Vitesse Unveils New Crosspoint Switch – Extending Breakthrough Signal Integrity Technology to Smaller Form Factors

PixEQ™ Product Addresses Signal Integrity Issues in Emerging High-Speed Interconnect Applications
DesignCon 2007
Booth #946

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vitesse Semiconductor Corporation (Pink Sheets:VTSS) today announced the availability of the VSC3304, a 8.5 Gbps, 4x4 port, crosspoint switch. The device offers enhanced signal equalization capabilities for transmitting multi-gigabit data signals across printed circuit boards, through backplane connectors, and over copper cabling used in networking and storage systems. The VSC3304 is the latest in Vitesse’s industry-leading portfolio of crosspoint and signal conditioner IC products to feature PixEQ technology. PixEQ technology advances high-speed, signal integrity performance.

The combined functions of crosspoint switching and Vitesse’s unique PixEQ equalization make the VSC3304 a cost-effective, compact, low-power signal integrity tool that is useful wherever there are high-speed signals. It is the only device in the industry to implement the first dual-time, constant programmable, output signal pre-emphasis. This feature allows the VSC3304 to compensate for multiple impairments in a signal path such as in a connector or long PCB trace. The VSC3304 also features fully re-configurable Input/Output (I/O) interfaces enabling the user to optimize I/Os to exact system requirements.

“Vitesse crosspoints and PixEQ technology allow us to solve fundamental, high-speed, signal integrity issues in our system level ATCA development. Vitesse continues to deliver robust, compact crosspoint solutions that we use as tools to address the latest networking protocols and signal integrity demands of our systems,” stated Curtis Miller, product line manager at RadiSys.

Unique Feature Set

The VSC3304 is part of Vitesse’s crosspoint portfolio capable of detecting and transmitting loss of signal (LOS), allowing native Out-of-Band (OOB) support of SAS/SATA storage protocols. This architecture also provides protocol transparent operation and permits each channel to run independently. This device supports a wide frequency range encompassing virtually all data protocols, including GbE, XAUI, 2X, XAUI, SAS, SATA, Fibre Channel, and InfiniBand.

Additionally, the VSC3304 incorporates a broadband, fully non-blocking and multicasting switch core and flexible fourth-generation equalization and pre-emphasis I/O capability. The re-configurable I/O allows any port to operate as either an input or output for a total of seven different I/O combinations from 1:7 to 7:1. Re-configurable I/O dramatically improves routing flexibility and reduces overall chip count. The device performs signal fan-out, loop back and protection switching, and can regenerate signals otherwise compromised by losses in the transmission medium.

Vitesse’s PixEQ™ equalization capability works independently of the data rate, providing effective compensation for deterministic jitter across a wide range of operating conditions without requiring re-tuning. The VSC3304 consumes only 160 mW per channel, dramatically reducing power requirements by up to 50 percent over previous generation devices.

“With the small size, economy, flexibility, and performance, the VSC3304 rewrites the traditional rules of solving high-speed signal integrity issues. This is the most universal, economical signal integrity solution for high-speed copper interconnects,” said Juan Garza, product marketing manager, Serial Data Solutions, at Vitesse.

Pricing & Availability

The VSC3304 operates on a single 2.5 V power supply with a typical power dissipation of 1.2 W. It is available in an ultra-compact 7 mm x 7 mm, 25-pin, plastic BGA package. General samples are available now, with volume pricing at $15 per unit USD.

World Class Signal Integrity

Vitesse was first to introduce integrated signal equalization in crosspoint switches and now has nearly a decade of successful product developments with dozens of products in production. Vitesse’s latest generation PixEQ technology enables a new level of signal integrity engineering with the introduction of dual-time constant equalization. Dual-time constant equalization allows the system designer to independently compensate for multiple impairments in the signal path, such as connectors and cabling or skin effect and dielectric losses in PCB traces. Dual-time constant equalization also provides a significantly wider compensation range so that a single device can be used in multiple applications, from PCB traces to backplanes to copper cabling. More information on Vitesse Signal Integrity solutions can be found at www.vitesse.com/SI.

About Vitesse

Vitesse designs, develops, and markets a diverse portfolio of high-performance, cost-competitive semiconductor solutions for communications and storage networks worldwide. Engineering excellence and dedicated customer service distinguish Vitesse as an industry leader in Gigabit Ethernet LAN, Ethernet-over-SONET, Serial Attached SCSI, 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.

About RadiSys

RadiSys (Nasdaq:RSYS) is a leading provider of advanced solutions for the communications networking and commercial systems markets. Through intimate customer collaboration and combining innovative technologies and industry-leading architecture, RadiSys helps OEMs, systems integrators, and solution providers bring better products to market faster and more economically. RadiSys products include embedded boards, application-enabling platforms and turn-key systems, which are used in today’s complex computing, processing and network-intensive applications. For more information, visit http://www.radisys.com, write to info@radisys.com, or call 800-950-0044 or 503-615-1100. Editors seeking more information may contact Lyn Pangares at RadiSys Corporation at 503-615-1220 or lyn.pangares@radisys.com.

Vitesse is a registered trademark and PixEQ 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.