Xelerated Reference Design Kits

The Xelerated family of Reference Design Kits, RDKs, are development platforms for the HX and X11 family of Network Processors and the AX family of Programmable Ethernet Switches. Together with the Software Development Kit, the reference data plane applications and extensive documentation, they form a start package that simplifies the software and hardware development efforts significantly and shortens the time-to-market for network equipment vendors. 

The Reference Design Kit includes the documentation needed for the hardware design and all the necessary software drivers and integration libraries. With the RDKs, data plane applications can be verified in hardware prior to integration in the target production system. Demonstrations and interoperability tests can be conducted with the RDKs as basis, proving both the data plane, and integration of the control plane.

Reference Design Kit
The RDKs include:

• Hardware Reference Unit
• Platform Software
• Data Plane Software
• Micro Code for Look-aside Engines
• Reference Documentation

Hardware Reference Unit
The Hardware Reference Unit is packaged in a convenient 1RU pizza box and includes the NPU, a host CPU and pluggable I/O interfaces. The pluggable interfaces allow the RDKs to support full validation of both traffic characteristics and data-path protocols. The CPU runs the Platform Software in a Linux Operating System environment for integration with the Software Development Kit and the control plane. Line and fabric interfaces come in different flavors depending on RDK version.

The front view of the HX and AX RDK, featuring 48x SFP.

• HX and AX RDK
  The HX and AX RDK supports 48x SFP for Gigabit Ethernet or 4x XFP for 10 Gigabit Ethernet. The fabric interface is of QSFP type, supporting 80 Gbps of traffic. 
• X11 RDK
  The X11 RDK supports 24x SFP and dual XFP pluggable modules. There is also an option for XENPAK plug-in modules for the line interfaces and a plug-in traffic manager module for the fabric interface.

Platform Software
The Platform Software is used for booting, configuring and managing the components of the Hardware Reference Unit and to provide integration to the Software Development Kit for debugging of the data plane applications in hardware. The Platform Software provides access to all NPU resources and also to registers and settings in other devices on the board. It includes drivers for the hardware and the simulator and runs on the local CPU. It is accessed over SSH or Telnet.

Data Plane Software
The Basic Bridging Application is a 'get started' data plane software intended as an introduction to Xelerated technology and an easy way of trying out the RDK. It supports  Layer 2 forwarding, and is included in the HX and AX RDK.

Xelerated also provides comprehensive data plane software for the Metro Ethernet and the Unified Fiber Access markets.

Micro Code for Look-aside Engines
The Xelerated families of NPUs and Programmable Ethernet Switches have unique capabilities in terms of flexibility for the memory interfaces. The programmable Look-aside Engines are adaptable to a number of different device types and suppliers, which allow the designers to optimize the solution in terms of performance and price to fit their particular solution.

Reference Documentation
The reference documentation includes Data Sheets, Design Guidelines, User’s Guides, Reference Manuals, Application Notes, Simulation Models and much more. There are also comprehensive design materials for the printed circuit boards. Schematics, Bill of Materials, Assembly Drawings and Gerber Files describing the PCB layout are all included.

More information is found in the RDK Product Briefs.