May 8, 2012 – Broadcom, a global wired and wireless semiconductor company, today announced the BCM88650 series, a 100 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) switching solution boasting the world's highest density. The newly released solution enables the design of a 100GbE port switching platform with up to 4,000 ports and integrates the characteristics and functions of a complete circuit card onto a single chip through world-class integration. Together with Broadcom's FE1600 (BCM88750) fabric, the BCM88650 SoC enables next-generation high-density networking solutions at over 100 terabits per second (Tbps).

Given that the demand for high-speed networks is increasing at an astonishing pace due to the continuous growth of social networking, streaming video, and high-bandwidth business services, scalable and affordable 100GbE platforms are key requirements for next-generation switching infrastructure. Large service provider networks require high-density core switching platforms equipped with 100Gbps interfaces to support increasing access capacities, such as 10G PON, while large-scale data center services with thousands of servers demand 100Gbps network connectivity from the core to the edge. The BCM88650 series is the only commercial silicon capable of processing a single 200Gbps stream from Layer 2 to Layer 4, equipped with advanced packet classification and deep buffer traffic management capabilities to support data center, Carrier Ethernet, and packet transmission requirements.

Analysts expect 100GbE technology to surpass the growth rate of existing 40GbE in its first year of adoption. Meanwhile, 40G has served as a pioneer for 100G in various fields, such as reducing component-level risk and enabling consistent networking for service providers and test equipment vendors.

Reduces board space, power, and system costs through excellent integration
The BCM88650's excellent integration enables OEMs to reduce system costs while saving board space and power. The integrated infrastructure allows system vendors to build a single, scalable product line that shares the same switching infrastructure to meet various densities and application requirements.

A carrier access switching solution with a total capacity of several hundred Gbps can be designed with only one BCM88650SoC, and a chassis with a total capacity of 25 Tbps can be designed for the core network of a data center or service provider. In addition, chassis of different capacities can be connected to each other to create a scalable core platform, and up to 4,000 line capacity ports of 100GbE or 40GbE/10GbE are provided.

Related trends
 Global IP traffic is expected to grow 20-fold by 2016.
 It is expected that 1 million minutes of video content will be transmitted over networks every second by 2015.
 The number of devices connected to IP networks is expected to reach twice the world's population by 2015.
Large-scale traffic growth is a current challenge for network architectures
 10/40/100GbE revenue is expected to reach approximately US$50 billion by 2015.

Key Features
 Advanced packet classification, Deep Buffer Traffic Manager, and cell-based fabric interface integration
 Integrated 1/10/40/100GbE network interfaces eliminate the need for additional components.
 Built-in programmable packet classification engine to support data center, Metro Ethernet, and transport applications
 Large-scale packet classification database that can be further scalable using other Broadcom/NetLogic processors
 Distributed scheduling deep buffer enabling state-of-the-art hierarchical QoS, transport reservation, and flow control structures
 Fully compatible with Broadcom's industry-leading XLP multicore processor, the NL8865x knowledge-based processor, for best-in-class control plane and extended L2-4 header processing capabilities
 Fully supported by Broadcom's standard API (Application Programming Interface)

The BCM88650 series is for data centers, enterprise, carrier access, and metro Ethernet. It is composed of various variants tailored to specific market segments or applications, such as transmission applications. Currently, all devices are being supplied as samples, and mass production is scheduled for the second half of 2012.

"Video traffic and mobile applications are demanding 100GbE and high-density line cards," said Jag Bolaria, Senior Analyst at Linley Group. "In addition, large service provider networks require 100Gbps interfaces and edge/core switching platforms, and large-scale data center services with thousands of servers require 100Gbps network connectivity across the entire network. Broadcom's latest 100GbE SoC series will strengthen its position as a leader by providing a wide range of silicon solutions for next-generation high-performance networks."

In addition, Eyal Dagan, Senior Director and Manager of Broadcom’s Network Switch business unit, stated, “Broadcom fully understands that next-generation data center and service provider networks require ultra-high density, large volumes of high-bandwidth ports to manage the exponential growth of traffic occurring today,” adding, “The BCM88650 series provides the terabit connectivity required for high-bandwidth solutions from the network core to the edge with industry-leading integration and broadband.”