This paper describes the application and architecture of an experimental research prototype Application Specific Integrated Circuit designed to serve as a generic building block of the future broadband ISDN (B-ISDN).The chip performs common Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) layer functions such as Cell Assembly and Cell Disassembly.A new Media Access Control (MAC) protocol developed for a broadband customer premises network is also integrated in the chip.The chip operation modes are controlled through a microcontroller interface.The chip interfaces to lhe B-ISDN through a SONET STS-3c Framer chip.The ATM Layer chip has been designed using 1.2 μm CMOS technology with a die area of 5.4 mm×5.4mm and approximately 27,000 transistors.At the user network interface,the chip can be used to implement broadband terminal adaptors and the network termination.At the broadband local exchange,the chip can be used in the implementation of cell multiplexers,translators,etc.
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