Taking aim at cable’s next-gen IP platform, Broadcom has introduced a DOCSIS 3.1-based cable set-top box reference design that also supports 4K/Ultra HD video and gigabit WiFi.
The design, dubbed the BCM93390VMS52, can support IP capacity of 5 Gbps downstream and 2 Gbps upstream, Broadcom said. Broadcom unveiled its first DOCSIS 3.1-based chipset, the BCM93390, in January. Intel and STMicroelectronics are among the known companies that are also developing DOCSIS 3.1 modem silicon.
DOCSIS 3.1 is being designed to handle up to 10 Gbps down and at least 1 Gbps upstream.
Notably, Comcast previewed a D3.1-based “Gigabit Home Gateway” at the recent INTX show in Chicago.
Broadcom, which is in the process of being acquired by Avago for $37 billion said its new chipset will also feature 10-bit HEVC-enabled Ultra HD video decoding (via Broadcom's BCM7252S), MoCA 2.0 (for in-home networking over coax), WiFi speeds up to 2.2 Gbps at 5GHz and 1 Gbps at 2.4GHz with support for the 802.11ac Wave 2 specs.
The BCM3390M DOCSIS 3.1 device and BCM93390VMS52 set-top box reference design with integrated 802.11ac WiFi are currently sampling. Broadcom said it is demonstrating the BCM93390VMS52 at this week’s ANGA COM event in Cologne, Germany.
"Competition among service providers is driving an increase in Gigabit Internet speeds and 4K IP video around the world. Broadcom is bringing to market an extraordinary set-top box reference design that gives service providers a platform to enable the best connectivity performance available today," said John Gleiter, VP of marketing at Broadcom’s Broadband & Connectivity Group. "With Broadcom's latest platform, service providers and OEMs can immediately begin to leverage the value of DOCSIS 3.1 to provide their customers with market-leading Gigabit broadband data speeds, the highest-speed dual concurrent 4x4 Wi-Fi for streaming Internet content to wireless devices and Ultra HD cable TV experiences."
