Communications: Network Processor Delivers 5 Gbits/s At 2.5-Gbit/s Prices

Aug. 18, 2005

Doubling the performance of its 2.5-Gbit/s predecessors, the NP-2/5 network processor delivers 5-Gbit/s full-duplex operation. The chip costs less than the company's NP-2/10 10-Gbit/s NPU and is priced comparably to the 2.5-Gbit/s devices while providing twice the processing headroom and twice the number of Gigabit Ethernet ports. The NP-2/5 includes 10 1-Gbit Ethernet ports for 2:1 oversubscription, one 10-Gbit port, two SPI 4.2 interfaces, and integrated traffic-management support. The NP-2/5 and NP-2/10 are pin- and software-compatible, so it's easy to create a family of system products based on one board layout and one software bundle. Samples are immediately available. Contact the company for volume pricing.

EZchip Technologieswww.ezchip.com

About the Author

Dave Bursky

Technologist

Dave Bursky, the founder of New Ideas in Communications, a publication website featuring the blog column Chipnastics – the Art and Science of Chip Design. He is also president of PRN Engineering, a technical writing and market consulting company. Prior to these organizations, he spent about a dozen years as a contributing editor to Chip Design magazine. Concurrent with Chip Design, he was also the technical editorial manager at Maxim Integrated Products, and prior to Maxim, Dave spent over 35 years working as an engineer for the U.S. Army Electronics Command and an editor with Electronic Design Magazine.