Embedded Processing & DSP »

RapidFET™

Fabric Embedded Tools Corporation

RapidFET™ Overview

RapidFET™ is a network management and diagnostic tool developed for the new
challenges
faced in today’s RapidIO systems. Whether you are working with early prototype
designs or providing customer support in the field, RapidFET™ can help you configure
systems quickly, isolate problems, manage system traffic, and capture device or system
settings in automated reports.

While Fabric based systems are superior to multi-drop bus topologies in many ways, they
are also more complicated. Multi-Giga Hertz bus speeds make conventional logic analyzer
probing techniques obsolete. Point to point protocols mean there is no longer one probe
point required for multiple devices and growing PCB densities make laying out special high
speed probe points for each connection
impractical. So what do you do when things inevitably go wrong and your limited physical
probe capabilities don’t provide you with sufficient information?

RapidFET™ brings to the embedded developer
a powerful graphical user interface (GUI) that lets the user visually interact with a
system map. Edit registers, monitor throughput, and change routing paths and much more by
simply clicking on a device or link of interest.

RapidFET™ Applications

RapidFET™ is an intelligent RapidIO fabric based diagnostic tool that can be used
for a variety of purposes:

Board bring-up: Use RapidFET™ to configure
each Processing Element (PE) in your system. Single step through Discovery and edit
registers anywhere in your system easily. Run diagnostics for hours while keeping a record
of behaviors in a fault log. Support new or custom semiconductors easily.

Application prototyping: RapidFET™ abstracts the user from needing to be a low
level protocol expert just to do basic performance testing. Discover, enumerate, and set
up routing tables automatically. Monitor parameters such as throughput and congestion by
opening a Watch Window for any given link. Leverage the RapidIO driver provided with
RapidFET™ – source code provided free.

Documentation: Architecture diagrams are easily produced, and standard system
configuration reports are essential and easy to do when you wish to baseline your design.
Documented Fault reports are simple and comprehensive.

Component testing: FPGA or ASIC RapidIO Processing Element (PE) verification and
compliance testing can be easily performed using RapidFET™. RapidFET™ supports
new or custom devices by allowing the user to create a custom PE device library file by
following a documented open standard file format. Switches and Bridges can be stimulated
to respond to a variety of types of transactions while being monitored
for a variety of performance or error conditions.

Support: Leverage built in diagnostic
capabilities such as routing table validation and automatic report generation. Set up a
secure Internet connection to your customers system and run RapidFET™ remotely!
Instantly diagnose down links, intermittent connections, and run basic diagnostics. Upload
register dumps, routing tables and run comprehensive diagnostics overnight while
RapidFET™ logs vital data for your reports.

Sales: Show your customer how easy RapidIO is to use. Use the RapidFET™
interactive
system map, to highlight your device and drill down into registers easily, change values
anywhere in the system, and call up User manuals for any semiconductor in the network.

RapidFET™ Feature Summary

Connectivity:

Ethernet interface between PC (client) and Endpoint (server) – local and remote
connectivity

Support for new commercially available endpoints and switches updated regularly -
working with you to keep you current

Server source code provided to easily support Linux, Neutrino, and VxWorks RTOSs -
using the RTOS you’re familiar with

System map:

Discovery and Enumeration – at the click of a button
Interactive map: Visual Register Editor, Monitor, Routing table generator – abstract
yourself from low level protocol

Open standard for Processing Element (PE) library – support your custom device
easily

System diagnostics and repair:

Link/PE status, training, re-routing, diagnostics, report generation, visual
indicators of system health – See the big picture before you visually drill down to
investigate details

Watch Window – Set up a Watch Window on any system register value and set alarms
based on triggers values

System monitor:

Performance – Monitor Congestion, Throughput, Utilization at the click of a
button

Visual Register Editor – Local or remote devices in the network without needing to
know what a “hop count” is

RapidIO Drivers:

Standard RapidIO Driver – Get a jump start on customizing your application with a
free driver

Reporting capability:

Generate reports based on error monitoring in real time, system routing table
reports, device registers and more – Simplify your task of characterizing system
configuration,
behaviour, or performance.