IDT intros world’s first serial RapidIO Gen2 switches with virtual channel and security function

SAN JOSE, USA: Integrated Device Technology Inc. (IDT) has expanded its industry-leading portfolio of Serial RapidIO Gen2 switches with the introduction of its newest devices featuring virtual channel and security functionality.

The 16-lane IDT VPS-1616 and the 48-lane IDT VPS-1848 offer virtual channels on all ports. Virtual channels enable system designers to optimize the usage and bandwidth of links within Serial RapidIO networks. With virtual channels, a physical channel may be subdivided into multiple virtual lanes, and bandwidth-reservation settings guarantee user-defined throughput for each virtual channel.

This provides an additional level of traffic management, quality of service, and deterministic latency over other embedded interconnects. Additionally, the Serial RapidIO virtual channel functionality adds a Continuous Transmission feature that can be used for real-time traffic, such as voice or video, where it is acceptable to have minor loss of data to ensure real-time delivery of live traffic.

The IDT VPS-1616 and VPS-1848 also support the key features of the previously announced IDT CPS-1616 and CPS-1848 Serial RapidIO Gen2 switches including, but not limited to, 100ns cut-through latency and 300mW per 10Gbps of traffic.

The IDT SPS-1616 is a 16x1/8x2/4x4 Serial RapidIO switch with hardware-based AES-128 encryption. Enabling this optional security feature provides encryption to the transmit side and decryption to the receive side of up to four x1 Serial RapidIO ports.

Since the Serial RapidIO link-level crypto functions are handled by hardware, no processor intervention is required, reducing the overall cost of system deployment where out-of-the-box links need to be encrypted to meet security standards, such as in wireless LTE systems.

Serial RapidIO data packets can be scrambled while delivering the full 5 Gbps of raw throughput with no increase in latency for each x1 link. The IDT SPS-1616 carries forward all of the key features of the IDT CPS-1616.

“IDT has provided key functionality to the new switches in our industry-leading Serial RapidIO portfolio in response to market needs,” said Fred Zust, vice president and general manager of the Communications division at IDT.

“By including a hardware-based security engine within the switch, IDT is making LTE deployment more scalable and economical. In addition, virtual channels can improve Serial RapidIO network performance for better usage of available bandwidth and add a continuous transmission feature for use with real-time traffic, such as voice and video.”

By using the SPS-1616, wireless system OEMs can now make small form factor systems that are scalable by cabling boxes together. The device provides these systems low latency and high throughput between boxes without compromising security from the exposure of external ports. This is achieved without requiring expensive encryption processors, which add latency. By enabling this type of system in an economical way, IDT is enabling service providers to place more base stations further out in the network for better network coverage.

The IDT VPS-1616, VPS-1848 and SPS-1616 are currently sampling to qualified customers. The IDT VPS-1616 and SPS-1616 are available in a 21x21mm FCBGA package and are priced at $59 and $84 in volume, respectively. The VPS-1848 is available in a 29x29mm FCBGA package and is priced at $119 in volume.