Specifications

Starting With StarFabric:The StarFabric Connectivity Guide 9
StarFabric and Other Next-Generation Solutions
costs through smaller packages, simpler board design, less complex switching, and
lower power requirements.
If you are looking for scalability, HyperTransport is designed for chip-to-chip con-
nectivity for computer boards no more than two feet apart, making it more of a sys-
tem solution. However, StarFabric is designed for chip-to-chip, or system-to-
system connectivity up to five meters apart, making it a true room-scale solution
with greater scalability.
As for reliability, GigE may appear to be a good choice because it is based on well-
known Ethernet technology, but it also comes with Ethernet’s high overhead for
packet transmission and that means bottlenecks and latency for real-time applica-
tions. StarFabric’s minimal requirements for packet overhead means less latency
for data traffic than an Ethernet solution. StarFabric also provides the failure recov-
ery, redundancy, and QoS you expect to find in today’s established connectivity
technologies.
Moreover, StarFabric’s use of LVDS (Low Voltage Digital Signalling) means
improved signalling performance over greater distances and longer bus life. LVDS
is a low-cost, advanced signalling method designed for compatibility with future
processors and optimized for low power requirements.
PCI Express and RapidIO appear promising, but they are unavailable at this time.
RapidIO expects to deliver evaluation boards in 2003 and PCI Express won’t be
ready for use until 2004. More importantly, PCI Express may lack the advanced
switching functionality required by next-generation connectivity applications, so it
appears destined to provide an inside-the-box system solution rather than chassis-
to-chassis or room-scale connectivity.
StarFabric’s mix of performance, scalability, reliability, and availability makes it
the best choice for migrating from a legacy, shared-bus architecture to a next-gener-
ation switch fabric environment. With StarFabric there is no loss of your original
investment, because it is designed to provide next-generation connectivity while
continuing to support existing hardware investments. StarFabric lets you move
ahead with third generation connectivity while maintaining the value of your exist-
ing network investment.