June 19, 2008 — Advanced Knowledge Associates (AKA), a manufacturer of miniaturized and reconfigurable system-on-module solutions, has joined the Small Form Factor special interest group (SFF-SIG), a new, non-profit industry group that develops, promotes, and supports small form factor circuit board specifications and related technologies. AKA’s PRISMs (Prepackaged Reconfigurable Integrated System-on-Modules) are increasingly being used by developers who want a small, rugged, flexible and high-performance platform for their latest systems designs. PRISMs also simplify the design process and enable designers to make full benefit of high-performance FPGA and processor platforms.
The Small Form Factor special interest group embraces the latest technologies, but also has a philosophy of maintaining legacy compatibility and enabling transition solutions to next-generation interfaces. Additionally, SFF-SIG seeks to enable practical, mainstream, real-world applications. Consolidating suppliers around standards, facilitating cross-platform interoperability, and architecting common expansion schemes are all goals of the SFF-SIG.
“With the emergence of their reconfigurable I/O-rich PRISM solutions, AKA is in a unique position to help define next generation Computer-on-Module (COM) form factors and we look forward to AKA becoming a key contributor to the SFF-SIG,” says Colin McCracken, president of SFF-SIG.
The SFF-SIG is an independent worldwide trade group based in Silicon Valley and is run by a president who is not affiliated with any single member company. Working groups are formed to address specific topics and formats in detail, for example low power x86 and RISC Computer-on-Modules (COMs). Incubator Groups are spawned rapidly when new or existing voting members have a draft specification or even a rough idea. Other members apply to join a particular Incubator Group, and broad inputs and reviews are ensured. After approval, specs are published and under strict change control for the long term by the relevant Working Group.
“AKA shares many common philosophies with the SFF-SIG. Like us, the SFF-SIG is concerned about all components of the system-level solution. Also like us, the SFF-SIG is committed to using the latest technology, but also supporting customers throughout the life of their project – which may be very long indeed,” adds Guy Marom, AKA’s CEO.