10-GbE switch management tool accelerates system development

ControlPoint enables equipment providers to rapidly deliver high-performance networking and embedded switch systems with advanced functions based on Fulcrum's FocalPoint family of switch chips. For more on the switch chips, click here.

The ControlPoint suite consists of three software components: dynamic stacks, a software development kit (SDK) and development tools.

ControlPoint's dynamic stack module leverages the Unified Networking Software (UNS) from NextHop Technologies, a developer of switching and routing protocol software. The module builds upon the UNS framework to add Fulcrum's own software extensions, which expose unique chip capabilities for a variety of vertical applications, such as topology solvers for datacenter scaling, and congestion management extensions for backplane applications in telecom systems.

The SDK comprises TestPoint, Fulcrum's proprietary configuration scripting tool for automating production test and static configuration of FocalPoint devices in embedded applications; an intelligent application programming interface (API), which provides a sophisticated abstraction layer for interfacing the FocalPoint devices to the NextHop software and other applications; drivers for specific FocalPoint devices and other related devices and hardware platforms.

The ControlPoint suite also includes ViewPoint, Fulcrum's graphical, web-based FocalPoint register viewer that enables simple and intuitive viewing of chip status during software development, testing, and debug; an Embedded Linux Development Kit (ELDK) for the open Linux 2.6 kernel and the related compiler, debugger development environment; and boot code for a variety of embedded processor families that can be used as the basis for customer-developed system boot code.

Fulcrum will be demonstrating its new ControlPoint suite at booth 2453 at Interop Las Vegas, May 20-25, 2007.

Fulcrum offers several different bundling options for the ControlPoint Software Suite, from discrete stacks to fully-integrated turnkey solutions, depending on the customer requirements and availability of resources.

Fulcrum Microsystems, 1-818-871-8100, www.fulcrummicro.com