DS2 Introduces 100Mbps Powerline Chipset For Networking Applications
DS2 has announced the availability of its MONTGO powerline communications chipset for the consumer market. MONTGO provides a maximum data rate of 100Mbps and is specifically targeted at data networking applications. The company claims that products designed for internet sharing, audio distribution or data networking applications will benefit from the extremely low cost of MONTGO, which offers full interoperability with DS2’s UPA-DHS compliant 200Mbps product (Universal Powerline Association Digital Home Systems Standard) and future 400Mbps powerline products that offer higher performance levels for the requirements of video networking.
Chano Gomez, Vice-President of Technology and Strategic Partnerships at DS2 stated, "Until today, equipment manufacturers have been offered medium-speed Powerline ICs that are expensive (between $8 and $10 for an 85Mbps and $5.00 for 14 Mbps Powerline IC from Intellon) and which are not compatible with higher speed 200Mbps products. Consumers are then offered products that lack high performance and that risk becoming obsolete as the industry moves to 200Mbps, 300 Mbps and future 400Mbps. Our new MONTGO chipset solves these two problems: it’s very competitively priced at $5.55 and can interoperate with 200Mbps and future 400Mbps powerline products. This provides a very compelling proposition to device manufacturers, service providers and consumers."
Jorge Marcos, Product Manager at DS2 added, "Our market research clearly shows that one of the biggest concerns for device manufacturers developing Powerline products in the medium-speed segment is that they are forced to deal with a single solution that, until today, did not face competition in that segment and which does not deliver interoperability. We are convinced that DS2’s latest offering will introduce some healthy competition and will allow device manufacturers to develop 100 Mbps products for data networking applications that interoperate with 200Mbps and 400Mbps generations."
MONTGO will be sampling during Q1 2008 and will be available in volume during Q2 2008. The chipset (comprised of the DSS8101 PHY/MAC chip and the DSS7800 AFE chip) will be priced at $5.55 in volume.
