About RapidIOThe RapidIO Interconnect Architecture , designed to be compatible with the most popular integrated communications processors, host processors, and networking digital signal processors, is a high-performance, packet-switched, interconnect technology. It addresses the high-performance embedded industry's need for reliability, increased bandwidth, and faster bus speeds in an intra-system interconnect. The RapidIO interconnect allows chip-to-chip and board-to-board communications at performance levels scaling to ten Gigabits per second and beyond. In September 2003, a Flow Control Extensions Specification was released 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. In June, 2003, the RapidIO Trade Association announced plans to expand its application focus to fully cover data plane applications for telecommunications networks. The planned extensions will enable lower-cost standards-based products such as multiprotocol switches, 10 gigabit Ethernet switches, edge routers, SAN switches, DSLAMs and IP service switches. These RapidIO extensions, expected to be finalized in 2004, will retain compatibility with existing RapidIO switch and endpoint products based on the layered RapidIO architecture. The RapidIO Trade Association , a non-profit corporation controlled by its members, directs the future development and drives the adoption of the RapidIO architecture. For networking products, the RapidIO architecture promises increased bandwidth, lower costs, and a faster time-to-market than other more computer-centric bus standards. Interested companies are invited to join the RapidIO Trade Association. Members of the association have access to the RapidIO interconnect architecture specifications. Membership also allows attendance at member meetings. AMCC, EMC Corporation, Ericsson, Freescale Semiconductor, Alcatel-Lucent, Texas Instruments, and Tundra comprise the Steering Committee of the RapidIO Trade Association. The Steering Committee manages the Trade Association and appoints the Technical and the Marketing Working Groups. The Working Groups coordinate the activities of various Task Groups. The working groups are chartered by the Steering Committee, and chaired by any member composition determined by the Working Group Chairman. Co-chair positions will be used for critical functions. The RapidIO Interconnect Architecture is a result of a collaborative design effort between Motorola SPS (now Freescale Semiconductor) and longtime customer Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. This breakthrough interconnect architecture is being offered as an open standard through membership to the RapidIO Trade Association. To date, 40 other companies have joined the growing RapidIO community. BackgrounderRapidIO technology is an established, scalable, packet-switched, high-performance fabric specifically developed to address the needs of equipment designers in the wireless infrastructure, edge networking, storage, scientific, military and industrial markets. Under active development since June 1997, the RapidIO standard represents continued commitment of the RapidIO Trade Association to addressing the needs of the ever changing networking and communications marketplace. To learn more about RapidIO technology, please visit our Education page. RapidIO Specification 2.0 has been approved and released to the public, June 2007. The RapidIO Trade Association, a non-profit corporation controlled by its members, directs the development and drives the adoption of the RapidIO architecture. The Trade Association brings together the right ecosystem to help developers build embedded systems using the RapidIO architecture. Developers will find that the RapidIO ecosystem offers a critical mass of products on the market today – including a wide assortment of end-points, which can minimize the amount of bridging required in a design. The RapidIO membership represents a ‘who’s who’ of leading embedded companies. Companies interested in being part of this best-in-class team are invited to join the RapidIO Trade Association. Members of the association have access to the RapidIO architecture specifications, are able to participate in specification development, and can attend all member meetings.
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