Real World Interoperability Testing

Interoperability testing is a vital step in the manufacturing process. The growing variety of brands, interfaces, standards and electronic functions make it a challenge for manufacturers to ensure that their product will be compatible with other devices. To verify that a product is fully interoperable, manufacturers need to thoroughly test it using a range of real world consumer devices.

Using real world electronics instead of lab simulations provides a more accurate portrait of how a device will function once it enters the market. Testing a product using a variety of devices can help account for the variations between different regions and brands. For example, a product that is only tested and verified in the United States may not be fully compatible with products and regional standards in Japan. Without proper testing, a product may encounter several errors: Product functions may not work, audio and video may be out of sync, or the device may simply be undetectable. For consumers, encountering incompatible products can cause product malfunction and headaches, all while damaging a brand’s image.

Part of the success of Allion’s interoperability testing is the variety of devices we use for product testing. Our comprehensive compatibility testing methodology compiles more than 1,300 consumer devices from all major world markets, including the U.S., Japan, Europe, China and Taiwan. This quarterly-updated list of devices is then ranked using a series of selection criteria, including sales ranking, satisfaction ranking and features, helping to maximize efficiency and streamline the interoperability and validation process. For example, our USB Interoperability Testing verifies a product using 75 camcorders, 322 cameras, 160 keyboards and computer mice, 88 card readers, 243 storage devices, 131 media players and 45 hubs. The results of testing help Allion guide manufacturers to identify and address factors that might prevent full interoperability. The result is a truly interoperable product, regardless of specification or region.

For more information regarding Allion interoperability services, view our Real World Consumer Electronic Interoperability Testing presentation slides from last month’s HD Test Solution Seminar & Plugfest.

SuperSpeed USB Adoption Poised to Take Off

For consumers looking for the latest technology, SuperSpeed USB (USB 3.0) offers an exciting combination of speed and performance – up to 10x faster than Hi-Speed USB (USB 2.0), optimized power efficiency and increased power delivery – and there have been a growing number of SuperSpeed USB products entering the market. According to a series of new market analyses from In-Stat, consumers won’t have much longer to wait for widespread SuperSpeed USB adoption.

In-Stat projected that the PC market will completely transition from Hi-Speed USB to SuperSpeed USB by 2014. While desktops have historically been the first to adopt new interface technologies, SuperSpeed USB adoption is expected to be driven by mobile PCs, reflecting the need for faster interfaces for external storage solutions. SuperSpeed USB is projected to take off in 2011, sweeping through the USB-enabled hard drive market by 2013. SuperSpeed USB devices will also become more affordable as shipments increase: From 2009 to 2014, prices for USB-enabled devices are projected to decrease by more than 20 percent each year.

For manufacturers, SuperSpeed USB presents a growing market with huge potential for development. Allion Test Labs has been an accredited USB-IF Independent Test Lab (ITL) since 1999, offering complete engineering, validation and compliance testing for every stage of the product design and development process. With Allion’s expertise and USB test service capabilities, manufacturers are offered a one-stop shop for product development that allows them to get quality products to market faster and take advantage of SuperSpeed USB’s growing market.

Demand for Wi-Fi Enabled Gadgets Expected to Explode

From laptops to cell phones to television sets, our desire to share information over broadband is making wireless connectivity a must-have feature for a range of devices. And, according to a recent In-Stat report, the demand for Wi-Fi enabled devices is expected to explode over the next four years as more consumer electronics incorporate Wi-Fi technology.

In-Stat projected that, over the next four years, annual shipments of Wi-Fi enabled appliances and devices will exceed 3.5 billion.

• Wi-Fi enabled “stationary devices,” such as TVs, Blu-ray players, photo frames and set top boxes, are expected to see the largest growth, shipping more than 200 million devices in 2014.
• Shipments of Wi-Fi digital televisions alone are projected to increase tenfold as the Wi-Fi attach rate (the percentage of products with embedded Wi-Fi) grows from just four percent in 2009 to 33 percent in 2014.
• Nearly 50 million tablet PCs, including the Apple iPad, and 265 million notebooks are projected to ship.
• Mobile handsets will remain the highest volume Wi-Fi enabled device, with 515 million handsets projected to ship in four years.

