A packet telephony appliance includes a Euphony network processor that
integrates networking and DSP functions to provide a low cost and
efficient solution in building a networked appliance. In particular, a
Euphony ATM Telephone (EAT) is built around the Euphony network
processor. The EAT uses a real-time operating system to provide
predictable processing and networking support. The EAT implements IObufs,
which provides a unified buffering scheme that allows zero-copy data
movement. Furthermore, the EAT uses an Event Exchange (EVX), which
provides a flexible mechanism for event distribution, allowing software
modules to be composed together in an extensible manner. EVX and IObufs
are used together to provide highly efficient intra-appliance
communication. The EAT provides a platform that can evolve gracefully to
support new protocols, advanced telephony services and enhanced user
interfaces.