1394 Trade Association has selected TTCN for IEEE 1394 conformance testing

NOVEMBER 28--The 1394 Trade Association has bolstered its compliance and interoperability program, selecting the Tree and Tabular Combined Notation (TTCN) standard for 1394 conformance testing. The Trade Association board has also agreed to use ISO 9646-based testing in all IEEE 1394 specifications that include command sets or protocols above the physical layer, including updates and enhancements.

TTCN is a globally adopted standard test notation designed specifically for conformance testing of protocol stacks. The language was initially developed as a joint effort between the International Telecommunication Union and the International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission. The use of standardized testing ensures that all devices are tested in the same way and enables comparison and mutual recognition of test results. Several commercial tools are now available to support TTCN.

"The use of TTCN for compliance and conformance testing will complement our 1394 Trade Association plugfests to assure users and developers that products interoperate the way they expect," said Dave Thompson of Agere Systems, chair of the Trade Association Compliance and Interoperability Work Group. "Using TTCN for protocol specifications will assure that 1394-enabled devices and products are well tested, so users will have full confidence in the 1394 standard and in products that incorporate it."

The 1394 Trade Association includes more than 170 companies worldwide dedicated to the enhancement and proliferation of the IEEE 1394-FireWire-i.LINK standard. For more information, please visit the Trade Association Web site: www.1394ta.org.