Intel Corporation announced new technology that will enable the company to deliver the first fully programmable network processors capable of processing data at speeds exceeding 10 gigabits per second (Gbps). Intel's network processor and technology were unveiled during the Microprocessor Forum. Intel's network processor family consists of advanced, programmable devices that are used in networking equipment to rapidly manage and direct data moving across the Internet and corporate networks.

The new technology enables higher performance at lower costs by eliminating the need for specialized coprocessors that determine the flow of data packets into and out of a network processor. Intel's approach combines multiple processing engines with an Intel® XScale™ microarchitecture processor on a single chip, providing equipment designers with the flexibility to apply processing power to the tasks that are most important for the device they are building.

Intel's new network processor technology combines multiple processing engines, sophisticated software pipelining techniques, and distributed memory caching mechanisms to ensure sufficient headroom to handle the most demanding packet or cell processing requirements. The 10 Gbps performance milestone is a significant improvement over Intel's current network processors, which are capable of processing 622 million bits of data per second.

The new technology extends the multiprocessing architecture of Intel's IXP1200 Network Processor family. The new network processors are built on Intel's 0.13-micron manufacturing process, boosting silicon performance to 1.4 GHz, reducing power consumption and lowering manufacturing cost

January.2002

Intel