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Archives
May 2001 Issue
Marketplace
Broadband Wireless Antennas
REMEC Broadband Wireless's line of broadband wireless antennas and related equipment deliver high-speed Internet access to subscribers regardless of location. Excel-Air antennas for subscriber's homes offer a small form factor, cleaner signals and increased revenue opportunities for service providers. SectorShape base station antennas allow carriers to provide a stronger, more reliable signal with sectorization, elevation pattern-shaping and polarization capabilities.
For more information, contact Remec Broadband at www.remecmagnum.com.
Layer 3 Switches
Allied Telesyn International offers the Rapier family of Layer 3 switches: the all-Gigabit Rapier G6 and its fiber cousin, the Rapier G6f. As with the rest of the Rapier family, the G6 and G6f are based on high-level application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) technology and Allied Telesyn's software. They deliver a non-blocking, wire-speed IP switching solution, in a backbone-boosting Gigabit version--a six-port, Layer 3 Gigabit switch with two Gigabit uplink slots, for a total of eight Gigabit ports.
The G6 leverages Allied Telesyn's AR series router technology, combining Silicon-based wire-speed switching with advanced local area network (LAN) and wide area network (WAN) routing features. With 6 x 1000Base-T ports and two 1000Base-X slots, Rapier G6 is "full" of Gigabit Layer 3 switches, and is flexible and scalable. It offers wire-speed L2 and L3 IP switching and 16 Gbps non-blocking bandwidth. A -48V DC power supply version is available for mission-critical networks.
For more information, contact Allied Telesyn International at , or on the Web at www.alliedtelesyn.com.
Aegis iVISION Subscriber Appliance
Aegis Broadband's iVision set-top appliance incorporates a cable TV tuner for clear television programming and access to authorized premium TV services and Internet capabilities. Connectors facilitate the interconnection of iVision with other appliances, such as home computers, printers and cable modems. Aegis says iVision facilitates enhanced revenue opportunities for cable operators by allowing television viewers to access the Internet without purchasing a PC. The product is based on Aegis Broadband's SIGMA 4000 series, a conditional access technology with similar encoding and decoding functions as a premium TV system. The control system interface of the iVision is backward-compatible with Aegis 4500 decoders and the iBOSS Control System. Parental lock and favorite channel features are accessed through an on-screen display menu and the easy point-and-click Internet and TV mode buttons offer ease of use. The iVision supports the standard POP3 and SMTP e-mail protocols and features the option of alternate languages and translations. The standards-based HTML environment allows customization of applications, such as a TV program guide, stock tickers or news and sports.
For more information, contact Aegis Broadband at , or on the Web at www.aegisbroadband.com.
Provisioning Software
HarmonyCOM, a broadband services provisioning software provider, released Harmony 2.0. This latest version of Harmony has been designed to help service providers reduce operational costs, improve profitability and more effectively deliver services. The latest version of Harmony offers increased ease-of-use, reduced learning time for end-users and reduced implementation risks. The software works with multiple vendor platforms and technologies and can be implemented into a service provider's environment within 90 days.
For more information, contact HarmonyCOM at , or on the Web at www.harmonycom.com.
IP Gateway, 8PSK-VSAT Terminal
Harmonic Data Systems's CyberStream Multi-Service Platform has been upgraded. The enhancements include a second-generation, higher-capacity DVB IP data gateway, a new 8PSK-VSAT terminal and an 8PSK receiver/router. The expanded platform can deliver both two-way (VSAT) and one-way services under one integrated system.
The 8PSK support of the CyberStream platform enables broadband service providers and ISPs to increase network throughput for their subscribers using multimedia services over satellite. 8PSK is an advanced higher-order RF modulation technique that can transmit three bits from each symbol, where QPSK offers only two bits. This in effect provides up to 50 percent more throughput in a given amount of transponder space, according to Harmonic. Using the upgraded CyberStream platform, a satellite service provider can establish a complete end-to-end broadband two-way (VSAT) and one-way network that supports up to 100 Mbps.
Harmonic's new CyberStream IP Gateway, the IPG 8010, prepares the IP information for delivery over DVB transport streams. New features include speed up to 100 Mbps, unlimited IP address group support and TCP/IP acceleration. The data gateway provides the speed for operators to offer services using advanced modulations such as 8PSK. The unlimited IP address support enables more efficient use of IP addresses as required by many backbone connectivity providers. The TCP/IP acceleration overcomes satellite latency and increases the TCP/IP throughput per session.
