high-speed SerDes to incorporate Vitesse’s breakthrough VScope^™ waveform viewing technology which enables a real-time oscilloscope view of the received data, thus providing telemetry of high-speed signals.

With Internet bandwidth growth averaging 40 percent per year, networking and storage equipment continues to evolve, creating the need for higher speed serial links to accommodate more bandwidth in backplanes, interconnects and cable links found throughout the network. The VSC3441 provides OEMs a significant new tool that allows them to serialize data to these higher rates for simplified transmission through legacy backplanes or cable interconnects. This is achieved by compensating for the signal path degradation which, in turn, improves the signal integrity performance of the transmission. The integrated VScope waveform viewing technology is then used by OEMs for real-time system diagnostics and remote monitoring functions in these applications. The result: a state-of-the-art signal integrity solution that extends the use of existing ASICs and FPGAs with slower speed interfaces.

“With over a decade of leadership in high-speed signal integrity, SerDes and CDR technologies, Vitesse is uniquely qualified to deliver this product,” said Juan Garza, product marketing manager for Signal Integrity devices at Vitesse. “By incorporating Vitesse’s patented VScope waveform viewing technology into high-speed links, this solution creates a new category for innovative SerDes technology that enables advanced levels of signal integrity quality and remote monitoring.”

With a single reference clock input, the VSC3441 provides a high degree of signal integrity through a configurable input and output equalization. In various modes, the VSC3441 can function as a single 20:1 SerDes with redundant I/O, a dual 10:1 SerDes with redundant I/O, and a quad 10:1 serializer or quad 1:10 deserializer. The high-speed CDR per channel removes random jitter from optical fiber links. I/O characteristics are programmable for interfacing to a wide variety of devices and protocols.

Availability and Pricing

General samples of the VSC3441 device will be available in the fourth quarter of 2008. The VSC3441 is priced at $32 USD in volume quantities and is available in a 196-pin, 15mmx15mm flip chip ball grid array (FCBGA) package.

VScope Waveform Viewing Technology

VScope embedded waveform viewing technology is a per-pin “micro-oscilloscope” that enables new diagnostic capabilities during system development, delivering the ability to perform remote monitoring of live signals on deployed systems. VScope presents system designers with new dynamics and economics in backplane design, signal integrity analysis, and remote monitoring of communication systems. Besides the VSC3441, this patented technology is also available in other products from Vitesse, including the VSC3406 6.375G backplane transceiver and the VSC824x 9.9G-11.3G EDC CDRs. For more information about VScope, please visit http://www.vscope.com.

About Vitesse

Vitesse designs, develops and markets a diverse portfolio of high-performance, cost-competitive semiconductor solutions for Carrier and Enterprise Ethernet networks worldwide. Engineering excellence and dedicated customer service distinguish Vitesse as an industry leader in Gigabit Ethernet LAN, Ethernet-over-SONET, Fibre Channel, Optical Transport, and other applications. Vitesse innovation empowers customers to deliver superior products for Enterprise, Access, Metro, and Core applications. Additional company and product information is available at www.vitesse.com.

Vitesse is a registered trademark and VScope is a trademark in the United States and/or other jurisdictions of Vitesse Semiconductor Corporation. All other trademarks or registered trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective holders.

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