Arabella Software adds PPP and TSEC Support

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Arabella Software Inc. writes “Arabella Software, a leading supplier of “Customized Linux and Expedited Fast Path Microcode Solutions” for embedded applications based on Freescale processors containing PowerPC cores, today announced two new additions to its EFP (Expedited Fast Path) Products – a revolutionary line of all software solutions designed to boost system-level throughput 10 times that of existing software packages. Based on Arabella’s Asymmetrical Multi-Processor architecture and using microcode acceleration blocks for Freescale’s communications processor module (CPM) and QUICC Engine, EFP products offer unparalleled performance on standard PowerQUICCä processors. The new additions are PPP and microcode support for the PowerQUICC TSEC – 1 Gbps Ethernet interface.

The EFP PPP microcode package is designed for high-speed PPP switching or termination over HDLC, Ethernet or ATM. It includes support for PPP, PPPoE, ML/MC-PPP, PPPoA and PPPmux. EFP PPP can be integrated into any operating system and protocol stacks. Traditional PPP software applications run on a PowerQUICC II at approximately 40K packets per second. Arabella’s Expedited Fast Path PPP Routing solutions run at 400K packets per second with worst case 64K byte packet sizes. This represents a 10 time increase in performance over what has been accepted as the standard performance benchmarks for the PowerQUICC devices for several years. Better yet, these significant performance gains are achieved without making any hardware changes. Since all the performance critical functionality is done in microcode, the end user can know up front what performance will be achieved before choosing the processor, operating system and protocol stacks.

The TSEC peripheral provides 1Gbps Ethernet connectivity for PowerQUICC-3 processors. Adding support for the TSEC peripheral in microcode means that the power and speed of EFP are brought to where they are needed most – high speed interfaces that software is only capable of utilizing to a very small degree. EFP is the only microcode package in existence that controls the TSEC peripherals and as such forms a unique addition to a product line that already stands alone in terms of price/performance.

“Since their introduction last year, the EFP products have been enthusiastically received by Arabella’s customers,” said Bruce Donadt, Vice President of Sales at Arabella. “These new additions come as a result of demand for support of additional protocols and features. Arabella will continue to provide more functionality and expand the EFP product line to enable unmatched performance on the PowerQUICC devices across a wide range of applications”

EFP products can be licensed as complete solutions available under a modified version of Arabella Linux, or they can be licensed separately as components and integrated with other control-plane stacks and/or operating systems.

Arabella’s EFP PPP product is available now starting at $30K USD. EFP licenses are sold as a one-time fee for each end product in which it will be used. Alternatively, Arabella offers an annual subscription fee that enables customers to use EFP with a much-reduced initial payment. All EFP licenses are royalty-free.

Arabella Software

Arabella Software specializes in providing “Customized Linux and Microcode Solutions” for Freescale processor based embedded applications. We offer a Customized Linux distribution for Freescale processors as well as our own proprietary add-ons. The combination of these components creates a truly unique and highly optimized solution. Additionally, Arabella offers expert customization and support services through its team of top engineers, each boasting over 10 years of experience in working with integrated processors, communications applications and open source environments. U.S. headquarters is located at 300B West Main Street, Northborough, MA 01532, Tel 508-393-4144, www.arabellasw.com.”

Link: arabellasw.com