Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the Advanced Communications Riser Special Interest Group, or ACR SIG?

   The ACR Special Interest Group (ACR SIG) manages the development of the ACR Specification. The ACR SIG is an open, not-for-profit organization of adopters from the microcomputer industry. ACR SIG membership is available to the microcomputer industry.

2. What is the ACR Specification?

   The Advanced Communications Riser (ACR) Specification defines a form factor and interfaces for multiple and varied communications and audio subsystem designs in Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) personal computers (PCs).

3. Who are the ACR SIG members?

   Please see our member page..

4. Why does the industry need ACR?

   Reducing communications peripheral development costs and form factor size requirements, in conjunction with emerging and new communications technologies, drives the industry need for the ACR Specification.

5. Why not just use PCI?

   Compared to solutions with individual PCI controllers, ACR provides a higher degree of integration, lower component counts, better reliability and lower system cost.

6. Our design uses AMR cards, what do we do?

   The ACR Specification maintains backward compatibility with legacy riser standards, while providing a forward-looking standard that reduces the risks of early obsolescence.

7. When will platforms based on the ACR Specification hit the market?

1. Can an AMR card be used in an ACR Connector?

   Yes, ACR is a backwards-compatible superset of AMR. An AMR card can be plugged into an ACR connector and function correctly.

2. Do I need another type of connector for production?

   No. The existing "A Stagger" PCI connector scheme, used in a reversed and offset location, is how ACR connections are implemented.

3. What is "Advanced" about ACR?

   The addition of a new serial bus for enumeration, called the Integrated Packet Bus (IPB), support for dual MII, and USB interfaces, are but a few of the significant advancements in riser technology ACR provides.

4. What is the Integrated Packet Bus (IPB)?

   A new high-speed, broadband data transfer bus enabling both host and hardware processing communication solutions.

5. Who benefits from the ACR Specification?

   ACR benefits motherboard manufacturers, computer system Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM), and end users. End users will enjoy significant from ACR’s added connectivity options, reduced cost and simpler RJ-11 wiring schemes.

6. When will the ACR Specification be completed?

   By the end of February 2000.

7. Are ACR cards end-user upgradeable?

   Yes, the ACR enumeration process allows the computer system to identify the functions on new ACR cards and then load drivers accordingly.

8. How do we receive industry and agency approvals and certifications for ACR software and hardware?
   
   By using computers and riser cards developed in compliance with the ACR Specification,     OEMs can use the same certification methods as PCI cards use. This makes it possible to certify ACR cards independent of the computer system in which they ship.
   
   This approach allows risers to receive industry and agency approvals independent of the motherboard, reducing approval time requirements and accelerating design and release of new motherboards.

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Copyright © 2000 Advanced Communication Riser SIG.   Last modified on May 05, 2000