marc@aria.UU.NET (Marco S Hyman) (11/03/90)
Ascend Communications, Inc., is introducing the first systems designed
to link host computers to the Public Switched Digital Network (PSDN)
via ISDN. The *Pipeline* is the premiere in a series of Ascend
products that provide access to PSDN services for existing and
emerging applications.
Each Pipeline consists of a base system, a selection of interface
cards, and resident management software. The base system includes a
system controller, power supply, and a high-speed switching backplane,
which connects the system controller with the interface cards. There
are two models of base systems: the Pipeline 17 holds up to 16
interface cards, and the Pipeline 4 can hold 3 interface cards. All
Pipeline systems can be mounted in standard 19-inch racks. Pipeline
17 models can distribute data from the individual 64 kbit/s ISDN B
channels to as many as 480 host interface sessions, and the
entry-level Pipeline 4 models can support up to 64 sessions.
Interface cards available in the first Pipeline release include
Network Interface Cards (Basic Rate) and Host Interface Cards
(Circuit-Switched with DMI Mode-2 rate adaption and Packet-Switched
X.25 with integrated PAD). Basic Rate Network Interface Cards support
up to 16 ISDN Basic Rate Interfaces per card. Support for ISDN
Primary Rate is planned for a future release. Pipeline Basic Rate and
Packet-Switched X.25 Interface Cards support AT&T 5ESS and Northern
Telecom DMS-100 central office switches and have been tested for
conformance by Bell Communications Research, Inc. (Bellcore), the
AT&T FACT Lab, Ameritech, and Illinois Bell. Packet-Switched Host
Interface Cards support CCITT X.25, X.3, and X.29 protocols and offer
both provisioned and on-demand ISDN X.25 over the B channels. In this
release, the Circuit-Switched Host Interface Cards support
AT&T-compatible DMI Mode-2 rate adaption; support for the de jure
standard, CCITT V.120, is planned for a future release. Both models
of Host Interface Cards support up to 32 ports per card, each running
asynchronous bit rates of up to 19.2 kbit/s full duplex. All
interface cards are interchangeable between Pipeline models.
Pipeline systems are available immediately; pricing depends on the
configuration. The Pipeline 4 Starter System, supporting 4 Basic Rate
lines and 32 X.25 packet-switched sessions, is $16,000. The Pipeline
17 Starter System, supporting 16 Basic Rate lines and 32 X.25
packet-switched sessions, is $22,250.
For more information contact: Jay Duncanson
Ascend Communications, Inc.
1160 Battery Street, Suite 324
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 397-9015
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