Wireline Solutions

The Wireline Infrastructure market continues to see strong growth driven by the need for conventional and advanced services for voice and data. This results in an increased shift towards multi-protocol convergence with packet based networks to support new as well as various legacy services.

Figure: Network Topology

Three Dominant Technologies Drive the Wireline Infrastructure Market

ETHERNET

Ethernet is the most commonly used protocol in the wireline market.  The various ethernet formats include Fast Ethernet (10Mbps / 100Mbps), Gigabit Ethernet (1Gbps), and 10 Gigabit Ethernet or XAUI (10Gbps).  The LatticeECP3 and LatticeECP2M devices with SERDES/PCS blocks in a low-cost FPGA fabric provide the ideal low-cost bridging solution to various Ethernet switching ICs.  The LatticeSC/M devices with the SERDES/flexiPCS blocks and the embedded MACO blocks provide an ideal platform for developing bridging solutions to various Ethernet switching ICs.

PCI EXPRESS

PCI Express (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) is a high performance, scalable, well defined standard for a wide variety of computing and communications platforms. It has been defined to provide software compatibility with existing PCI drivers and operating systems.  Lattice provides customers with low-cost and low-power programmable solutions that are ready-to-use right out of the box.  The LatticeECP3 and LatticeECP2M devices with the SERDES/PCS blocks in a mid-range FPGA fabric provides one of the industry's lowest-cost and lowest-power programmable PCI Express bridging solution.  The LatticeSC/M devices with the SERDES/PCS blocks and the embedded MACO technology provide an ideal platform for developing bridging solutions.

SONET/SDH

SONET/SDH (Synchronous optical networking/ Synchronous Digital Hierarchy) are standardized multiplexing protocols that transfer multiple digital bit streams over optical fiber using lasers or light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Lower rates can also be transferred via an electrical interface. Due to SONET's protocol neutrality and transport-oriented features, SONET was the obvious choice for transporting Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) frames.  The LatticeECP3 and LatticeSC devices are ideal for backplane and chip-to-chip applications, SONET framers and bridging solutions.