For more information, call , or visit the Web at www.harmonicdata.com.
Verification Platform
A comprehensive performance analysis and traffic generation platform for verification of Cisco Systems' Spatial Reuse Protocol (SRP) is available from Ixia. SRP is used to build resilient packet ring (RPR) networks for next-generation native Internet protocol (IP) over optical metro and intra-point-of-presence (intra-POP) solutions. Ixia's performance analysis solution for SRP is implemented via its OC-48c packet over synchronous optical network (SONET) interface Load Module (LMOC48), which captures and analyzes control messages that are exchanged between nodes on an SRP ring. The product architecture has extremely high port density and wire-speed performance.
Ixia also has introduced its Bit Error Rate Tester (BERT) for OC-192c optical SONET/synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH) interfaces. The Ixia OC-192c BERT interface Load Module is available in either a single port or two port configuration, and offers up to 16 OC-192c ports within an IXIA 1600T chassis. Each port provides 9.952 gigabits per second (Gbps) performance, and is specifically designed for the Layer 1 performance verification needs of next-generation optical switches, cross-connects and add/drop multiplexers (ADMs), as well as dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM), systems.
For more information, contact Ixia at , or on the Web at www.ixiacom.com.
VFL with Universal Connector
Wilcom has introduced a new streamline universal Visual Fault Locator (VFL). The new product, Model F6230A, is a pencil style VFL that features a universal connector accepting any optical connector style with a 2.5 mm ferrule. It is designed to be an economical test tool for quickly checking the validity of patch cables before or after installation, verifying short lengths of installed fiber, or looking for cracked fiber in splice cases, bad connectors, fiber cable crimps, backbone breaks or anywhere light continuity needs checking. It operates on a single AA alkaline battery, keeping the overall size to a minimum while providing long battery life. VFL output is from a 1 mW laser at 650 nm providing a range of up to 5 km. The F6230A features a choice of continuous or modulated output and a "low battery" indicator to alert the user when it is time to change batteries. The universal connector eliminates the inconvenience of having to use a patch cable for direct connection to fiber under test if connector styles are dissimilar.
For more information, please contact the company at , or via e-mail at .
Surface Mount Power Conductors
Pulse has announced two new surface mount (SMT) power inductors for use with low-voltage power delivery semiconductors developed by Volterra.
As thin as 0.125 inches (3.17 mm), these compact, surface-mount power inductors are designed for high-current, low-voltage, low-profile DC/DC power converter applications with the latest generation of microprocessors.
In addition, their squaroid core design has low DC resistance that offers improved circuit efficiency and high-current capabilities. The products are magnetically shielded for reduced electromagnetic interference (EMI).
Packaged in two sizes, the series is available in three inductance values--100 nH (P1681T), 150 nH (P2005T) and 200 nH (P2004T), with DC resistance values of 0.45 milliohms (mW) TYP. Operating temperatures are -40°C to +125°C. The line is available in tape-and-reel packaging and volume discounts are offered.
For more information, contact Pulse at , or on the Web at www.pulseeng.com.
VOA, OCM Products
Telephotonics, a supplier of integrated optical components for dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) systems, has announced the availability of its optical components architecture targeted at the Metro market. The Optical Application Specific Integrated Circuit (OASIC) family integrates multiple optical elements that were previously available only as single, discrete components. The fabrication process uses standard lithography to imprint a wide variety of passive optical elements onto the integration platform material in a single fabrication step. Variable optical attenuator(VOA) and optical channel monitor (OCM) arrays are the first releases.
For more information, visit Telephotonics on the Web at www.telephotonics.com.
Data Management Center
Avocent has recently announced the introduction of the CPS800 and CPS1600, two new devices that enhance the Avocent suite of rack-optimized solutions for local and remote data center management. The CPS800 and CPS1600 provide system administrators with a centralized means to manage serial-based devices through local or remote Internet protocol (IP) connections. In conjunction with the DS1800, Avocent can access and control NT servers and serial devices, such as routers and UNIX servers.
For more information, contact Avocent at , or on the Web at www.avocent.com.
