Tundra's Multi-Standard RapidIO Evaluation Platform with Texas Instruments and Altera

The platform allows customers to use the RapidIO protocol for DSP or processor aggregation, while leveraging the Tsi620's hardware bridging to low cost PCI-enabled processors. The platform offers communication with a variety of cost competitive PCI-enabled microprocessors through a PMC connector, providing additional cost saving opportunities. TI's 3GHz embedded DSP delivers exceptional performance in computationally challenging applications. On the evaluation platform, the Tsi620 interfaces with Altera's Stratix III FPGA to leverage RapidIO over XGMII. This results in low latency while leveraging the RapidIO protocol and allows customers to access RapidIO processor clusters from an FPGA without SerDes. The complete solution allows customers to reduce their time-to-market, and the bill-of-materials (BOM) in end applications by over $100 compared to other solutions.

System OEMs can leverage the flexibility of the platform as a standalone evaluation board or in a MicroTCATM chassis where RapidIO is running across the backplane. Designers can now go to market faster using this production-ready tool, to speed development and testing of application software and firmware.

The Tsi620 evaluation platform leverages proven interoperability between Tundra switches and TI's high performance TCI6487 DSP, said Sandeep Kumar, Business Manager for Growth Infrastructure Markets at Texas Instruments. TI's high performance application customers will benefit from the cost savings and acceleration to market offered by this combination.

The Tsi620 multi-standard Switch offers our customers the option of bringing RapidIO features to their high volume designs, that also use PCI peripherals and non SerDes based FPGAs. We are committed to providing the market's best solutions with our customers' requirements in mind, said Tracy Richardson, Vice President Marketing, Tundra Semiconductor.

The Tsi620 evaluation platform showcases the flexibility and performance of Altera Stratix III FPGAs, said David Greenfield, Senior Director of Product Marketing, High-End Products at Altera. Altera is the first FPGA supplier to support RapidIO over XGMII, which is used by the Tundra Tsi620's FPGA interface port. This support brings the features of RapidIO to our non SerDes based FPGAs, and gives our customers an option to achieve latency advantages without the overhead of a SerDes for short reach RapidIO link applications.

Tundra continues to bring innovative RapidIO solutions to the market, expanding the growing RapidIO ecosystem. The Tsi620 multi-standard evaluation platform offers the performance of RapidIO to silicon without RapidIO endpoints allowing system vendors to quickly develop applications leveraging RapidIO, PCI and non SerDes FPGAs that result in high performance with low BOM cost, said Tom Cox, Executive Director, RapidIO Trade Association.