Intel PEF21628EV1X: A Comprehensive Technical Overview of the Multi-Service Access and Transport Processor
The Intel PEF21628EV1X, also known as the PEF 21628 E-Node or MULSAR-28, represents a highly integrated system-on-chip (SoC) solution designed for the demanding requirements of next-generation multi-service access and transport network equipment. This processor is engineered to serve as a critical building block for modern telecommunications infrastructure, enabling the convergence of legacy TDM (Time-Division Multiplexing) and packet-based networks onto a single, efficient platform.
At its core, the PEF21628EV1X is a multi-service access and transport processor. Its primary function is to aggregate, process, and transport various types of traffic—including voice, data, and video—from multiple access networks over a unified packet-switched backbone, typically using IP/MPLS or Carrier Ethernet protocols. This capability is essential for network modernization, allowing service providers to support older TDM services like E1/T1 while seamlessly transitioning to all-IP networks.
A key architectural strength of this device is its high level of integration. It consolidates numerous functions that would traditionally require multiple discrete components. This includes:
Framers and Mappers: Comprehensive support for TDMoIP (TDM over IP) and circuit emulation services (CES), ensuring precise clock recovery and low jitter for voice and leased line services.
HDLC Controllers: For reliable data link layer processing.
Switching Fabric: An integrated fabric for efficient internal traffic management and scheduling.
Network Interfaces: Native support for a wide range of interfaces, including up to 28 E1/T1 ports, Ethernet, and serial links.
The processor excels in its robust support for pseudowire technologies. Pseudowires emulate the characteristics of a native TDM circuit over a packet-switched network (PSN). The PEF21628EV1X implements standards-based pseudowire encapsulation (as defined by the IETF) with advanced features for clock synchronization, such as Adaptive Clock Recovery (ACR) and Differential Clock Recovery (DCR), which are vital for maintaining service quality and timing accuracy in hybrid networks.
Furthermore, the device is designed for carrier-grade reliability and performance. It features sophisticated traffic management capabilities, including quality of service (QoS) prioritization, policing, and shaping, ensuring that latency-sensitive traffic like voice and video is given precedence over best-effort data traffic. This is crucial for meeting service level agreements (SLAs) in a commercial service provider environment.
In application, the Intel PEF21628EV1X is typically deployed in a variety of network edge and access devices, including:
Multi-Service Access Nodes (MSANs)
Wireless Network Controllers and Base Station Routers
Integrated Access Devices (IADs)
Carrier Ethernet switches and routers
Network termination units for business services
Its ability to handle massive amounts of mixed traffic with high reliability and precise timing makes it an ideal solution for backhaul aggregation in 3G and 4G mobile radio access networks (RAN), as well as for delivering enterprise connectivity services.
ICGOODFIND: The Intel PEF21628EV1X (MULSAR-28) is a highly specialized and powerful SoC that addresses the complex challenge of network convergence. Its integrated multi-service processing, advanced pseudowire emulation, and carrier-grade traffic management features make it a pivotal component for evolving telecommunications infrastructure, enabling a smooth and efficient migration from legacy TDM to modern all-IP networks while preserving service quality and reliability.
Keywords: Multi-Service Access, TDM over IP (TDMoIP), Pseudowire Emulation, Network Convergence, Transport Processor
