The Persona scalable design platform from Broadcom features advanced 65-nm Internet protocol (IP) communications processors that permit a full range of high-performance, low-power, low-cost products for next-generation IP phones and multimedia terminals. Based on the company’s BCM11107 voice over IP (VoIP) processor, it enables enterprise and consumer IP phones to offer multimedia capabilities, premium audio, robust Ethernet switching, enhanced security, and extensive peripheral support.

Article Tools

• 

As enterprise telephony moves from a digital infrastructure to IP-based communications, phone manufacturers are challenged to deliver distinct feature sets for a range of IP device categories from low-end, value phones to high-end multimedia terminals with user interfaces and advanced applications similar to today’s popular smart phones. At the same time, economic and environmental concerns are forcing manufacturers to generate lower-cost IP phone designs that serve the growing demand for greener solutions. The Persona platform addresses these trends, according to Broadcom, allowing customers to design a full line of IP phones and multimedia appliances with the cutting-edge features, robust security, low power consumption, and proven Gigabit Ethernet capabilities that enterprise markets require.

Based on third generation IP communications technology, the Persona platform offers feature-enhanced IP phone system-on-a-chip (SoC) solutions for each product segment. This includes the Broadcom BCM11107 for higher-end gigabit multimedia telephony applications, the BCM11109 for mainstream gigabit enterprise applications, and the BCM11170 for value-line and low-end enterprise, small-to-medium-sized business (SMB) and small office/home office (SoHo) applications. Utilizing pin-compatible Persona devices, manufacturers can leverage a common hardware design and printed-circuit boards (PCBs) across multiple products, reducing overall component and manufacturing costs while streamlining software and hardware resources.

Each single-chip Persona device features a Gigabit or Fast Ethernet switch with packet filtering capabilities and physical-layer devices (PHYs) to support high-speed networks, super-wideband-capable analog audio codecs, and high-performance applications and digital signal processors that support Broadcom’s PhonexChange IP telephony software suite. PhonexChange is a flexible software platform used across all Broadcom IP phone solutions, allowing IP phone customers to leverage a common software code base across product portfolios, which in turn minimizes engineering development resources and time-to-market.

The software suite includes a standards-based Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) signaling stack, Broadcom’s high-fidelity SmartAudio voice enhancement technology, multimedia and video telephony modules, provisioning and security software, and other key components required to build Ethernet IP phone products. PhonexChange also includes built-in support for Broadcom’s Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity products, allowing OEMs to add best-in-class wireless technologies to expand functionality for next-generation products.

According to Broadcom, SmartAudio significantly improves audio quality over IP networks. It includes the company’s high-quality acoustic echo cancellation, advanced Jitter Buffer, high-definition voice speech technologies, and packet loss concealment (PLC), which compensates for lost data packets, ensuring the delivery of clear digital voice communications.

The Persona platform requires 30% less power than competitive solutions, Broadcom says, meeting the growing demand for “green phone” products and enabling OEMs to build Class II Gigabit Multimedia Ethernet phones and Class I Fast Ethernet IP phones. The devices further leverage advanced power-down modes to appropriately manage power consumption during system standby, idle, or low-usage periods, enabling end products that comply with green initiative standards. The platform also utilizes packaging materials free of lead and certain other toxins, enabling greener SoC products for the scalable VoIP market.

Broadcom technology already enables unique user interfaces on popular smart-phone handsets and MP3 players, and it now delivers these popular features to IP communications products. The Persona processor enables these user experiences while providing an electrical bill-of-materials (BOM) cost savings of almost 26% for mainstream enterprise high-volume IP phones. The combination of the BCM11107 processor and PhonexChange firmware also delivers security-enhanced packet processing, security-enhanced voice processing, and switching technologies that provide the quality of service (QoS) and reliability necessary for enterprise telephony applications.

The BCM11107 processor features multimedia capabilities that integrate an LCD controller, video decode capabilities, and support for sharp 2D graphics. In conjunction with the BCM11181 multimedia co-processor, the BCM11107 enables video conferencing and 3D graphics. The BCM11181 co-processor is based on Broadcom’s BCM2727 mobile multimedia processor and VideoCore multimedia architecture. The BCM11107, BCM11109, BCM11170, and BCM11181 Persona platform processors, PhonexChange firmware, reference designs, and development kits are now sampling to early access customers. Pricing is available upon request.