Vish Akella, Ravi Sajwan, and Sanjay Sharma founded Ample Communications in September 2000 to develop “frame processing silicon solutions for high-speed networks.” The three co-founders worked together at Acclaim, which they founded and later sold to Level One Communications, and subsequently to Intel.

In July 2002, Ample Communications secured $21 million in second-round funding, led by CenterPoint Ventures and Rho Ventures, and including first round investors InterWest Partners and Storm Ventures, in addition to the company founders. An initial round of $17 million was received in September 2000. The company is fully funded at this time. Ample has 67 employees.

Ample’s frame-processing technology integrates multiple functions, including physical layer, framing, mapping, and data link logic into a single, merchant silicon device. The company currently offers the Nighthawk 10 Gigabit multi-protocol (SONET/Ethernet) frame processor and the Skyhawk 10 Gigabit Ethernet frame processor, which is a subset of Nighthawk.

The Nighthawk A2110 is a single-chip, frame-processing solution for OC-192/STM-64 POS, quad OC-48/STM-16 POS, and 10 Gigabit Ethernet LAN and WAN applications. Nighthawk operates as an OC-192/STS-192/STM-64 framer, a quad OC-48c/STS-48c/STM-16 framer, or a 10 Gigabit Ethernet LAN or WAN PHY.

The device provides full SONET/SDH section, line, and path termination. It also provides frame-synchronous scrambling and descrambling, channelization to STS-48c, and the ability to add or drop POS traffic at the STS-48c level. For POS applications, Nighthawk performs HDLC/PPP encapsulation for one STS-192c channel or four STS-48c channels. For 10 GbE applications, the device provides complete PCS-R, PCS-W, and WIS functionality and can be configured as a LAN or WAN PHY.

The Skyhawk A2111 is a frame processor for 10 Gigabit Ethernet LAN and WAN physical layer applications and is pin-, footprint-, and register-compatible with the Nighthawk for easy upgrades to SONET functionality.

Sampling of the company’s first silicon chipset began earlier this year, and revenue shipments are underway for both Nighthawk and Skyhawk. Both devices are incorporated into several commercial communications systems scheduled for delivery by the end of the year. Ample already has committed customers for additional upcoming frame processing products, which will be introduced in Q3 and Q4.

IDC’s market figure for frame processing devices is in the range of $1 billion. The primary competing devices are AMCC’s Ganges and PMC-Sierra’s PM5390. Ample believes that its devices offer more functionality, lower power and higher integration. The company’s strategy is to establish close engagements with early adopter customers.

Visveswar Vish Akella, co-founder, chairman and CEO (previously founder and CEO of Acclaim)

Ravinder “Ravi” Sajwan, co-founder and CTO (previously CTO of Acclaim)

Sanjay Sharma, co-founder and chief strategy officer (previously co-founder and VP of Engineering at Acclaim)

Marek Tlalka, senior director of Marketing (previously director of Marketing for SONET/SDH products at Mindspeed)

Manuel Yuen, VP of Operations (previously VP of Operations with Level One)