Broadcom Corp.  has introduced what it claims is the industry's first 100-Gbps full-duplex network processor unit (NPU) that will enable the next wave of 100-Gigabit Ethernet (100GbE) optimized switches and routers for service provider networks.

The fully programmable BCM88030 family features 64 custom processors running at 1 GHz, delivering more than twice the throughput of any NPU on the market, according to Broadcom. The company also claims that the BCM88030 has the industry's highest level of integration, thus eliminating external components and reducing system cost and power by up to 80 percent per 10GbE port.

Built on the XGS Core packet processing architecture, the BCM88030 family delivers a feature-rich application at 100GbE full duplex for complex service provider switching and routing requirements, Broadcom continues. It incorporates an array of high-speed processors, multi-threading, and hardware acceleration for functions such as packet parsing, classification, and look-ups. The BCM88030 family is completely user programmable, enabling a highly flexible forwarding NPU that ensures support for the most demanding applications, both existing and future, Broadcom asserts.

The BCM88030 NPU family also includes a proprietary algorithmic look-up engine using DDR-3 DRAM that enables scale for Layer 2, IPv4, and IPv6 tables while reducing system cost. Algorithmic on-chip access control list (ACL) capability is available along with seamless expansion using Broadcom's NL566xx knowledge-based processor (KBP).

Other features include:

    Integrated OA&M engine, 1588 timing, and Synchronous Ethernet, 10GbE.
    SerDes and 1/10/40/100GbE Ethernet MACs that reduce board space, system cost, and power.
    Seamless integration with XLP multi-core processors for control plane processing.

The BCM88030 family consists of three devices: the 100-Gbps BCM88038 NPU, the 50-Gbps BCM88034 NPU, and the BCM88032 24-Gbps NPU. All devices are now sampling with production volume slated for the second half of 2012.