Aug. 14, 2001 – Munich, Germany – Infineon Technologies has announced the availability of SOCRATES U, a low-power, single package symmetrical, high-bit rate digital subscriber line (SHDSL) transceiver.

SOCRATES U integrates all analog and digital functions including a Utopia interface and SHDSL framer on a single device, making it ideal for cost-sensitive, high performance integrated access devices (IAD), cellular base station systems and channelized voice over DSL (CVoDSL) applications, Infineon said.

By combining the analog front end, line driver, microcontroller, tunable hybrid, framer, echo canceller, HDLC controllers and memory into a single 256-pin BGA package (18mm x 18mm), SOCRATES U significantly reduces the board space and power consumption required for access applications. For example, the total board space required for a complete SHDSL transceiver is less than one square inch, the smallest footprint of any comparable transceiver in the industry. In addition, very few passive components are required. The device also boasts the lowest power consumption on the market of less than 800mW, a figure 30 percent below competing solutions and matched only by its sister product, SOCRATES 4. SOCRATES U is fully compliant with ITU G.991.2 and ESTI TS 101524 standards. Utopia interface levels one and two are also supported as well as a universal time division multiplexing (TDM) interface. This TDM interface enables CVoDSL service.

SOCRATES U is one of the key products in Infineon’s SOCRATES(tm) product family which includes SOCRATES 4, an integrated four channel transceiver and SOCRATES, a single channel SHDSL transceiver with TDM interface. SOCRATES passed strict DSL Forum G.SHDSL tests in June at Supercomm 2001 and is interoperable with SHDSL chips from other major SHDSL chip providers.