Startup Packet Plus Rolls Embedded Debugger Tool
By Mark LaPedus, SemiMD senior editor
Seeking to boost development times and fill a void in the communications equipment market, startup Packet Plus Inc. has come out of stealth mode to introduce its first product: an interactive embedded packet debugger tool.
The new P+ 1000 embedded packet debugger from Packet Plus (Portland, Ore.) represents a new class of debugging and development tools for the booming communications market. The P+ 1000 is a compact, standalone system that performs several critical tasks. The system promises to accelerate product development cycles and can keep up with the various protocols in the networking space. It brings a new and flexible hardware/software debugger to the packet level.
Packet Plus' Rick Denker
It performs packet-by-packet control at protocol speed operation, said Rick Denker, founder and chief executive of Packet Plus. Supporting any layer in the protocol stack, the unit also handles symbolic editing, packet injection, among other functions, Denker said.
Besides supporting any common security protocol, it also fills a major void. “There is a lack of commercial tools in the market,” he said in an interview.
For debugging and related functions in the communications world, networking test engineers use protocol analyzers, chassis-based loading tools, among other systems. Protocol analyzers lack the control and precision needed in development; chassis-based loading tools are expensive, according to Packet Plus.
Networking equipment houses also build their own, in-house custom debugging and test tools. Custom tools are expensive and typically require 6 to 9 months of development, according to the company. These tools are stop-gap solutions with limited features and are sometimes poorly maintained. Also, the problems with custom tools are getting worse as protocols become more complex.
“The paradigm for custom tools was great when product cycles were three to five years,” Denker said. “Engineers are spending more dollars for a tool that is less capable. We believe the paradigm is changing.”
The trends prompted Denker to start Packet Plus in 2006. “It’s only been in the last two years that we have had an active team,” said Denker, who was previously a co-founder of VeriWave, a wireless LAN test equipment company. Last year, Ixia, a provider of IP and wireless network test solutions, acquired VeriWave. Denker has also held senior marketing positions with WeSync.com, Logic Modeling and PMC-Sierra.
Packet Plus, a privately-funded company, is going after some hot markets, such as wireless. “We see this as a significant market,” he said, adding the market is also ripe for Packet Plus in the Ethernet and other WAN sectors.
Targeting the changing requirements in the communications market, the company developed the Packet Plus architecture. Measuring 7.5 in. (190.5 mm) x 5.5 in. (139.7 mm) x 2.25 in. (57.15 mm), the P+ 1000 itself consists of three components: design IP, FPGA-based hardware and software. The unit also makes use of a Java-based client, which is hosted on a control PC. To interface to other equipment, it supports an Ethernet and USB connection.
When in operation, the system embeds a small piece of intellectual property (IP) into the target hardware. This in turn makes it possible to have the tool available at first silicon or first prototype, according to the company. Its compiler-based generation technology enables the tool to support multiple and proprietary protocols.
The P+ 1000 performs several other critical tasks (Source: Company)
Meanwhile, the P+ 1000 can work with security protocols, including at speed encryption/decryption and key management. The system allows the engineer to view, edit, and set triggers as if the traffic is in the clear, and create specific test cases to validate the operation of security protocols.
As part of the announcement, Packet Plus and the Dini Group have formed an agreement. Located in La Jolla, Calif., the Dini Group is a hardware and software engineering firm. Dini Group’s FPGA boards are designed for use in ASIC prototyping, emulation, system and IP design.
The Dini Group has developed an interface card between its development boards and the P+ 1000. This solution will allow customers with increased control in the verification of networking interfaces at the earliest stages of the development process. It will help bridge the transition from the verification environment to the lab bench.
The Dini Group’s “prototyping boards work as an ideal development platform, demonstration vehicle, and provide us the ability to work with our customers earlier in their design process” Denker said. Mike Dini, president of the Dini Group, said: “This capability allows our customers to perform more comprehensive validation early in their development process.”
Through another Dini Group relationship, this interface will be available in Tektronix Embedded Instrumentation Group products. The P+ 1000 itself will be available in March of 2012 and pricing starts at $9,500.
Tags: Debugger, Embedded, Network Analyzer, Packet Plus, PMC