Chipset Extends Fiber Service Over Copper

Claimed as the first programmable silicon to extend fiber- to-the-premises (FTTP) and fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) services over copper, the Fx family of chipsets outfit line cards that provide fiber-based services at 100 Mb/s over a single copper pair. The family includes the four-port Fx 7030 and Fx 10050 and the single-port Fx 10050S chipsets, each of which is programmable in 64 Kb increments and includes on-chip quality of service (QoS). Other shared features include support for asymmetric or symmetrical applications. The Fx 7030 delivers speeds up to 70 Mb/s downstream and 30 Mb/s upstream or symmetric speeds of 30 Mb/s. The Fx 10050 provides 100 Mb/s downstream and 50 Mb/s upstream or symmetric speeds of 50 Mb/s. The Fx 10050S is the universal SLE, adapting automatically to support connectivity of the Fx 7030 and Fx 10050 without end user configuration. Prices range from $26 to $30 per port depending on volume. IKANOS COMMUNICATIONS, Fremont, CA.