The OpenCAPI protocol layer stack. See the full specification documents for details. (Image courtesy of the OpenCAPI Consortium.)
A Modern Standard for Modern Needs
The standard, expected to be implemented in products by the second half of 2017, is backed by heavyweights such as Google, HP, IBM, Xilinx, AMD and more. The consortium hopes that OpenCAPI will provide better computing and data center performance to the wide scope of industries collecting and analyzing ever-increasing amounts of Internet of Things (IoT) data, like finance, medical, Internet services, retail and manufacturing.
OpenCAPI is designed to replace the current Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) bus standard developed by several of the same companies in 2004. OpenCAPI is capable of a data rate of 25 Gb/s, compared to the PCIe rate of 16 Gb/s. It also improves upon the former standard with its data-centric design. OpenCAPI offers a high-speed pathway to integrate different technologies more closely with servers, and puts the compute power closer to the data.
The high bandwidth, low latency specification was created to simplify the design of technologies such as hardware accelerators, high performance I/O devices, networking and storage, and advanced memory. It’s meant to remove traditional system bottlenecks to improve server performance, translating to more effective IoT data analytics and machine learning capabilities.
Here’s a brief taste of what the short-term future of OpenCAPI will look like:
- IBM is planning to introduce POWER9-based OpenCAPI servers by the second half of 2017.
- Google and Rackspace’s Zaius server, currently under development, will provide the OpenCAPI interface in its design.
- Xilinx is planning to support OpenCAPI-enabled field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).
Putting the Open in OpenCAPI
The OpenCAPI Consortium has made the specification publically and freely available on its website. Engineers interested in learning more about the standard can simply register and download the spec documents, and companies can develop OpenCAPI products by either joining the consortium or obtaining a license from it. Membership is open, and the OpenCAPI Consortium provides reference designs and further documentation to aid in the adoption of the standard.
If OpenCAPI is relevant to your company’s products, it’s probably a good idea to get on board with the standard. After all, with tech giants like Google and IBM backing the specification, you can expect it to be around for a while. You can obtain more information, including the technical specifications and membership details, on the OpenCAPI Consortium website.
To learn more about IoT standards read: What Engineers Need to Know about Communication Protocols When Choosing IoT Management Software.