CompactPCI and AdvancedTCA Systems - OpenSystems Media

EDITOR’S FOREWORD
EDITOR’S FOREWORD
age modules, and PICMG AMC.4 specifies
how to use Serial RapidIO for module
interconnects. These are all nearly complete
or under member review.
SHB Express (PICMG 1.3)
Known as System Host Board for PCI
Express, this specification updates the
old, but still popular PCI-ISA Passive
Backplane Specification. SHB Express
incorporates PCI Express serial fabric
interconnects as well as cable-less connections
to important I/O, including Ethernet
and disk drives. Employing parallel PCI
remains as an option, so designers can use
older I/O cards if desired. And, yes, the
venerable ISA bus is gone – for good.
AdvancedTCA RapidIO (PICMG 3.5)
The work on this subsidiary spec is
largely completed, and the spec is out for
member review. PICMG 3.5 adds Serial
RapidIO to the list of fabric technologies
defined for AdvancedTCA.
AdvancedTCA300
(Appendix to PICMG 3.0)
This variant of AdvancedTCA details
the building of systems that comply with
popular 300 mm telecom equipment practices.
The Rear Transition Module (RTM)
is eliminated and the front board is shortened.
This is mainly a modification to the
mechanics of AdvancedTCA only, so it is
expected to become an Appendix to the
main specification.
MicroTCA (PICMG MTCA.0)
The idea behind this spec is simple:
plug AMCs directly into a backplane to
create small, cost effective systems for
applications that don’t need the processing
power or cannot afford the higher
basic cost of AdvancedTCA. MicroTCA
systems can be as small as a handful of
modules to larger, switched systems with
redundant resources. There is a great
amount of industry excitement around
MicroTCA, and first prototypes were
shown at SUPERCOMM in June. The
development subcommittee is working
to have a released specification in early
2006. See both the December 2004 and
the May 2005 issues of CompactPCI and
AdvancedTCA Systems for more detail
about MicroTCA.
CompactTCA (PICMG 2.50)
This group is working to define a set of
best practices combining:
■ Switched Ethernet fabric of
PICMG 2.16
■ Management of PICMG 2.9 and 3.0
■ Telecom clocks consistent with
PICMG 2.5
■ AC/DC power supply
implementation compliant with
PICMG 2.11
PICMG 2.50 also mandates the use of
a centralized Shelf Manager/Hot Swap
Controller and defines an external management
interface consistent with the
Service Availability Forum’s Hardware
Platform Interface (HPI) specification.
Other activities
In addition to its customary hardware,
board, platform level, and software specifications,
PICMG is broadening the scope
of work it undertakes by collaborating with
other industry standards organizations and
consortia to harmonize activities.
One such liaison activity is the PICMG/
VITA XMC effort, wherein the PICMG
members have organized to provide VITA
comments and recommendations for
the VITA 42 standard, which defines a
PCI Express fabric on PMC modules.
A much more comprehensive activity is
beginning as a result of PICMG’s charter
member status in the Mountain View
Alliance (MVA), a consortia of consortia
whose goal is to harmonize popular
industry hardware and software standards
to ease system integration. For more on
MVA, please see the Specification Corner
column in this issue.
Joe Pavlat
Editorial Director
RSC# 10 @www.compactpci-systems.com/rsc
10 / CompactPCI and AdvancedTCA Systems / September 2005