CMOS Transceiver Extends Ethernet Networks Into WANs

Marking the firm's entrance into the optical networking market, the BCM8010 CMOS transceiver reportedly can simultaneously transmit and receive Ethernet data at rates of 10 Gbits/s over 50 km of existing single-mode fiber--up to 10 times the rate currently possible over the same media and distance. The new transceiver is designed to help extend Ethernet networking into the realm of WANs.
Integrated on the chip are four of the firm's FusionCore programmable, mixed-signal transceiver cores, each core capable of transmitting and receiving data at rates ranging from 1.25 to 3.125 Gb/s. The four-channel transceiver also incorporates receiver adaptive equalizers that enhance noise immunity and simplify board and system design.
FusionCore transceivers are also said to demonstrate, at 3 ps_rms, the lowest jitter of any Ethernet transceiver on the market. The BCM8010 in a 256-pin TBGA package costs $88 each in sample quantities. An evaluation kit is also available.