AFE1124 Analog Front End

Burr-Brown Corporation announces the AFE1124, the industry's smallest, lowest cost Analog Front End (AFE) chip available for xDSL (Digital Subscriber Line) network communication systems including HDSL (High-bit-rate DSL) and MDSL (Medium-bit-rate DSL).

The AFE1124 chip provides all the active analog circuitry needed to receive, convert, and transmit analog and digital signals within an xDSL system. xDSL provides high speed business and residential data services such as fast internet access, video telephony, and normal voice services using a standard copper wire telephone line.

xDSL technology, including HDSL and MDSL, is expected to have a significant impact on high speed communications throughout the world since it achieves high speed transmission using installed copper wire, without the need to install specially designed high speed communications lines. There are over 600 million copper access lines currently in use, potentially making xDSL a multi-billion dollar industry.

The general purpose AFE1124 joins Burr-Brown's growing family of AFE chips which currently support xDSL solutions from PairGain, Metalink, and Rockwell. Burr-Brown is presently shipping volume production to these and other leading xDSL providers.

"The addition of the AFE1124 to our industry-leading line of AFE products, coupled with the success of our DRV1100 line driver, extends Burr-Brown's position as the world's leading producer of xDSL front end solutions," said Mike Pawlik, vice president of marketing at Burr-Brown.

The product features scaleable data rate allowing the chip to be used for all speeds from 64kbps to 1168kbps, with no external active circuitry, and is designed with a serial digital interface for ease of use. In addition, the AFE1124 requires the lowest power of all analog front ends on the market 250mW with 3.3V/5V supplies.

It is a continuing amazement to me that "volume production" of any xDSL solution IC is shipping; where are the finished products going? This is about the most complete front-end IC that I have seeen, and it comes from a stable of parts that are reportedly really working. I like the serial digital interface and, of course, the voltage/power needs. Certainly when/if xDSL accelerates away from the starting blocks Burr-Brown's solutions are well up there on the shopping list. Not unusually, unfortunately, the press release on the product conveys little technical information but it might be seen as a good hype for analysts who don't know the difference between POTS and pans: it is not fair to the product.

If you are in the area of developing xDSL solutions this part is a must-try product. The AFE1124 is available from stock and is priced at $9.00 in 1000 lots; it is in a 28-pin SSOP. The price is in line for a scaleable, multiple-system part.