PICMG_Tech PICMG: Year in review Market

Standards Update
p.6
Advancing Networks
p.5
PICMG: Year in review
Market prospectus
@PICMG_Tech
WINTER 2015 | VOLUME 19 NUMBER 3
Standards-based technology platforms for open innovation
picmg-systems.com
@PICMG_Tech
On the cover
Embedded computing markets can be difficult to
estimate, particularly for standardized technologies like
AdvancedTCA (ATCA) that are often customized or modified
from the base specification. In the 2016 Buyer’s Guide issue
of PICMG Systems & Technology, we investigate the market
share and opportunity for ATCA and CompactPCI, as well
as how PICMG member companies are gearing up for the
Internet of Things.
Adding IoT friendliness to
AdvancedTCA and related specifications
By Mark Overgaard, Pentair Electronics
Technology Focus
8
Market Pulse | Joe Pavlat and Jessica Isquith
3
The trouble with estimating embedded markets
Advancing Networks | Brandon Lewis
5
Market prospectus:
Pendulum swings as PICMG wraps up 100G ATCA
Standards Update | Joe Pavlat and Jessica Isquith
6
PICMG: Year in review
Technology Focus
Lower cost µTCA for
special applications
8
By Mike Thompson, Pentair, Schroff brand
Application Feature
12
Adding IoT friendliness to AdvancedTCA and
related specifications
By Mark Overgaard, Pentair Electronics
Application Feature
12
Lower cost µTCA for special applications
By Mike Thompson, Pentair, Schroff brand
Industry Outlook
18
The promise of COM Express
By Charlotte Adams, Abaco Systems
2016 Buyer’s Guide
The promise of COM Express
By Charlotte Adams, Abaco Systems
Industry Outlook
18
21
Profile Index
Communications & Networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Military & Aerospace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
® 2015 OpenSystems Media
®C
ompactPCI, PICMG, PICMG, ATCA, AdvancedTCA, MicroTCA, AdvancedMC,
GEN4, and their logos are registered trademarks of PICMG.
TM
x TCA is a trademark of PICMG.
© 2015 PICMG Systems & Technology
All registered brands and trademarks in AdvancedTCA &
CompactPCI Systems are property of their respective owners.
2
| Winter 2015 | PICMG Systems & Technology Buyer’s Guide Member since 1998
www.picmg-systems.com
Market Pulse
The trouble with estimating
embedded markets
By Joe Pavlat, Editorial Director, and Jessica Isquith, Industry Editor
jpavlat@opensystemsmedia.com | info@picmg.org
Estimating the size of a segment of the
embedded computer market has always
been difficult. It is especially difficult for
high value systems like AdvancedTCA
(ATCA). The dynamics are complex, and
often many vendors add value throughout
the supply chain. With AdavancedTCA,
boards are often shipped to an integrator, who adds other value, including
chassis (“shelves” in ATCA-speak), power
and system management, and software.
This system then usually goes to a
telecom equipment manufacturer (TEM)
who adds yet more hardware and software and delivers the final product to the
end customer, usually the telecommunications carrier (AT&T, Verizon, etc.). It is
a multi-tiered supply chain.
Increasingly, customers everywhere in
the chain are demanding – and getting –
semi-customized or fully customized
products from their vendors. While
­vendors may report standard product
volumes to the outside world, contractual obligations often prohibit them
from disclosing volumes, or even the
customer names, to anyone. When I was
in the board building business I signed
many such contracts. Customers like tailored products for several reasons. First,
the average price of an ATCA system, as
reported to me by several suppliers, is
generally between $50K USD and $100K
USD. This is an expensive kit, and customers want to buy exactly what they
need and no more or less. Customers
like the TEMs, who ultimately sell the
gear to the end customer, the carriers,
like this also because it helps get their
customers locked into them as a vendor.
The mil/aero world has been using this
strategy for decades.
So, attempting to estimate the ATCA
market size is difficult, and looking at
board shipments – standard product
board shipments at that – is an insufficient
measurement. It’s a bit like weighing
www.picmg-systems.com someone’s thumb and then attempting
to estimate their body weight, especially
when coupled with the large number
of AdvancedTCA-esque systems being
supplied to the comms market. It is
also estimated that up to 50 percent of
boards manufactured are manufactured
by Tier 1 TEMs (Alcatel Lucent, Nokia,
Huawei). Those numbers are impossible
to dig up. It’s a tough problem.
