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dsp/mcuZONE Products for the week of July 20, 2009
DSP Group Says…
DECT/CAT-iq Module for Home and SMB/Enterprise Gateway Applications
DSP Group, Inc. has announced the release of its new DECT/CAT-iq Module. A low-cost, small form-factor connectivity platform, the DECT/CAT-iq module delivers superior coverage and wideband audio (HD voice). Complementing DSP Group's comprehensive set of PSTN and VoIP telephony reference designs, the DECT/CAT-iq Module enables home gateway (HGW) and office gateway developers to be the first to market best-in-class CAT-iq 2.0, 2.1 and 3.0 products.
Jointly developed with DOSCH&AMAND, a world-leading design center for premium DECT solutions, the module further strengthens DSP Group's leadership in all stages of CAT-iq evolvement. Reflecting DSP Group's commitment to offer total solutions at a competitive price, the DECT/CAT-iq Module includes a chipset, hardware, and a software reference design, as well as sample applications, documentation and support.
“Leveraging our extensive CAT-iq know-how, the DECT/CAT-iq Module, based on our in-house communications protocol and call control software stacks, offers DSP Group’s customers a head start in supporting CAT-iq devices and applications," said Oz Zimerman, Corporate VP of Marketing of DSP Group. "The comprehensive offering – which includes full reference code and hardware design – reduces development risk, minimizes R&D costs, and lowers time to market, while guaranteeing full CAT-iq support. For customers who prefer their CAT-iq devices be produced and tested externally, we can match them up with module and low-to-high-end handset contract manufacturing partners."
The DECT/CAT-iq Module includes the following key features:
- Simple, flexible host API designed to completely offload the gateway processor from any CAT-iq handling
- Multi-handset, multi-line support targeting 4 high-definition (HD) wideband voice channels
- Single-chip architecture integrating a StrongARM9 baseband processor and superior RF technology
- Low cost, small form-factor module and USB dongle designs
- DECT band support including DECT6.0 (US) and 2.4GHz WDCT
- Wide range of host interfaces including USB for dongles, UART, SPI, and PCM/TDM/IOM-2 for easy embedding into any gateway device
- Embedded PBX call control features for both home and office
- Low power, low radiation with zero idle emission
- Superior range and coverage with DSP Group’s CleaRange technology suite
- Superior voice clarity with DSP Group’s CleaRtalk technology suite
- High bit-rate data over DECT
- Software upgradability with embedded Flash variants
- Analog PSTN FXO/FXS connectivity
- Digital answering machine support
The DECT/CAT-iq Module reference design is currently available for providing high-quality cordless telephony and CAT-iq features in a range of home and office products including:
- xDSL Internet access devices (IADs)
- Cable modem devices
- PON (Passive Optical Network) modems
- Set-top boxes (STBs)
- IP telephone terminals
- IP PBXs
EN-Genius Says…
The DSP Group’s DECT IP phone module and the chip that powers it are a nice example of how embedded signal processing is changing the economics and expectations of comms equipment. By providing a streamlined means to develop interoperable DECT-based IP telephony products, this new reference design will allow designers to focus on innovative feature sets that are tailored to specific segments within both the consumer and SMB/enterprise markets. DSPG’s support for the new DECT CAT-iq standard is especially exciting because it enables interoperability between different phone manufacturers as well as other advanced capabilities that will help IP telephony evolve beyond a simple POTS replacement.
This new module is based on DSPG’s VegaOne processor that evolved from the DECT cordless phone product line they acquired from NXP back in 2007. Its ARM9 core performs triple-duty as an application processor, a DECT MAC engine, and a hardware-assisted signal processor that handles both voice and baseband processing tasks. As an application processor it runs a complete call processing firmware package for its PSTN interface. Telephony traffic is passed though a standard TDM interface that support sup to four time slots. The processor’s digital baseband interface passes standard I/Q signals to whatever RF section you want to build up or buy. If desired, DSPG can supply a reference design based on their own chip set.
 The ARM 9 also runs a set of APIs that work with the IP call control firmware resident in an external host controller. Depending on the host controller you are working with, the module can talk to it via any combination of USB, SPI or UART connections.
One of the other intriguing features of this module is its support for the new CAT-iq standard. Intended to enable interoperability between equipment from different manufacturers, CAT-iq also expands DECT’s ability to deliver advanced IP telephony features like video, HD audio, and data link services. Since it was developed primarily for the European market it’s not surprising that the CAT-iq spec has a green tinge that imposes strict controls on transmit power and keeps RF emissions to a minimum when the handset is not in use. In addition to not cluttering up the airwaves with unnecessary RF energy and minimizing a handset’s brain-toasting emissions, the green elements of the CAT-iq standard should help the DSP Group’s DECT module enjoy better talk and standby time from a set of batteries.
Once CAT-iq’s capabilities make their way into commonly-available commercial equipment, they should help wireless IP telephony gain more acceptance in the conservative enterprise market space. It will also mean that SoHo and SMB equipment will start to enjoy most of the sophisticated capabilities normally reserved for much more costly IP-PBX products. I can only guess what some of the more innovative consumer product makers will do with all the clever bells and whistles that come almost for free with this module and its reference software package.
Should these features be insufficient for some ambitious equipment manufacturer, there is another DSPG chip set that supports both the DECT and 802.11b/g air interfaces for use in multimedia appliances. It’s based on Bermai’s Wi-Fi technology they acquired back in 2004. Although I was more than a bit dubious about Bermai’s extravagant claims for its so-called ultra-integrated Wi-Fi chip when it was announced back in 2002, it looks as though better CMOS processes, higher densities and a bit of the DSP Group’s pragmatic know-how finally allowed the technology to live up to its original promises. There is also single-channel 802.11n variant in the works that will include a video encode/decode processor to support video conferencing and 1080P HD video streaming.
The DSP Group’s DECT IP telephony module is available as either a reference design that can be easily adapted by an OEM manufacturer or as an ODM-supplied component that DSPG can arrange to be sold via one of its existing customers. The VegaOne processor used in the module and all its support components are available in volume today. The DSP Group declined to offer any pricing information for the module or processor.
Product Page Cordless Module
Product Page Cordless Dongle
Product Page VegaOne
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