According to recent reporting by Colin Holland in Embedded.com, the VITA Standards Organization (VSO) working group responsible for the VITA 65 OpenVPX System Specification has ratified the specification, which now meets the final criteria for ANSI ratification balloting to proceed.
The VITA 65 working group received the original body of work from the OpenVPX Industry Working Group in October 2009. Since then, the VITA 65 working group has been resolving the last outstanding comments received during the balloting process.
At the January VSO meeting, the required number of approvals was achieved, officially recognizing the specification as ratified by the VSO.
VSO acknowledged the contribution to the timely ratification process by Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing's Pete Jha, chairperson of the VITA 65 working group and Mercury Computer Systems' Greg Rocco, lead editor of the VITA 65 working group.
VPX is a broadly defined technology utilizing the latest in a variety of switch fabric technologies in 3U and 6U format modules. OpenVPX is the architecture framework that defines system-level VPX interoperability for multivendor, multimodule, integrated system environments.
The OpenVPX framework delineates clear interoperability points necessary for integrating module to module, module to backplane, and chassis. It recommends but does not specify development systems to assist in VPX system evaluation, prototyping, and development. The intention is that it will evolve and incorporate new fabric, connector, and system technology as new standards are defined.
"This is a major step forward in the process of reaching our final goal," commented Neil Peterson of Hybricon, Chairman of the VPX Marketing Alliance. "VSO ratification means that we now have a solid specification that can enable designs of compliant products to move forward and we look to see ongoing product releases of OpenVPX compliant products from our member companies.
The working group will now submit the specification to a larger body of interested parties for balloting as part of the process to gain ANSI ratification. This process is expected to take 2-3 months, at after which time the specification will be available to designers in the industry.
As of January 20, 2010 VPX Marketing Alliance members were 4DSP Inc., Aitech Defense Systems Inc., Amphenol, BittWare, Inc., Curtiss-Wright Controls, Inc., Diversified Technology, Inc., Dynatem Inc., Elma Electronic Inc., Emerson Network Power - Embedded Computing, Extreme Engineering Solutions (X-ES), GE Intelligent Platforms, Hybricon Corp., Kontron, Mercury Computer Systems, Inc., Meritec / Joy Signal Technology, Pentek, Inc., SIE Computing Solutions, Technobox, Inc., TEK Microsystems, Inc., Themis Computer, Tracewell Systems, Tyco Electronics Corporation, VTI Instruments Corp.
SOURCE: Embedded.com, "OpenVPX specification ratified by VITA," By Colin Holland
EDITORIAL NOTE: For more on this story, also check out Duncan Young's excellent editorial, "VITA 65 clarifies VPX interoperability profiles", at Military Embedded Systems. -- MV
