RIOLAB Corporation, the world’s first RapidIO Interoperability testing facility, today announced it has established a Qualified Vendor Program (QVP), designed to ensure its newly established lab utilizes the most advanced equipment to perform interoperability and specification compliance testing. RIOLAB also announced the first four qualified vendors: Fabric Embedded Tools Corporation (FET), Nexus Technology, Silicon Turnkey Express (STx), and Tektronix. RIOLAB runs a state-of-the-art independent testing facility that provides device interoperability and specification compliance reporting that meets the growing needs of silicon vendors and OEMs using the RapidIO interconnect standard.
“The Qualified Vendor Program adds value from every perspective. There is greater participation from ecosystem vendors, RIOLAB gains access to leading edge products and equipment, and customers of the lab can use and test their products in a real-life setting with state-of-the-art products that are compliant with the RapidIO specification,” said Rick O’Connor, chief technology officer at Tundra Semiconductor Corporation, the company that launched RIOLAB last February.
The QVP creates a mutually beneficial partnership opportunity for RIOLAB and RapidIO ecosystem vendors. Ecosystem vendors value the opportunity to be showcased within RIOLAB, where they achieve greater visibility of the interoperability of their products and equipment. RIOLAB benefits from the breadth of RapidIO ecosystem participation and products while becoming a world-class testing facility. The QVP participants have contributed hardware or software and have demonstrated compliance to the RapidIO specification. In addition, these vendors have agreed to work with RIOLAB to provide any upgrades or new products, ensuring that the lab is always using state of the art technology. Tektronix and Nexus Technology are delivering logic analyzers and bus supports, FET is providing software tools, and STx is contributing hardware.
“As a leader in the test equipment market, Tektronix plays a significant role in the development and support of the RIOLAB test infrastructure,” said Mike Juliana, product marketing manager at Tektronix. “Our logic analyzers will provide the RIOLAB customers with leading edge tools they need to validate interoperability. Tektronix is pleased to play an active role in supporting the deployment of RapidIO technology.”
Through the QVP, the RIOLAB has secured the equipment required for Device Interoperability Level (DIL) testing. Moving forward RIOLAB is seeking vendors through the QVP to invest in the development of a RapidIO exerciser, otherwise known as a mutant endpoint for Specification Compliance Level (SCL) testing. Any company that is interested in becoming a RIOLAB qualified vendor may contact the lab at [email protected].
“Establishing the qualified vendors program for RIOLAB not only ensures the integrity of results, but will broaden involvement from both the RapidIO ecosystem and the industry as a whole,” said Tom Cox, executive director of the RapidIO Trade Association. “As RapidIO hardware becomes more pervasive in the market, the need for a world-class facility, powered by leading test and measurement system equipment and products, is increasingly critical.”
About the RapidIO® Standard
RapidIO is an established, scalable, open-standard, switched fabric, designed by the leaders in embedded computing specifically to deliver the reliability, cost-effectiveness, performance and scalability required by OEMs building equipment in the wireless infrastructure, edge networking, storage, scientific, military and industrial markets. The standard is supported by a technology roadmap closely attuned to the changes affecting embedded infrastructure designers.
A wide range of RapidIO products are currently available including: semiconductors (DSPs, Communications Controllers, Switches, FPGAs, ASIC Library Support), software (Processor and DSP RTOS Support), boards and modules (ATCA Carrier Cards, AMC Modules for DSPs, Processors) and FPGAs. As products proliferate, OEMs expect RapidIO Trade Association members to ensure interoperability so they can design systems with certainty.
About RIOLAB™
RIOLAB is a state-of-the-art, independent testing facility that provides device interoperability and specification compliance reports that meet the growing needs of silicon vendors and OEMs. For more information contact: [email protected].
About The RapidIO Trade Association
The RapidIO Trade Association and its global members drive the RapidIO interconnect architecture. This ISO-certified, open-standard seamlessly enables the chip-to-chip, board-to-board, control, backplane and data plane interconnections needed in high-performance networking, communications and embedded systems. The growth of the RapidIO ecosystem in 2005 seeded deployment of RapidIO technology in next generation wireless infrastructure, edge networking and military systems. Over 2006, the deployment of RapidIO will be furthered through RapidIO Trade Association initiatives including interoperability, interworking, the next Generation PHY Release, and system-level application demonstrations. Detailed information on the RapidIO specification, products, design tools, member companies, and membership is available at www.RapidIO.org.
RIOLAB and the RIOLAB logo are marks of RIOLAB Corporation (Canada, U.S. and U.K.). RapidIO is a trademark of the RapidIO Trade Association, Inc. Other registered and unregistered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
© Copyright 2006 RIOLAB Corporation. All rights reserved. Information subject to change without notice.