Santa Clara, California-based Synoptics Communications Inc has announced LattisSwitch System 3000, an extension to its LattisNet System 3000 intelligent hub, which supports up to five fully-managed Ethernet networks in a single chassis. The product is intended to be a low cost route, since it uses existing equipment, for customers wanting to increase Ethernet throughput for their network segments or servers. The new product includes a backplane for the current System 3000 hubs, as well as several new modules: all previous System 3000 modules (including 10Base-T versions) are compatible and they can exploit the hub’s multi-segment capabilities. The LattisSwitch System 3000 also continues the System 3000’s support for Token Ring and Fibre Distributed Data Interface along with Ethernet in the same hub. Multi-segment Ethernet has been achieved by modifying the existing Ethernet channel A on the System 3000 backplane, so that it can be divided into up to four Ethernet segments. A fifth segment is implemented via a second Ethernet channel on the backplane, channel B. While existing System 3000 modules can be plugged into any segment on channel A, a new module under development will be able to exploit channel B. Three new modules are to be offered as part of the LattisSwitch System 3000 extension: these include a 24 port high-density 10Base-T module – enabling users to build networks with up to 264 ports in one LattisSwitch System 3000 – and two network management modules (with connectors for both channels). These are capable of managing ports on either channel, although existing single-channel modules can still be used on the A channel. Announced simultaneously was an agreement with Kalpana Inc, under which the two companies will jointly develop a six-port Ethernet switching module for the LattisSwitch System 3000, to be called the Model 3328 Ethernet Switching Engine. The product is expected to be available by the end of the year. Configured for Ethernet only, the LattisSwitch System 3000 upgrade costs UKP535, while Ethernet and Token Ring capability costs UKP820. The full works, comprising Ethernet, Token Ring and FDDI, will be available late in the year at UKP2,225. Purchased as a complete chassis, the product is UKP2,385 for Ethernet only, UKP2,715 for Ethernet and Token Ring, while with the addition of FDDI, again available at the end of the year, is UKP4,200. The 10Base-T module is UKP2,715, the network management modules between UKP3,300 and UKP5,185, depending on network management software configuration. The Ethernet switching module will be around UKP825 per switched segment.
