SynOptics Communications Inc, the Mountain View, California company that used to call iteslf Astra Communications Inc has started work on development of a 10Mbps IEEE 802.3 Ethernet implementation that will use a star topology, and run over AT&T’s Premises Distribution System. The company looks for an early milestone in the certification of its LattisNet products to the Premises Distribution specifications defined by AT&T. SynOptics also looks to work with AT&T on other applications of LattisNet products with the Distribution System. According to president Andrew Ludwick, The move to the AT&T environment with unshielded twisted wire and fibre optics is the next logical step for us. The upcoming introduction of these extensions to LattisNet will enable Ethernet to co-exist with either IBM or AT&T. LattisNet was developed to extend Ethernet flexibility within premises cabling systems; the original implementation was the first product to provide 802.3 Ethernet implementation at 10Mbs in a star topology, running over IBM’s Cabling System. The AT&T implementation will be developed using the same patented technology. LattisNet development began at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, and Xerox remains an investor in SynOptics, along with Menlo Ventures, Menlo Park; Paragon Partners, Menlo Park; and Rust Ventures, in Austin, Texas.
