The University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory (UNH-IOL) has announced that the organization will host an IP Transit industry plugfest, providing participants the opportunity to perform interoperability testing of devices in compliance with the Precision Time Protocol IEEE (News - Alert) 1588-2008 standard.
UNH-IOL is an independent provider of broad-based testing and standards conformance services for the networking industry. The Precision Time Protocol Interoperability plugfest is scheduled to take place from Sept. 27 – Sept. 29 at the UNH-IOL’s (News - Alert) 32,000+ square foot facility in Durham, N.H.
Company officials said that the plugfest will be held in association with the 2010 International IEEE Symposium on Precision Clock Synchronization (ISPCS) for measurement, control and communication.
Since there is an increase use of Ethernet in networked measurement and control systems, an alternative to existing protocols was required that could increase the accuracy of clock synchronization while minimizing the cost of implementation, said University officials.
Originally published in 2002 and revised in 2008 as IEEE 1588-2008, the standard allows a variety of industries -- telecommunications, industrial automation, power transmission, test and measurement and consumer electronics -- to increase timing accuracies, minimize network administration and resources, and adapt to low-cost and low-end devices.
“Being able to reduce costs while increasing accuracy is why we’ve seen an increased demand for IEEE 1588-2008 complaint devices,” said Jon Beckwith, senior engineer for the UNH-IOL.
Beckwith said that by using the UNH-IOL as an independent lab or as an extension of internal testing labs, member companies have an economical way to test their products against existing profiles, and direct involvement on where to focus testing in the future.
As an independent organization, the UNH-IOL is committed to neutral testing of open standards technology. Thanks to the lab’s plugfests, participating companies can test their devices and identify interoperability issues early, speeding go to market time for products.
In addition to plugfests, the UNH-IOL offers a variety of testing programs, or consortiums, representing a collaboration of industry leaders in network equipment, test equipment and industry forums, as well as service providers.
As a plugfest participant, IXXAT, a supplier of data communication technology for the automation and automotive industry, is a strong proponent of the UNH-IOL’s involvement in the ISPCS Symposium.
Bill Seitz, director at IXXAT, said that the lab’s plugfest combines their staff’s extensive knowledge and expertise in the area of Ethernet and networking technologies, with a vendor-neutral approach.
“It’s one of the most efficient ways to test product interoperability and get early insights into any adjustments we could make to our products,” Seitz said.
In July, UNH-IOL launched a new consortium for companies preparing products for the IEEE 802.3ba standard for high-speed Ethernet.
Anshu Shrivastava is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Anshu’s articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by Erin Monda