Optical interconnect technology for embedded computing is aim of new VITA study group
Posted by John Keller
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., 12 March 2010. VITA, the open standards embedded computing trade association in Scottsdale, Ariz., is taking its first steps toward developing an ANSI/VITA standard for high density optical interconnect technology in next-generation architectures for mission-critical embedded systems.
VITA is forming a study group to research advanced optical interconnects for high-performance embedded computer technology. The organization is inviting companies inside and outside of VITA to make presentations and participate in discussions with the study group.
"VITA recognizes the challenges with optical technology and feels that work needs to begin now to ensure the right solutions in the future," says VITA Director Ray Alderman. "VITA anticipates that systems in the future will depend heavily on cost effective high density optical interconnect technology."
Companies and individuals interested in participating in the optical interconnects study group should contact VITA by e-mail at [email protected], and put VITA Architectures for Optical study group in the subject line.
Since optical interconnects work best as a point-to-point connection, future systems are going to need much higher density supporting hundreds of connections in a single board or line-replaceable unit (LRU), Alderman explains.
The mission of the VITA Architectures for Optical Study Group is to research and determine the feasibility of developing a standard architecture for optical interconnects suitable for deployment in critical embedded systems.
The study group will focus on high-density options for backplanes and connections between line-replaceable units, mezzanines, and daughter cards. Critical embedded systems are high-performance, distributed computing systems, and they manage high bandwidth I/O; involve real-time processing; and are environmentally constrained in size, weight, and power (SWaP).
A study group explores the needs and ascertains the interest in developing a standard. A study group can move to working group status by meeting defined working group formation criteria.
VITA has set up a Web page at www.vita.com/voa to track information related optical technology. For more information contact VITA online at www.vita.com.
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