Reflecting on the rapid increase and expansion in our wireless use, , In-Stat’s Vice President of Research Frank Dickson said it is Wi-Fi’s “manifest destiny” to see ubiquitous adoption in consumer electronics.

For manufacturers looking to capitalize on this growing demand, Allion offers a WFA-accredited Wi-Fi Testing Lab and supports development, validation and testing throughout a product’s development life cycle. Allion offers manufacturers complete end-to-end test, validation and engineering services with 20 years of validation service excellence. By utilizing a third-party validation service, manufacturers are able to cost-effectively speed development time and deliver the highest quality product to their customers.

Allion’s HDMI Testing Solution Draws Attention in Taiwan

Allion executives recently gave a presentation on HDMI testing at the HD Test Solution Seminar & Plugfest in Taipei, Taiwan. HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a ubiquitous all-digital audio/video interface standard used to transfer uncompressed digital audio and video signals through a single cable. HDMI has been widely adopted across the consumer electronics market, making it important for manufacturers to test their HDMI products before the products enter the market to ensure interoperability with the broad range of HDMI devices available to consumers.

Allion offers a comprehensive HDMI Testing Solution, including HDMI interoperability testing, to help manufacturers ensure the highest levels of quality and compliance to the HDMI standard. Allion uses a unique test methodology, the “Allion HD Program,” that focuses on all current HD products in the market to ensure product performance and compatibility. One of the key tests that Allion offers through the HD program is HDMI Compatibility Testing.

HDMI Compatibility Tests consists of four main components:

• Electrical Testing: The comprehensive electrical test can pinpoint a variety of errors caused by factors such as component, Hot Plug Defect (HPD), firmware or PCB board failure.
• HDCP Compliance Testing: HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) is a protection protocol of digital audio/visual content transmission. This test determines whether an implementation meets HDCP compliance standards and specifications.
• CEC Compliance Testing: CEC (Consumer Electronic Control) is a protocol that provides high-level control functions among all of the various audio/visual products in a user’s environment. Allion’s CEC tests verify everything from electrical specification to device installation.
• Interoperability Testing: This test ensures complete interoperability in accordance with the HDMI CTS1.4 test specification, including the recently added HDMI1.4a specification for enhanced 3D content capabilities.

With HDMI so widely adopted in the consumer electronics industry, it is essential that products undergo a rigorous quality and compatibility program. The Allion HD Program covers a wide range of tests that offer manufacturers reassurance of their product’s performance, functionality and compatibility.

View Allion’s HDMI testing presentation slides from the HDMI Test Solution Seminar & Plugfest.

TV Broadcasting Signal Test for Brazil

Brazil has the largest television audience in South America, spurred by the increased buying power and financial leniency stimulating Brazil’s economy. In a 2007 effort to democratize communications and promote the development of local technologies, the Brazilian government began implementing digital broadcast systems in Brasilia, Brazil’s capital city, and 16 other major cities in Brazil. Current estimates are that the transition from analog to digital broadcast will be completed by the year 2016.

According to a recent study by DisplaySearch, consumer demand for televisions in Brazil experiences a surge every four years, correlating with the FIFA World Cup. With the 2010 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics both being held in Brazil, the government is capitalizing on the increased demand; Brazil will soon mandate that all TVs sold in the country include a pre-installed digital tuner. This mandate will be essential in popularizing digital TV and making Brazil the dominant television market in South America.

While Brazil’s growing demand for televisions presents several opportunities for television manufacturers, geographical limitations make actual TV field testing a challenge. Flying to Brazil from any region in Asia requires almost a full day of travel, and manufacturers need to take into account the unfamiliarity of local cities and cultures, as well as the language barriers the field engineers will face. And yet, without thorough testing, manufacturers cannot guarantee that their products will be fully compatible with the broadcasting signals used throughout Brazil.

To accommodate the rising demand to test televisions against the various broadcasting signals used in Brazil, Allion has returned with a series of TV RF signals, including ISDB-T and PAL-M, recorded in all of Brazil’s major cities (updated April 2010). Acknowledged by most leading TV developers, Allion’s Brazilian Real World TV Validation is a revolutionary testing method delivering proven efficiency and results; manufacturers can assess and guarantee television compatibility across multiple regions without having to physically fly engineers and televisions to Brazil.