RapidIO Releases Flow Control Extensions for Data Plane Applications

Enables Immediate Development of Robust, High-Utilization Communication Systems

Austin, Texas – (September 15, 2003) – Capping an 18-month effort, the RapidIO Trade Association today released its Flow Control Extensions Specification that provides congestion control for medium-rate data plane applications using the RapidIO interconnect architecture. These end-to-end flow control extensions enable the immediate development of cost-effective, RapidIO-based communications applications such as media gateways, radio network controllers (RNCs) and routers used in mobile networks, and complement its existing link-based flow control technology.

“Simulation tests verify that these extensions provide the high data flow and throughput needed for robust, high-utilization communications systems,” says Ericsson’s Lars-Göran Petersen, expert in packet switching technologies, and chair of the RapidIO Flow Control Task Group that began its efforts in January, 2002. “OEMs will benefit from the wide range of standards-based, interoperable products ranging from RapidIO silicon to board and box-level solutions.”

“Agere is excited about the release of these flow control extensions because it’s the best step forward in the evolution of RapidIO,” said Mike Elser, senior marketing manager with Agere Systems. “Flow control extensions add to the number of applications within communications equipment that can be implemented using the RapidIO interface with either ASICs or standard products. Most importantly, hot pluggability gets more robust and more implementable with flow control.” Part of Agere’s contributions to the work group was extensive simulation of flow control in a RapidIO system.

Ronald Luijten, manager of the server interconnect fabric group at IBM’s Zurich Research Laboratory, adds: “This new extension increases the performance of the RapidIO standard by avoiding congestion at high utilization. The significant progress is based on a congestion control scheme we have contributed to RapidIO leveraging our unique expertise in interconnect networks.”

Jag Bolaria, senior market analyst with The Linley Group, notes, “The RapidIO trade association is building a common set of OEM requirements for data plane applications. For access, WAN, and MAN systems, these flow control extensions are needed for efficient bandwidth utilization across the data pla ne fabric. A single set of OEM requirements benefits semiconductor vendors and enables multiple suppliers for OEMs. These flow extensions should help OEMs and semiconductor vendors to focus resources on developing carriergrade solutions.”

Sam Fuller, president of the RapidIO Trade Association, said: “These extensions demonstrate how RapidIO is a vibrant specification driven by its members who truly represent the embedded industry, versus a onecompany standard. That’s why the momentum behind RapidIO continues to increase.”

These approved flow control extensions – ready for immediate design-in – can be downloaded from the RapidIO website at www.rapidio.org. The RapidIO Trade Association also has created a task group that is working on specifications which further expand the RapidIO marketplace by addressing the more demanding technical requirements found in carrier-grade telecommunications data plane applications.

Also available at the website is information on system-enablement tools including RapidIO vendor product lists, synthesizable Verilog cores, analog physical layer cores, logic and protocol analyzers, operating system support, bus functional models, and hardware interoperability platforms.

About the RapidIO Trade Association:
The RapidIO Trade Association was formed in June 2000 to drive the adoption of open-standard, high-performance interconnect architectures needed for high-performance networking, communications and embedded systems. With more than 50 members worldwide, this non-profit organization is headquartered in Austin, Texas. Membership provides early access to the specifications, the ability to propose changes to the RapidIO standards, and the opportunity to actively participate in the adoption process. A complete list of member companies, as well as education and design tools, are available at the association’s website www.RapidIO.org.

# # #