Networking and Communications Reports:

Our wired communications reports cover networking and communications applications and are focused in the following primary areas: processing, Ethernet, broadband,embedded, interconnect, CPU intellectual property, and programmable logic (FPGAs). Processing includes network processors, security accelerators, and communications processors. Ethernet includes Gigabit Ethernet Switch and PHY chips, and 10G Ethernet controllers and adapters (NICs). Broadband includes VDSL2 and PON.

Report Abstracts
 
Broadband Chips (VDSL2, PON)
 
A Guide to Broadband Chips, 4th Edition                                              Published Dec. 2008
  This report covers chips focused on VDSL2 and PON. Vendors for PON include Broadlight, Conexant, Iamba, Freescale, Cortina, PMC-Sierra, Teknovus, and TranSwitch. Also covered are leading VDSL2 vendors Broadcom, Conexant, Infineon, TranSwitch, and Ikanos. We examine the VDSL2 silicon and PON silicon markets, applications, and vendors as we look at silicon for both ends of the wire: CO and CPE applications.
 
Communications
 
A Guide to Communications Processors, 4th Edition                          Published Nov. 2007
  This report covers processors that combine control-plane and data-plane functions in a single highly integrated device, such as Freescale's PowerQuicc products. Communications processors typically include a CPU for high-level software and a combination of programmable and hard-wired data-plane engines. Target applications include high-end SOHO and SMB gateways, SMB "office in a box" designs, and access infrastructure equipment.
 
CPU Cores and IP
 
A Guide to CPU Cores and Processor IP, 2nd Edition                        To be pub Mar. 2010
  This report covers intellectual property (IP) cores that can be used in networking and communications system-on-a-chip (SoC) and ASIC designs. The report focuses on CPU, DSP, graphics, and video engine cores from vendors such as ARM, MIPS, Imagination Technologies, Tensilica, CEVA, VeriSilicon (ZSP), Vivante, and On2 (Hantro).
 
Embedded Processors
 
A Guide to High-Speed Embedded Processors, 5th Edition               Published Oct. 2009
  This report covers high-end embedded processors from AppliedMicro, AMD, Broadcom, Cavium, Freescale, Intel, Marvell, NetLogic/RMI, Tilera, Ubicom, and Via Technologies. Also covered are IBM PMC-Sierra, and LSI. These speedy chips are used for handling the complex functions required by networking applications, automotive, consumer devices, industrial control, medical imaging, and more.
 
Ethernet
 
  This report covers 10G Ethernet controller chips and NICs designed for server applications, TCP offload and iSCSI chips designed for NIC/NBA applications, and converged network adapters for Fibre Channel over Ethernet. Vendors include Broadcom, Chelsio, Intel, Mellanox, Myricom, Neterion, QLogic, and ServerEngines. Also covered are newer entrants into the 10GbE NIC/LOM market: Brocade, Emulex, and Solarflare.
 
A Guide to Ethernet Switch and PHY Chips, 5th Edition                   Published Sep. 2009
  This report covers 5 key segments: GbE switch chips, 10GbE switch chips, Carrier-Ethernet switches, 10GbE PHYs for copper and optical media, and 10GbE (KR) backplane transceivers. Vendors covered include Applied Micro (AMCC), Aquantia, Broadcom, Centec, ClariPhy, Dune, Ethernity, Fujitsu, Fulcrum, Inphi, Marvell, NetLogic, Plato Networks, Phyworks, Realtek, Solarflare, Teranetics, Tpack, Vitesse, and Xelerated.
 
FPGAs
 
  This report focuses on midrange and high-end FPGAs for communications applications. It provides a roadmap to the complex product lines of market leaders Xilinx (Spartan and Virtex) and Altera (Arria, Stratix, and Cyclone) as well as smaller suppliers such as Lattice, Achronix, and Cswitch. The report contrasts using FPGA products versus off-the-shelf ASSPs for enterprise equipment, broadband infrastructure, telecom switches, and wireless basestations.
 
High-Speed Interconnects
 
A Guide to High-Speed Interconnects, 4th Edition                             Published May 2008
 

This report examines the leading high-speed interconnect technologies, including PCI Express, RapidIO, and HDMI. Also covered are products for DisplayPort as well as bridge and switch products for PCI Express and RapidIO. Vendors covered include Analogix, IDT, Intel, Mercury, NEC, NXP, Paradise, Pericom, PLX, PMC-Sierra, Silicon Image, STMicroelectronics, TI, Tundra, and others. Also included are IP vendors ARM, Rambus, Synopsys, PLDA, Gennum, and more. FPGA vendors include Altera, Lattice, and XIlinx.
 
Network Processors
 
A Guide to Network Processors, 10th Edition                                       Published Mar. 2009
 

This report focuses on NPUs spanning data rates from 2Gbps to 100Gbps. Vendors covered include AMCC, Broadcom, Bay Microsystems, EZchip, LSI, Netronome/Intel, Wintegra, and Xelerated. We also cover vendors of configurable or FPGA-based chips that compete with NPUs in some Carrier Ethernet designs, including Centec, Cswitch, Lightstorm, and Tpack.
 
Security Processors and Accelerators
 
A Guide to Security Processors & Accelerators, 8th Edition             Published Jul. 2009
  This report covers processors that integrate high-throughput encryption, VPN and SSL accelerators, and content-inspection accelerators. Integrated security processor vendors include Cavium, Freescale, Intel, Netronome, RMI, and Tilera. Also covered are content-inspection accelerator vendors cPacket, Lionic, LSI (Tarari), and NetLogic. VPN and SSL accelerator vendors include Broadcom, Cavium, Exar (Hifn), and SafeNet.
   
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