PR: Agere Systems introduces ADSL chipset for Linux

[ Thanks to Stephen
Denny for this link. ]

PRESS RELEASE — Agere
Systems, formerly known as the Microelectronics Group of Lucent
Technologies, announced an Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line
(ADSL) chip set offering for residential gateway, home networking,
and personal computer (PC) equipment that includes the software
required to work with the Linux operating system.

Manufacturers of residential gateway, home networking, and PC
equipment are using the Linux operating system because of its low
licensing fees and its open software code architecture, which
promotes interoperability among different systems and
appliances.

Massachusetts-based Ucentric Systems will use the new Agere
Systems’ offering in the company’s hardware reference design, which
is available to original equipment manufacturers designing home
networking products.

“Ucentric is the first to offer a Linux-based home networking
solution that’s available today,” said Rick Edson, chief executive
officer of Ucentric Systems. “We have chosen Agere Systems’ chip
set solution for use in our hardware reference design because Agere
is ready to offer us support for that platform right now.”

Agere Systems’ new offering consists of a Peripheral Component
Interconnect (PCI) ADSL network interface card, which is based on
one of the company’s digital signal processor (DSP) client access
chips. This chip, along with two others from Agere, make a complete
ADSL solution supporting both Full Rate and Lite high-speed
Internet data technologies. Agere Systems’ chip set is placed on a
network interface card that becomes a network adapter. Linux runs
on PC and residential gateway motherboards and communicates with
the Agere Systems DSP chip.

By adding support for the Linux operating system to its ADSL
chip product offerings, Agere Systems complements its already broad
collection of software for operating systems that work with its
ADSL modem chips.

“Our customers, such as Ucentric Systems, now have a broader
range of operating system choices to meet their DSL gateway needs,”
said Bob Rango, general manager with Agere Systems. “Linux offers a
platform to deliver these features in an open environment and in a
cost effective way.”

In addition to supporting Linux operating systems, Agere’s
software supplied with the chip set also offers communications
equipment manufacturers several specialized communications
functions. Such functions include an adaptation layer for
asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), and segmentation and reassembly
of ATM packets functions; network protocols including
point-to-point protocol (PPP) over Ethernet and ATM; and Internet
Protocol over ATM bridging and routing functions. The software also
includes an extensive diagnostics tool to help the modem user and
the service provider to improve modem connectivity and check the
status of ADSL network connections.

Agere’s PCI ADSL card has been qualified for use in the
Interoperability Showcase sponsored by the DSL Forum at last week’s
CES event. To qualify, customer premises equipment solutions had to
prove interoperability with Digital Subscriber Line Access
Multiplexer (DSLAM) equipment manufactured by a wide variety of
companies.