DURHAM, N.H -- The University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory (UNH-IOL) announced that it will host an industry plugfest providing participants the opportunity to perform interoperability testing of devices in compliance with the Precision Time Protocol IEEE 1588-2008 standard.
The Precision Time Protocol Interoperability plugfest, which will take place September 27 – September 29 at the UNH-IOL’s 32,000+ square foot facility in Durham, N.H., will be held in association with the 2010 International IEEE Symposium on Precision Clock Synchronization (ISPCS) for Measurement, Control and Communication.
The Symposium immediately follows the plugfest on September 29 – October 1 in Portsmouth, N.H., and is a forum for researchers and practitioners from industry, academia, and government involved in the area of Precision Clock Synchronization.
As use of Ethernet became increasingly widespread 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. The standard, originally published in 2002, and revised in 2008 as IEEE 1588-2008, allows a variety of industries including 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.
As an independent organization, the UNH-IOL is committed to neutral testing of open standards technology and the lab’s plugfests allow participating companies to 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. Working together, the participants can decrease research and development and quality assurance expenses, reduce product time to market and drive the industry acceptance of a technology.
In May 2010, the UNH-IOL IEEE 1588 Consortium was launched and is currently accepting founding member companies. Consortium members have access to a comprehensive test bed that supports the entire spectrum of profiles under the IEEE 1588-2008 standard resulting in a cost effective and efficient way to ensure interoperability.
As a plugfest participant, IXXAT, a leading 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.
“The UNH-IOL is a proven leader in interoperability testing in a wide range of emerging technologies,” said Bill Seitz, director, IXXAT. “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.”
“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. “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. This open review approach allows for thorough, industry-proven testing and helps instill confidence in the industry.”
The UNH-IOL collaborative testing model distributes the cost of performing trusted, independent testing and validation through an annual membership. More information on becoming a member of the UNH-IOL IEEE 1588 Consortium can be found at http://www.iol.unh.edu/services/testing/1588/.
