Packet processing continues to be an area of innovation and focus for OEMs. Altera continues to enable OEMs to meet market requirements for wireline access infrastructure. Altera offers a silicon platform based on leading-edge process technology for high-performance packet processing and provides an option to OEMs to either build their own network processing unit (NPU) or to use a pre-built access processor customizable to their target application. Altera and its packet processing ecosystem offer OEMs a wide array of Access packet processing solutions to support make or buy decisions. See Figure 1.
Figure 1. Customizable Packet Processing Architecture
If you are looking for wireless Access solutions, please visit our wireless ecosystem web page for more information.
Altera’s wireline access ecosystem offers OEMs a comprehensive portfolio of intellectual property (IP), reference designs, and standards compliant with off-the-shelf shrink-wrapped solutions that meet service provider requirements.
Off-The-Shelf Buy Solutions
Altera and its partners provide turnkey packet processing solutions for Access. An off-the-shelf buy packet processing solution is a ready-to-use packet processor on Altera® silicon from an Altera partner. An Altera ecosystem partner provides a complete packet processor that is optimized for a target application. It is shrink-wrapped IP that includes an application programming interface (API) and software development kit (SDK). Such an off-the-shelf buy solutions offer OEMs a quick time-to-market and low overhead from an R&D perspective.
Ethernity Networks is part of our Access packet processing ecosystem that provides a shrink-wrapped NPU for Access equipment. They offer a low-cost, high-performance flow processor/traffic manager solution that is optimized for Metro and Access applications. Ethernity Network's ENET3000 and ENET4000 Access Flow Processors are based on Altera Cyclone® and Stratix® series FPGAs and include a field-proven, wire-speed pipeline architecture supporting up to 20-Gbps throughput.
Develop In-House Make NPU Solutions
To offer OEMs the ability to assemble and make their own packet processor, Altera developed an embedded packet processing framework. The packet processing framework includes packet processing modules, tools, and a debug environment, including devices such Stratix or Cyclone series FPGAs, HardCopy® ASICs, and Nios® II embedded processors. The make decision offers you the option to control, own, and scale the packet processing roadmap.
In cases where OEMs want specific domain knowledge or need quick time-to-market with a custom processing solution, Altera’s packet processing ecosystem offers the design environment and reference designs from Octera Technology Solutions (North American partner) and AimCom BV (European partner). These partners offer specific domain expertise and provide execution of turnkey packet processing projects. They also get involved in building design services or IP engagements.
Please contact your local Altera sales representative regarding wireline Access packet processing solutions or read more about packet processing solutions for broadband access applications.
