White paper examines RapidIO interoperability testing
-- Test & Measurement World, 3/3/2008 8:18:00 AM
The RapidIO Trade Association, together with Fabric Embedded Tools (FET), has released a white paper, entitled "Interoperability Testing and the RapidIO Standard: The Need for Repeatable and Quantitative Assessment," which identifies three key implementation challenges that often affect device interoperability. The paper offers embedded designers a detailed analysis of the types of interoperability and the critical need for repeatability in testing that will prove invaluable as they specify devices for next-generation applications.
Authored by Jim Parisien, President of FET and chair of the RapidIO Trade Association Interoperability Working Group, the publication discusses the advantages and disadvantages of relying on test results from semiconductor manufacturers’ in-house labs. It defines the criteria required for truly independent reporting and examines the benefits of RIOLAB, the world’s only independent RapidIO interoperability lab.
"With data rates moving to 10 Gbps, we are seeing ever more complex semiconductor devices and shorter product development cycles. As a result, OEMs don't have the time to prototype and discover interoperability issues in-house or to wait for hardware fixes before bringing products to market," said Ernie Bergstrom, VP, Research, and Chief Analyst, Crystal Cube Consulting. "Consequently, extremely thorough device-level interoperability must be completed prior to product design. RIOLAB, realizing this critical step, delivers repeatable assessments across multiple devices."
As the white paper notes, the only way to validate complete, true interoperability is to carefully test each device against the RapidIO specification and to test each device against every other device. Different manufacturers use varied, proprietary test suites; systems from the same manufacturer are often not homogeneous, and no one can predict with certainty every device that will be plugged in over time. As such, before investing in a device, OEMs are eager to ensure repeatable interoperability test results.
Tom Cox, Executive Director of the RapidIO Trade Association, states “This white paper underscores what I hear repeatedly from OEMs struggling to choose the right devices for next-generation systems. There is no doubt that OEMs are painfully aware of the financial, market, and business implications of using devices that don’t perform to expectations and standards.”
The white paper is available on the RapidIO web site at www.rapidio.org/education/interoperabliity. Note: current URL misspells interoperability.