“... UP TO 50 PERCENT
OF BOARDS MANUFACTURED
ARE MANUFACTURED BY
TIER 1 TEMS. THOSE NUMBERS
ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO DIG UP.
IT’S A TOUGH PROBLEM.”
A much better measurement is the
number of systems shipped and the
average price per system. A good way
to get a handle on the number of systems is to look at the number of empty
shelves shipped, as most customers up
and down the supply chain buy that
component instead of build it. I talked
to two of the leading shelf suppliers, and
they each estimated that about 20K-25K
ATCA systems are shipped each year by
Tier 1 TEMs, and another 20K-25K systems are shipped by integrators and
from geographies like India that tend to
source locally. Doing the math on those
estimates suggests that the total ATCA
market is between $2B USD and $2.5B
USD. I think that is an accurate estimate.
Though not as large as the communications market, the number of ­military
programs that currently include ATCA
is growing. One of the reasons for this
is the need to replace existing implementations of IBM’s Blade Center
due to the sale of the product line to
Chinese company Lenovo. The lifecycle
requirements of the military ensure additional long-term use, as evidenced by
CompactPCI’s continued vast adoption
in satellite applications.
CompactPCI and CompactPCI Serial
market sizes are also difficult to estimate for many of the reasons mentioned
above. Vendors I talked to indicated
their CompactPCI business is still doing
very well and they expect it to continue
for more than a couple of years. The
CompactPCI Serial market is tougher
to evaluate. It was developed in Europe
and is gaining popularity there first. It is
unknown to what extend it will scavenge
existing CompactPCI business or create
incremental business. Probably a little
of both.
Joe Pavlat is President of PICMG.
Jessica Isquith is Vice President of
Marketing, PICMG.
PCI Industrial Computer
Manufacturers Group (PICMG)
www.picmg.org • info@picmg.org
PICMG Systems & Technology Buyer’s Guide | Winter 2015 |
3
Advertiser Index
PAGEADVERTISER
9
Alphi Technology Corporation –
Mission-Critical I/O Solutions
17
EKF-ELECTRONIK GmbH – You are
looking for more? Here is more
Elma Electronic – Intelligent
Embedded Computing – MicroTCA.4 System Platforms
7
19
Embedded World – 23-25.2.2016
11
LCR Embedded Systems –
Rugged Systems Engineered for
Your Application
15
MEN Micro Elektronik GmbH –
Open and Flexible System
Architecture for Safe Train Control
13
N.A.T. GmbH – The Brain of your
MicroTCA.4 System
16
N.A.T. GmbH – Accelerate Media
Processing for AdvancedTCA and
MicroTCA
24
21
Vector Electronics & Technology,
Inc. – Powered & Cooled
Subracks & Chassis
VEROTEC Electronics Packaging –
Modular Build from Standard
Elements
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| Winter 2015 | PICMG Systems & Technology Buyer’s Guide www.picmg-systems.com
Advancing Networks
Market prospectus: Pendulum swings
as PICMG wraps up 100G ATCA
By Brandon Lewis, Technology Editor
Throughout my tenure with OpenSystems Media, Joe Pavlat,
PICMG President and Editorial Director of PICMG Systems &
Technology has often referred to the standards-based embedded
computing market as a pendulum. On the one side, industry
typically collaborates on standards-based architectures when
underlying technologies are enhanced, or when vendor lockin and price gouging prompt the client base to revolt, or a
combination of the two. AdvancedTCA (ATCA) owes its very
existence to this phenomenon.
On the other side, in markets with thinning margins suppliers
are constantly looking for ways to add value on top of standards-based platforms once they’ve been defined, which inevitably leads the pendulum to swing back in the other direction
towards more customized, vendor-centric offerings. You see
this happening in the market today, as equipment manufacturers at all levels of the telecom/datacom supply chain are
leveraging ATCA as a baseline for other communications products, Advantech’s Packetarium XLc and Kontron’s SYMKLOUD
being a couple of prime examples.
The Advantech and Kontron offerings also illustrate a parallel
trend in the communications market, as software-defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NFV) architectures continue to redefine network topologies. As Daniel
Mandell, Analyst at VDC Research (www.vdcresearch.com)
notes, these technologies “are having a profound impact on
form factor selection for networking infrastructure, pushing more
purpose-built active backplane and integrated server products
supporting cloud-based or network-attached configurations.”
