IDT® (Integrated Device Technology, Inc.), a leading provider of essential mixed-signal semiconductor solutions that enrich the digital media experience, announces a new family of central packet switches (CPS) that address the interconnect needs of embedded applications that utilize DSPs, FPGAs or processors.

The CPS solutions incorporate in-house third-generation IDT SERDES and serial RapidIO® core switch technology to provide customers with superior flexibility, scalability, performance, and power consumption at very competitive costs. These best-in-class switches provide significant system advantages in connecting virtually any digital media component to any other, in applications such as wireless and wireline, imaging, medical, military, IPTV, and other high-end communications markets and embedded applications.

The CPS family enables previously impossible combinations of performance, cost, and function, by offering industry- leading flexibility, specifically 4x and 1x port options coupled with enhanced features for system bring-up and debug.

The CPS family of solutions includes three device configurations – with 16-port (80KSW0002), 12-port (80KSW0004), and 8-port (80KSW0003) options for 1x port counts.

Each port can be configured for 3.125 Gbaud, 2.5 Gbaud, or 1.25 Gbaud, for long haul (backplane) or short haul (board) transmission profiles, with configurable drive strengths and pre-emphasis settings. Moreover, the CPS family is pin-to-pin compatible with the IDT PPS Gen 2 family of devices, allowing customers the flexibility to upgrade their next-generation systems to the more powerful pre-processing solution with no impact on hardware or board design.

Based upon proven-IDT preprocessing technology, the CPS family includes an advanced feature set developed in conjunction with IDT customers to meet their specific interconnect needs. In addition, the CPS devices are configurable through any of the Serial Rapid IO®, JTAG, or I2C® ports. The devices include a “loopback mode” which enables customers the added flexibility to work with the physical layer of the IDT device and quickly identify the source of any performance bottle-necks. Improving customer time-to-market, the CPS also incorporates useful diagnostics with “kill” and “trace/mirror” capabilities that enable an added layer of security that is often critical in embedded applications.

The CPS solutions are supported by ATCA- and Micro- TCA-compatible dedicated development platforms, designed in conjunction with Texas Instruments, together with a comprehensive range of software development tools, such as GUI, API, drivers and 3rd party tools. An IDT-developed calculator allows customers to calculate power usage in various usage profiles, allowing designers to adjust device options to achieve maximum power savings. Each kit supports all other IDT pre-processing solutions and sRIO-enabled solutions such as the 10G Serial Buffer. IDT also provides customers with extensive collaborative support, including system modelling and signal integrity analyses, and schematic and layout review services.

Key Points

- Family offers unprecedented configurability, flexibility and scalability
- Advanced feature set speeds design and test, reducing time-to-market
- Cost-effective solution for connecting virtually any digital media component to any other
- Pin-to-pin compatible with the IDT PPS Gen 2 family of devices, allowing the flexibility to upgrade with no impact on hardware or board design
- Comprehensive hardware/ software development kits including calculator to help customers achieve maximum power savings