Revolutionary Router Introduced

Patton Electronics has made a significant impact in the connectivity market over the past 10 years. Now Patton plans to enter the access router market in 1997 with a ground-breaking new product. The Patton Model 2800 Programmable Access Router will apparently be the first Internet access router to use fully programmable Digital Signal Processore (DSP) modem technology.

Access products that are currently available use older analog modem technology or a hybrid of analog and digital technologies that still require analog-to-digital conversion. The Patton Model 2800, on the other hand, connects digital modems directly to T1 or E1 line at the board level, keeping the process digital throughout. Some of the advantages of Patton's all-digital approach are complete software upgradeablity (no hardware upgrades requires), full SNMP manageability from any port, and a highly compact (1U high) package.

Industy Praise
The Patton Model 2800 allows a T1 or E1 line carrying up to thirty V.34+ (33.6kbps) modem calls -- or up to sixty ISDN calls -- to be routed directly to an Ethernet LAN and/or a second upstream T1/E1 line. According to the trade publication "Data Communications" (Big 'Net Access in a Little Box, November 1996), the Patton Model 2800's capabilities will allow it to fill a significant niche in the access router market:

Modular access units for telcos and ISPs boast lenty of options -- and a price tag to match. Remote access servers are cheaper, but force net managers to shell out for hardware upgrades as technologies change. Patton Electronics .. has a solution for net managers who want the best of both worlds.

Full Programmablity
One feature of the Patton Model 2800 that makes it so potentially attractive to network managers is its full programmability. The Model 2800 harnesses between twelve and thrity DSP', plus an Intel i960 CPU, for a total of 1023 MIPS of sustained RISC processing power. When combined with 8Mb of onboard RAM, this allows the Model 2800 to dynamically transition between modem technologies without hardware upgrades. For example, the Model 2800 can be flash upgraded to add ISDN functionality, and can dynamically allocate processor power to handle any combination of V.34+ or ISDN calls. Future functionality additions (e.g. fax modems, DDS, ATM, Internet telephone) will require only a flash software upgrade.

Complete Management
The Model 2800 also allows full SNMP network management of all functions -- T1/E1 CSU, router, modem and terminal server -- from any port. This facilitates monitoring of detailed diagnostic information through the Model 2800's RS-232 port (PPP or HTTP protocols), Ethernet LAN interface, or two T1/E1 links. The Model 2800's use of "low-power" DSPs enables tighter component spacing due to its reduced heat output. The result is a compact, rack mountable enclosure measure only 1U (1.75") high, 17" wide and 8" deep.

Base Hardware Configuration
The PattonModel 2800 incorporates one inbound T1 or E1 link and can handle up to twenty-four V.34+ modem calls simultaneously (or thirty V.34+ modem calls in the case of E1). These calls are routed to an Ethernet LAN throughther unit's Ethernet 10Base-T or AUI port. Calls may also be routed to an upstream server (usually an upstream Internet POP) through the unit's second, outbound, T1 or E1 Frame Relay or fractional T1 link. An RS-232 port on the Model 2800 supports both SNMP network management and a user friendly HTTP/HTML interface.

Base Software Configuration
The Patton Model 2800 will initially be shipped with a full V.34+ (33.6 kbps) software suite -- including V.42/V.42bis error correction and compression--and a full TCP/IP software suite. The first release will also include the following utilities: RIP routing (versions 1 and 2), PPP and HTTP/HTML serial interfaces, and SNMP network management. Future software upgrades will give the Model 2800 up to sixty ISDN modem connections, ISDN primary rate support, Frame Relay support, fractional T1, Multilink PPP, multiple networking and routing protocols (IPX/NetBEUI, OSPF, EGP, BGP, AppleTalk) and Group III Fax support. All software upgrades can be performed by the user and will require no additional hardware purchases.

Applications
Patton Electronics expects the Model 2800 to fill at least three primary market niches:
Local ISPs - the Model 2800 will provide a single "POP-in-a-Box" that allows customes with V.34+ modems or ISDN terminal adapters to access the Internet.
Small to Medium sized businesses - the Model 2800 will let the company provide cost-effective I(nternet connections to users on LAN based workstations.
Large corporations and universities - the Model 2800 will give remote offices, satelite campusses and telecommuters a connection to the Internet by way of the corporate or university network. Other potential markets for the Patton Model 2800 include hospitals, schools, government offices, military bases and local carriers in developing countries.

Availability
The Patton Model 2800 Programmable Access Router, with all necessary T1 or E1 base software package, is scheduled to ship in the first quarter of 1997. Subsequent capabilities will be offered as flash softwre upgrades. List prices and scheduled delivery dates are shown below.