“SDN and NFV adoption is accelerating with growing familiarity
and expertise with virtualization technologies – both within
embedded and the enterprise,” Mandell says. “With that said,
passive backplane architectures still account for approximately
half of the embedded systems market in the communications
and networking vertical, with ATCA being the leading open
standard architecture by far, although the majority of passive
backplane systems [supplied] to this vertical still feature custom
or proprietary architectures.”
Mandell forecasts the overall ATCA market growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around five percent for
the next 5 years, citing “more competition between traditional
vendors [that] is squeezing margins and profitability within the
ecosystem” and the desire of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions
providers to implement converged architectures based on
rackmount servers as reasons for slower ATCA growth than in
years passed.
www.picmg-systems.com blewis@opensystemsmedia.com
Similarly, reading from his company’s 2014 market report,
Mark Watson, Associate Director of Discrete Automation
at IHS (www.ihs.com) predicts the ATCA board market grew
marginally this year, but will begin to decline steadily through
2018. Based on his numbers for the Asia-Pacific, EMEA, and
Americas regions, ATCA boards shipments will generate
roughly $175 million in revenue by the end of the forecast.
“IF YOU RECALL, THE GROUNDSWELL
AROUND 40G ATCA WAS ENORMOUS.
I SUSPECT WE’LL SEE THE SAME AT 100G,
WHICH IS HEADING FOR MEMBER REVIEW
IN JANUARY/FEBRUARY OF 2016.”
However, being a 2014 report, these numbers do not reflect
shipments of 100G ATCA boards given that work on the
PICMG 3.1 R 3.0 specification was announced in early 2015.
This enhancement is critical to the continued success of the
ATCA ecosystem, as the ability to migrate across backwardscompatible systems allows users to preserve their investment
as bandwidth demands increase.
“Standard ATCA has wrestled some share away from custom/
proprietary form factors with updated PICMG standards allowing more power, cooling, I/O capability, etc.,” says Mandell.
“Lots of network operators will be looking to preserve their
ATCA-based networks and can typically easily upgrade from
10G to 40G to 100G by swapping boards and reusing the
system card cage, cooling, and power,” he adds.
Pendulums swing in both directions
As Pavlat and PICMG’s Marketing Director Jessica Isquith wrote
elsewhere in this issue, estimating embedded markets is difficult, notwithstanding the current influx of ATCA-like systems.
But as PICMG continues to update its flagship specification
family, the AdvancedTCA standard will remain relevant until
such a time as the pendulum swings away from proprietary
offerings and back into the world of standards. If you recall, the
groundswell around 40G ATCA was enormous. I suspect we’ll
see the same at 100G, which is heading for member review in
January/February of 2016.
Happy holidays, and best of luck next year.
PICMG Systems & Technology Buyer’s Guide | Winter 2015 |
5
Standards Update
PICMG: Year in review
By Joe Pavlat, Editorial Director, and Jessica Isquith, Industry Editor
jpavlat@opensystemsmedia.com | info@picmg.org
PICMG enjoyed a busy year with a
number of technical subcommittees
working on and releasing updates to
existing specifications. Most of the
work has been related to new revisions
of popular technologies. 2016 will see
a continuation of these efforts, and a
few other specs will be opened up for
a refresh.
AdvancedTCA, originally developed
specifically for the central office telco
environment, has continued to evolve
over the years, increasing board power
capability from 200 to 400 watts and
speeding up the Ethernet fabric from
10 to 40 Gbps. 2015 saw the release of
a major enhancement to the standard in
the form of PICMG 3.7, known as ATCA
Extensions, which increases ATCA’s
capability further and also defines versions of ATCA that are optimized for
enterprise, or datacenter, applications.
Key new features include:
›› A complete definition of doublewide boards that can use full-size,
low-cost DIMM memory and
dissipate up to 800 watts per slot
›› Dual-sided shelves that can
support up to 32 single-wide or
16 double-wide boards (Figure 1)
›› Enhanced Hardware Platform
Management
›› New temperature profiles
and a datacenter climatic class for
45 ºC maximum ambient operation,
different than ATCA’s original
central office requirement of
55 ºC operation
›› Elimination of the now-obsolete
requirement for -60V main supply
voltage
›› Much larger Rear Transition
Modules (RTMs), called Extended
Transition Modules (ETMs)
Realizing that the world is running out
of 32-bit IPv4 IP addresses, ATCA and
6
›
Figure 1 | Dual-sided shelves introduced in the AdvancedTCA Extensions
specification can support up to 32 single-wide or 16 double-wide boards. Image courtesy
of Pentair Electronics Protection.
its variants now support IPv6 addressing. Updated specs include the PICMG 3.0 Base
Specification, PICMG 3.7, and HPM.2, one of the Hardware Platform Management
specs. HPM.3 will follow with an update in 2016.
