Testing the interoperability of VoIP interfaces

In order to guarantee a properly working network for VoIP traffic a continuous analysis of the quality of contents and services is necessary. In this application a Single Board Computer (SBC) based on a PowerQUICC II CompactPCI board from MEN Micro (Germany), is used to test interoperability of VoIP interfaces (Figure 1, courtesy MEN Micro). The system emulates multiple IP telephones or gateways. It generates the call signaling and delivers the signaling and traffic to a system under test. Perceptual Speech Quality Measure (PSQM) and Perceptual Evaluation of Speech Quality (PESQ) measurements are made in real time for voice quality analysis. The system executes Domain Name System (DNS) and network element registration. It requests and measures the capacity of servers to perform these actions.

Figure 1 (click image to zoom by 2.0x)

The main element of the system is an SBC based on the highly communication oriented PowerPC MPC8260 processor. The integrated Communication Processor Module (CPM) of the MPC8260 comes with three Fast Communications Controllers (FCCs), two Multichannel Controllers (MCCs) for Time Division Multiplexers (TDMs), four Serial Communications Controllers (SCCs) for High Level Data Link Control/System Network Architecture (SNA) Data Link Control (HDLC/SDLC) or Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART) applications, and two Serial Management Controllers (SMCs) for low-speed operations. On this card the channels of the MCCs, FCCs, and SCCs are routed to a COM extension connector for implementation of ATM, E1/T1, Fast Ethernet, or HDLC interfaces. The remaining ports are used for Fast Ethernet and UART operation. Different physical interface configurations such as RS-232, RS-422/RS485, or 10BASE-T are available for two SCCs.

Some features of the VoIP test system are:

• F6 SBC: 6U, 64-bit CompactPCI
• PowerPC MPC8260 (PowerQUICC II)
• Two Fast Ethernet channels
• Four SCCs, two multichannel interfaces
• One FCC for telecom interfaces, like Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), T1/E1, and HDLC
• Hot-plug functionality
• Linux

The original single Eurocard (3U) has been modified to 6U height to become the F6 card. The modular CompactPCI architecture allows the configuration of optimized systems based on individual requirements. In addition, the test set can expand as the network grows or new offices come online. The system scales from 1 to 3,328 two-party simultaneous calls. It accommodates from 1 to 13 10/10/1000BASE-T autosensing Ethernet ports.

European events

The Automatica 2008 exhibition and conference in Munich also hosted the largest German robotics conference. About 30,000 visitors from 90 countries came to Munich between June 10 and June 13 to see what more than 870 exhibitors from 41 countries had to show.

Highlights were the Titan KR1000 robot from KUKA, Germany (Figure 2, courtesy KUKA), which is the world's strongest robot. It is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records and it also got the "Red Dot" award for excellent industrial design, like several KUKA robots before. It lifts one ton at the end of a 3-meter arm, made up of six joints (axes) with a repeatability of 0.2 mm. The KR1000 is controlled by a ruggedized PC using a patented fail-safe combination of Windows (for display only) and a real-time operating system. The Titan was already shown at the Hannover Industrial Fair (see VME and Critical Systems, August 2008, (www.vmecritical.com).

Figure 2 (click image to zoom)

SMErobot is the name of a European project, started in 2005, to design and produce robots for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). First results were shown at Automatica in Munich. These robots, some just a third hand for the factory worker, are innovative, low cost, and easy to use. Established robot makers including KUKA, research institutes, universities, and small system integrators from all over Europe participate under the coordination of the Fraunhofer Institute IPA in Stuttgart, Germany. The Mechatronics Airport in hall B1 was using all kinds of experimental approaches to explain mechatronic thinking in an exciting way.

For more information, contact Hermann at hstrass@opensystems-publishing.com.