Gennum chooses TowerJazz's SiGe BiCMOS process for feature rich video crosspoint switch

NEWPORT BEACH, USA & BURLINGTON, CANADA: TowerJazz announced that Gennum Corp., a leading supplier of high-speed optical, analog and mixed signal semiconductor solutions, has selected TowerJazz’s 0.18-micron SiGe BiCMOS (SBC18) process to manufacture the world’s largest and most feature-rich video crosspoint switch.

Gennum recently introduced its new 3Gbps crosspoint product portfolio, which achieves exceptional performance, size and power milestones for broadcast equipment semiconductor solutions. This is the industry’s first family of crosspoint switches to combine video-specific features to more effectively handle next-generation video formats and the increasing data rate requirements in the studio.

As the broadcast industry continues its infrastructure upgrade to support next-generation video formats such as 3Gbps, 3D and UltraHD, the need to support multiple data rates and video formats will dramatically increase the size and complexity of next-generation video broadcast systems.

With the increase in video content being created, studios are required to store, access and package tens of millions of video frames per hour, driving the need for ever larger routers and crosspoint switches, which help manage the data flow both in and out of broadcast equipment.

As the volume of inputs and outputs grows, the size and complexity of the crosspoint switch must also increase, acting as a traffic signal. Gennum’s crosspoint switches manage the largest volume of independent signals, up to 290 inputs by 290 outputs, which deliver one trillion bits of data throughput per second—also known as 1 terabit per second (Tb/s).

“TowerJazz has been a strong foundry partner helping us achieve first time success on several products through their world-class models and repeatable high-performance SiGe technology. For this reason we chose them again for this breakthrough product development,” said Martin Rofheart, senior VP and GM of Analog & Mixed Signal Products at Gennum.

“The crosspoint portfolio extends our leadership position in delivering the most comprehensive, feature-reach products required by the world’s leading broadcast equipment manufacturers.”

“Gennum has consistently leveraged our SiGe process technology into winning products and we are proud to be a part of this latest success. In addition to the high levels of performance, the large die size, and bipolar transistor count, this product helps establish a new mark for the maturity of our high-volume 0.18um SiGe BiCMOS process,” said Marco Racanelli, senior VP and GM, RF and High Performance Analog Business Group, TowerJazz.

“As our customers continue to demonstrate, the SBC18 process platform offers a feature set that allows integration of complex analog and RF functions on a single die at performance and power levels superior to those of standard CMOS technology.”