Press Release
Bus-Tech, Inc. Releases Next Generation ESCON Adapter
New Chip Set and Processor Result in Improved Throughput
Burlington, MA - January 10, 2002 -- Bus-Tech™, Inc., a leading supplier of data center connectivity products announced today the next generation of their ESCON adapter. The new adapter is based on IBM's ESCON Enabling Technology Ver. 4 (EET 4) chip set, which guarantees compatibility with IBM channel architecture. The CPU of the adapter has been upgraded to the PowerPC 740 processor. As a result of these upgrades, the new ESCON adapter can achieve a 50% increase in throughput on data transfers. This adapter is the basis for the mainframe connectivity of the NetShuttle and Mainframe Appliance for Networking products.
In developing this next generation adapter Bus-Tech, Inc. has uniquely coupled the capabilities and strengths of its rich emulation firmware and high-performance adapter architecture with IBM's ESCON Technologies. This combination provides the most robust channel connection solution in the industry for OEMs and third party vendors. The IBM ESCON "Enabled" technology provides full 17.5 Mbyte/sec. throughput, complete ESCON protocol control and ESCON Multiple Image Facility (EMIF) capability thereby providing compatibility with both the ESCON and SBCON architectural specifications and IBM's System/390 ESCON channels. Bus-Tech, Inc.'s rich set of emulation firmware and flexible adapter technology provides a turnkey approach to integrated channel attachment. With the emulation firmware executing on the adapter's PPC processor, the system platform is not burdened with channel protocol processing cycles, thereby providing a high-performance connection to the host.
"This new configuration of the ESCON adapter makes it better suited to handle small data packets," stated Ralph Armstrong, Vice President of product management for Bus-Tech, Inc. "which is exactly the traffic patterns one would expect in most SNA and TCP/IP communications networks".
The new adapter is a mother/daughter board design where the media card is independent of the processor board. A PMC form-factor daughter card provides ESCON connectivity with the EET 4 chip set using the small form factor MT/RJ connectors. The processor board houses the PPC CPU and the emulation logic. This same architecture will be the basis for Bus-Tech, Inc.'s forthcoming FiCON adapter.
About Bus-Tech, Inc.
Bus-Tech, Inc., founded in 1987 is the industry's leading provider of state-of-the-art connectivity solutions for the data center to Original Equipment Manufacturers. The company's powerful suite of adapter and platform solutions satisfy even the most rugged demands of data processing professionals for high-bandwidth, high-availability and high-performance connectivity. With more than 15,000 installed sites worldwide, Bus-Tech, Inc. is a recognized leader in the data center interconnect market. Headquartered in Burlington, MA, the company is privately held with locations around the world. For more information about Bus-Tech, Inc. and its products, please visit the Bus-Tech, Inc. World Wide Web site at http://www.bustech.com, send e-mail to , or call 800-284-3172 or 781-272-8200.