Mindspeed Again Breaks Channel-Density Record for Chipsets That Increase Traffic-Handling...

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 22, 2001

Industry's Highest-Density Solution Also Includes Interface to Layer 3

Packet Processing Engines to Enable More Complex Multiservice

Switching and Line Aggregation

Mindspeed Technologies(TM), the Internet infrastructure business of Conexant Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:CNXT), today introduced the industry's highest-density channel controller for building Internet Protocol (IP) edge routers, optical access equipment and multi-service switches used in OC-12 (622 Mbps) and OC-48 (2.5 Gbps) internetworking applications.

The higher port density makes it possible for this equipment to transport more networking traffic at lower costs.

The CX28560 device builds on Mindspeed's proven multichannel synchronous communications controller (MUSYCC(TM)) platform, which enabled the industry's first 1,024-channel high-level data link controller (HDLC) solution. Mindspeed has extended this platform to 2,047 channels while adding an industry-standard packet-over-SONET (POS) physical-layer (PHY) Level 3 interface for seamless integration with higher-layer processing engines.

Mindspeed's CX28560 MUSYCC-2047 controller also includes a unique Flexiframe(TM) scheduling algorithm which optimizes internal memory utilization. Flexiframe enables dynamic channel configuration across a broad spectrum of bit rates for improved design versatility and traffic-handling efficiency, while allowing packet transfers of 40 to 16K bytes.

"The CX28560 device offers an ideal solution for increasing the density of channelized OC-12 and OC-48 port card designs," said Ali Mesri, vice president of marketing for WAN PHY products for Mindspeed Technologies. "It also can be seamlessly integrated with Mindspeed's framer/multiplexers and broadband access multiplexer, or BAM, devices to provide a single, comprehensive solution across all of the core line-aggregation functionality for combining low-speed T1 or E1 circuits onto higher-speed OC-12 or OC-48 backbones for more efficient transport across the Internet."

Technical Details

The CX28560 controller handles 2,047 logical channels at OC-12 (622 Mbps) rates to support (336 T1s, 252 E1s or 15 DS3s) and full set of 10 performance monitoring counters (MIB) per channel. It operates at Layer 2 of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) protocol reference model in support of SONET and synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH) transmission standards.

The CX28560 MUSYCC-2047 device's 32 independent serial interfaces support N*64 Kbps data streams at 52 Mbps for applications such as DS3/E3 transport. These interfaces also support Mindspeed's proprietary high-speed serial TSBUS, which enables data rates equivalent to synchronous transport signal (STS-1) transport. Or, they can support unchannelized data streams. In channelized applications, the CX28560 puts no limitation on the number of slots that can be assigned to an HDLC channel on a per-port basis.

Other features of the CX28560 device include a dedicated 8-bit POS-PHY Level 3 FlowConductor(TM) bus, which provides the feedback necessary to optimize data flow based on the amount of data in each channel's transmit buffer. The device features a 1.8 volt complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) core that is rated for an industrial temperature range of -40 to +85 degrees Celsius, with 3.3 volt input/output and 5 volt-tolerant inputs. It is packaged in a 40 x 40 mm tape ball grid array (TBGA) package and supported by a comprehensive design package including data sheets, software drivers, a user manual, hardware reference design and other system modeling files.

Pricing and Availability

The CX28560 MUSYCC-2047 controller is available in sample quantities and volume production is scheduled to begin in the third calendar quarter of 2001. It is priced at $375 per unit in OEM quantities of 5,000.

About Conexant Systems, Inc.

Conexant Systems is a worldwide leader in semiconductor system solutions for communications applications. Conexant leverages its expertise in mixed signal processing to deliver integrated systems and semiconductor products through two separate businesses: Mindspeed Technologies and Conexant.

Mindspeed Technologies is focused on Internet infrastructure products including WAN transport, multiservice access and broadband access for applications that extend from the edge of the Internet all the way to its optical core. Conexant's personal networking business is focused on digital infotainment, personal imaging, wireless communications and personal computing products that are used in mobile communications and the broadband digital home.

Conexant has headquarters in Newport Beach and delivered revenues of $2.1 billion for fiscal 2000. The company is a member of the S&P 500 and NASDAQ-100 indices. To learn more, visit the company at www.conexant.com or www.mindspeed.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This news release contains statements relating to future results of Conexant (including certain projections and business trends) that are "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: maintaining a consistent and reliable source of energy; global economic and market conditions, such as the cyclical nature of the semiconductor industry and the markets addressed by the company's and its customers' products; demand for and market acceptance of new and existing products; successful development of new products; the timing of new product introductions; the availability and extent of utilization of manufacturing capacity; pricing pressures and other competitive factors; changes in product mix; fluctuations in manufacturing yields; product obsolescence; the ability to develop and implement new technologies and to obtain protection for the related intellectual property; the successful separation of the company's Internet infrastructure and personal networking businesses; the ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; labor relations of the company, its customers and suppliers; and the uncertainties of litigation, as well as other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those detailed from time to time in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and the company undertakes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Note to Editors: Conexant is a trademark of Conexant Systems, Inc. Other brands and names contained in this release are the property of their respective owners.