Monitoring and Automatic Reporting
evsl has introduced the MARS product to help cable operators provide consistent service. The compact, 1U height component monitors the status of the headend, where the majority of outages occur. It can be configured locally through a menu-driven control system or remotely from a PC and can be connected to any type and any number of modules to monitor their operation. RF, video, audio, AC power, and temperature are all monitored by the MARS system and faults are reported to a remote PC on demand or at scheduled intervals via an onboard modem. The PC software displays results in a database-oriented form, which allows the user to diagnose the problem quickly and accurately before repair and recovery measures are taken, saving time and money.
For more informationm contact evsl at , or on the Web at www.evsl.com.
Headend and Network SNMP Management
BarcoNet has launched SNMP Profile Manager, an open-interface software tool for its ROSA network management system that enables the management of all simple network management protocol (SNMP) devices in a broadband network.
The product offers operators a fast, efficient and user-friendly solution to manage all network elements by a single, vendor-independent management platform. ROSA with SNMP Profile Manager is capable of integrating network devices of several vendors into a single management platform without extra programming.
For more information, contact Barconet at , or on the Web at www.barconet.com.
DWDM Channel Test Set
Noyes Fiber Systems has released the WSP100 DWDM Channel Access Test Set. The product is claimed to be the world's smallest DWDM power meter. It measures center wavelength, peak power and signal to noise ratio in a compact handheld package. The WSP100 is powered by rechargeable batteries, is remotely controllable and can measure channels to 50 GHz spacing.
For more information, contact the company at , or on the Web at www.noyes-fiber.com.
Central Casting Technology for Signal Distribution
AgileVision CentralCaster technology allows networks and station groups to leverage the economies of scale inherent in digital centralcasting, where a number of parties share programming and operational resources to reduce the overall expense and complexity of reaching diverse audiences in geographically-dispersed markets. The AgileVision CentralCaster is based on technologies developed for Agile-Vision's flagship AGV-1000 switcher/server and leverages the benefits of operating in a highly compressed MPEG domain. The system architecture of the CentralCaster product centers around a main signal distribution system in the hub of the station group with satellite processors at each local station.
For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.agilevision.com.
Network Hosting and Navigation of Media Content
Williams Communications, through its Vyvx Broadband unit, has completed the groundwork infrastructure of its Media-Xtranet, a broadband service platform for the media and entertainment industries.
MediaXtranet is a system of network, hosting and navigation that gathers, manages and moves live and non-live rich media content. Media-Xtranet provides a high-performance, secure private broadband network for business-to-business applications. The company says that the product will allow residential broadband service providers to offer customers more and a greater variety of compelling, differentiated content and interactive experiences. The current infrastructure includes a media center with centralized storage in Tulsa, Okla., and media edge facilities in New york, Chicago and Los Angeles for gathering, caching and distribution.
For more information, visit the company on the Web at www.williams.com, and www.williamscommunications.com.
High Performance Fiber
Corning has launched its SMF-28e fiber, an extension of its single-mode fiber product line.
SMF-28e fiber, designed with low attenuation at the water peak, offers network designers the ability to create high-capacity, low-cost networks. The product is intended for unamplified systems and brings new functionality to service providers. Reduced attenuation in the water peak region opens a new operating window, allowing the transmission of more information over the same number of fibers, according to Corning.
For more information, visit Corning on the Web at www.corningfiber.com.
Wireless Broadband Router
The ThruWAVE wireless broadband router is available from Hybrid Networks. The device is a single-carrier, multiple-modulation router that enables fixed broadband wireless service providers to increase their customer capacity and coverage by offering near-line-of-sight capabilities. The router supports quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), 16-QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) and 64-QAM schemes and is the customer premise equipment (CPE) portion of Hybrid's fixed broadband wireless system.
For more information, contact Hybrid Networks at , or on the Web at www.hybrid.com.
Field Portable Digital Analyzer
Telsey Telecommunications/TVC Communications have launched the newly enhanced DMA 122, distributed exclusively in the United States by TVC Communications. The new DMA 122 is a field portable digital analyzer capable of making advanced analog and digital measurements on both downstream and upstream bands. Its sensitivity is further improved by introducing a very low noise internal input amplifier (selectable) to allow accurate and consistent testing to low set-top box working limits. Its input range may be extended up to 60 dBmV for use anywhere in the network (that is, 44 MHz IF measurements). Telsey is offering an additional service to upgrade all existing field DMA 120s to DMA 122 capabilities.
For more information, contact TVC at , or on the Web at www.tvcinc.com.
 Back to May 2001 Issue
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