ts it handle numerous modem protocols, including V.34, 56-Kbps flex, fax, and ISDN. The small size of the chip means the same space in a modem rack that used to hold 12 modem ports (connections) will be able to hold 24 to 48 modem ports, Analog officials say.
"With Analog's solution, ISPs won't need as big a space to put in all their equipment," says Will Strauss, president of Tempe, AZ-based Forward Concepts, a consulting firm that offers electronics market research and strategic product- planning services. "The chip allows more channels per rack, with less cooling required, which lowers the power consumption." Strauss notes that other chips, such as Lucent's DSP-16000 and Texas Instruments' TMS-320C6201, both of which are slated to ship in volume in 1998, will compete with Analog's chip. Rockwell is likely to deliver products based on the ARM and other microprocessors.
Because Analog's current chip is a digital-only solution, it is applicable only to ISPs
and central offices connected to a T1, ISDN, or other digital line. But sources say Analog is working on another version of the chip that contains an on-board codec to let it talk to analog lines, providing a solution for makers of modems for end users. Such a chip, which will allow less expensive high-performance modems that consume less power, would be especially interesting for manufacturers of modems for notebooks.
photo_link (31 Kbytes)
Analog Devices' ADSP-21mod870 puts the functionality of a modem on a single chip.
Cheaper Modems for ISPs
