Long Beach, CA; Bus&Board/2002 Conference — (press release excerpt) — Pigeon Point Systems announced today the immediate availability of the Pigeon Point Hot Swap Kit (HSK) for Linux. HSK for Linux augments the Linux 2.4 kernel to add support for inserting and removing (“hot swapping”) CompactPCI peripheral boards… without powering down the system. Hot swap support is a key enabler for using Linux in high availability CompactPCI-based applications such as telecommunications, where maximizing system “up-time” is critical. HSK for Linux takes full advantage of the strengthened PCI device support in the Linux 2.4 kernel; any device drivers that implement Linux 2.4's new PCI device driver model are inherently hot swap capable.

According to Mark Overgaard, President of Pigeon Point Systems, the HSK for Linux provides three key attributes: “(1) compatibility with the new Linux 2.4 PCI device support; (2) independence from any particular embedded distribution of Linux; and (3) a commitment to PICMG specification compliance, forward-looking architecture and thoroughly validated quality.”

The Pigeon Point Hot Swap Kit for Linux augments the Linux 2.4 kernel in two ways. First, HSK for Linux adds compatible extensions to the PCI subsystem of the kernel (such as support for adding and removing complete PCI device sub-trees) that are crucial to comprehensive support for dynamic PCI environments of any sort. Second, HSK for Linux adds modules that interface that dynamic PCI support to the specifics of CompactPCI. Linux 2.4, when augmented in these ways, complies with the General Use requirements of the Hot Swap Specification (PICMG 2.1 R2.0). The CompactPCI-specific modules are adaptable across CompactPCI hardware platforms and boards using APIs compliant with the Hot Swap Infrastructure Interface Specification (PICMG 2.12 R1.0). Pigeon Point Systems chairs the Software Interoperability subcommittee responsible for that specification.

Free evaluation versions of the Pigeon Point Hot Swap Kits for Linux and Windows are available. Please visit www.pigeonpoint.com to request an HSK evaluation copy and for other useful material, including a Technical Brief on the HSK for Linux.

 
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