CompactPCI and AdvancedTCA Systems - OpenSystems Media

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GUEST EDITORIALMILITARY APPLICATION– and consumes less power. Typically, as thecomponents are closer to the cooling rails,conduction cooling can be more efficient.Building a UAV around a 3U CompactPCIsolution, such as Radstone’s RT4 Power-Pact application-ready platform, can generatesubstantial savings in weight, size,and power consumption. Figure 1 showsthe RT4. The RT4 measures approximately10 inches by 5 inches by 5 inches,making it less than a sixth of a cubic footin volume, and it weighs less than eightpounds. Yet it delivers the same processingpower as Radstone’s PPC7D processorin a 1/2 ATR chassis, which weighsmore than twice as much and occupies25 percent more space.Lightweight design surveillanceradarPerhaps typical of the military applicationsfor which CompactPCI is well suitedis the development being undertaken byTelephonics Corporation, headquarteredFigure 1in Huntington, NY, for Lockheed Martinin support of the US Coast Guard’sDeepwater program. Targeted at theemerging market that is demanding fullycapable surveillance radar in a lightweight(less than 75 lbs.), compact (twoboxes – 1/2 ATR Short Signal Processorand 3/4 ATR Short Receiver/Transmitter)design, and developed for use in UAVs,the project selected CompactPCI becauseof its combination of higher bandwidth(relative to VMEbus), support of a lightweight3U form factor, and interconnectability (via the PCI backplane). Beyondthis, the inherently open architecture ofCompactPCI gives Telephonics access toa range of products from potential suppliers,together with a powerful road map viaPCI-X and PCI Express. The companybelieves that the industry trend towardsMaximum Radar Processing capabilities,Digital Scan Conversion, and interfacesto programmable gate arrays in the areaof signal processing, together with theincreasing emphasis on remotely operated(unmanned) platforms and smaller,lighter solutions will see CompactPCIcontinuing to gain acceptance in the defensecommunity.CompactPCI in its 3U form offers benefitsfor space-, weight-, and powerconstrainedapplications that are veryattractive to the military system designer.Beyond this, the growing number of conduction-cooledCompactPCI boards isincreasing all the time, and the nature ofthe technology means that it is possible todevelop extremely powerful but relativelyinexpensive solutions: Radstone’s IMP2A(see Figure 2) CompactPCI processor, forexample, has the functionality of a 6Ucard in a 3U space.Although it is “immature” by VMEbusstandards, the military market is reassuredby the comparative longevity ofCompactPCI, noting that it has not onlysurvived but also thrived in an industrythat seems to throw up new bus technologiesevery month.But just as CompactPCI seems to becoming into its own in the military marketplace,questions are arising about itsfuture. The desktop PCI architecture onwhich CompactPCI is based is movingrapidly towards PCI Express with its substantiallyimproved performance. PICMGhas intercepted the concern with its proposalsfor 3U Express (and 6U Express),which will provide a native PCI Expressbackplane in the CompactPCI format andaccommodate legacy CompactPCI cards.RSC# 20 @www.compactpci-systems.com/rscWhile the military may be wary of thetransition to a new backplane, VMEbusis going through a similar transition withthe VITA 46 proposal that is designed toaccommodate upcoming switched fabric20 / CompactPCI and AdvancedTCA Systems / June 2005
Figure 2technologies with a redesigned backplane.In the case of VITA 46, military customershave indicated a willingness to acceptchange if it delivers higher performance– and it seems likely that hybrid solutionswill emerge in the case of both VITA 46and CompactPCI.When CompactPCI was first announced,some commentators believed that it wasconceived as a competitor to VMEbus.That proposition has always seemedunlikely, given that the two technologieshave contrasting strengths and weaknesses– which is why, today, it looks as if theywill coexist in the military market space,with CompactPCI leveraging its strengthsto take advantage of the move towardssmaller, lighter solutions. Manufacturerssuch as Radstone will continue to offerproducts based on both architectures.David Compston graduated from theUniversity of Warwick, England witha degree in Computer Science. He isa board industry veteran, having heldlead positions both in engineering andmarketing for Radstone for more than20 years. David is currently Directorof Marketing for Radstone EmbeddedComputing.For further information, contactDavid at:Radstone Embedded ComputingTove Valley Business ParkTowcester Northants UK NN12 6PFTel: 44 1327 359444Fax: 44 1327 322800E-mail: david.compston@radstone.co.ukWebsite: www.radstone.comRSC# 2103 @www.compactpci-systems.com/rscRSC# 2101 @www.compactpci-systems.com/rscRSC# 2102 @www.compactpci-systems.com/rsc
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