LVL7 to deliver DSL access following Infineon deal

LVL7 Systems Inc., a supplier of middleware for Ethernet and Layer 2 services, will be moving into support of very-high-bit-rate Digital Subscriber Line services through a port of Fastpath software to Infineon Technologies Inc.'s Purple Layer 2+ Ethernet Access Switch-on-Chip.

The pact with Infineon follows a major deal with Broadcom Corp. for Ethernet StrataSwitch architectures.

LVL7 said it has expanded its software suites to includes the 2200 for managed Layer 2 services, 2300 for managed Layers 2 and 3, 2240 for managed Layers 2 and 4 with quality of service, and 2340 for Layers 2,3, and 4 with QoS.

The Infineon package includes Layer 2 protocols incorporating 802.1w rapid spanning tree, 802.1s multiple spanning tree, 802.1q VLANs, 802.1ad linkm aggregation and 802.1x port authentication.

Kishore Jotwani, LVL7's vice president of marketing, said the Infineon port allows LVL7 to work with a MIPS-compatible control-plane processor, since Purple includes an embedded MIPS core. There are seven access configurations supported by the Purple chip.

"This takes the software closer to broadband access at the edge of the WAN," Jotwani said. "Given that Ethernet is now ubiquitous, we expect to see this in DSL, cable modems, and many access systems."

- Loring Wirbel

EE Times