Digital Keystone and SCM Microsystems have announced the availability of HPNX, a new test and development platform for verifying product compliance with CableLabs' OpenCable specifications.

An official release informs that HPNX verifies conformance of digital televisions, set-top boxes and other products built to the CableLabs OpenCable specifications, which enable delivery of digital cable services and High Definition TV from the cable operator to consumer electronics devices. HPNX is based on technology licensed from Digital Keystone, and was developed in cooperation with CableLabs.

SCM Microsystems will manufacture and distribute HPNX worldwide. HPNX is available for immediate delivery, with systems from $16,000, depending on volume. The release states that HPNX helps manufacturers to rapidly design and test new consumer products that conform to the OpenCable specifications and offer the rich viewing experience of digital cable television. The OpenCable specifications were developed to serve two purposes: portability and interoperability. Portability means that a piece of consumer hardware, such as a set-top box, can be moved from one cable system to another, and it will still operate. Interoperability means that a piece of hardware made by any manufacturer will work on any cable operator's system.

Compliance with the OpenCable specifications ensures that the various reception components, including set-top boxes, receivers embedded in digital television sets and removable security modules, known as PODs (Point of Deployment), will work with any conditional access encryption software, as well as with each other.

HPNX provides a single, cost effective environment for testing cross-device integration, interoperability, and specification conformance. Suitable for all manufacturers and cable operators, HPNX enables the rapid development and validation of POD-enabled digital television decryption devices and networks at a fraction of the time and cost of traditional methods.

Although HPNX will assist manufacturers in internally testing for conformance to the OpenCable specifications, CableLabs is responsible for performing the actual OpenCable certification testing. Today CableLabs uses the HPNX tool for several portions of the OpenCable certification testing.

President and CEO Digital keystone Paolo Siccardo said, "The December 2002 agreement between the consumer electronics and cable industries on a common specification for digital television receivers has opened the market for OpenCable-based products. Consumer electronics companies are making a big push to assure product availability in retail distribution and to meet anticipated consumer demand. Digital Keystone is proud to be at the forefront of digital television technology with HPNX, and excited by the opportunity to launch our solutions in partnership with SCM, a pioneer in digital television."

Digital Keystone develops digital entertainment solutions to access digital content over broadband networks.SCM Microsystems claims to be a leading supplier of solutions that open the digital world by enabling people to conveniently access digital content and services.