Adapting the old adage that says you can never be too rich, too thin, or have too
much bandwidth, committees are working hard on upping the speed of ATCA again
(which now accommodates 40G Ethernet) to 100G Ethernet. An important part of
any open standard like ATCA is the interoperability of system elements – boards,
backplanes, connectors, etc. – between vendors. This requires that sophisticated
modeling and simulations be done. The PICMG 3.1 Revision 3 committee is well
along the way to completing that work, and 100G capability is expected to be
released early in 2016.
In another area, CompactPCI Serial revision 2 was released, with increased rear panel
I/O capability and more flexible internal Ethernet networking. A new CompactPCI
Serial committee is being formed to extend that specification’s applicability to space
and satellite applications, where traditional CompactPCI is widely used.
MicroTCA, which has always been somewhat of a niche technology, is now enjoying
wide acceptance and applicability in physics research and a global group of scientists
is upgrading MicroTCA in a variety of ways. First, networking speed is increasing to
40G. This is also being specified for the AMC.2 standard. Second, a newer version of
the MTCA.4 RTM spec is near completion. It adds new functionality and tightens up
some of the electrical and mechanical requirements for building RTMs. Operating concurrently, a software effort is underway to define APIs for what the physics community
| Winter 2015 | PICMG Systems & Technology Buyer’s Guide www.picmg-systems.com
“ADAPTING THE OLD
ADAGE THAT SAYS YOU CAN
NEVER BE TOO RICH, TOO
THIN, OR HAVE TOO MUCH
BANDWIDTH, COMMITTEES
ARE WORKING HARD
ON UPPING THE SPEED
OF ATCA AGAIN (WHICH
NOW ACCOMMODATES
40G ETHERNET) TO
100G ETHERNET.”
business of General Electric Co., which has been part of the GE Intelligent Platforms
business unit based in Huntsville, AL.
We would be remiss if we did not note that 2015 saw the full retirement of long-time
engineering contributor Eike Waltz, who has played a vital role in the mechanical
design of virtually everything PICMG and VITA have done for over 20 years, including
CompactPCI, ATCA, MicroTCA, VME, and a host of other standards too numerous
to mention. In addition to his major contributions to our industry, Eike is an accomplished artist who has exhibited his work in galleries and exhibitions in both the
US and Europe. He will now focus his time and talent on his art, and we all wish him
the best.
Joe Pavlat, President
Jessica Isquith, Vice President of Marketing
PICMG • www.picmg.org • info@picmg.org
is calling the Standard Device Model for
developing MicroTCA data acquisition
and processing software for physics.
A Call for Participation has just gone
out inviting PICMG members to join
a new subcommittee that will update
and refresh the COM Express specification. The updates include providing
for 10 gigabit Ethernet and facilitating
the transition from LPC to eSPI. A new
Type 7 pinout will also be defined.
Miscellaneous fixes and updates will also
be addressed.
More on M&As and a farewell
2015 was a busy year on the business
side of things, with a number of acquisitions, mergers, consolidations, and
divestitures within the embedded computing world. Eletronics packaging giant
Pentair Electronics Protection, best
known for their Schroff line of chassis and
enclosures, acquired long-time partner
Pigeon Point Systems, best known for
their platform management products
that are an important part of a variety
of PICMG technologies, including ATCA,
MicroTCA, and CompactPCI.
There was other consolidation in the
packaging area. Ableconn, CBT Technology, Photo Etch, and SIE Computing
solutions joined together to form
Atrenne Integrated Solutions. Atrenne
then acquired part of the Curtiss-Wright
packaging business, formerly known to
most of us as Hybricon.
Intelligent Embedded Computing
MicroTCA.4 System Platforms
• Beam forming and test
• Scientific Data Acquisition & Diagnostics
• Energy Research Equipment
• Control Systems for Particle Accelerators & Colliders
The mTCA architecture is well suited for use in applications
such as particle accelerator labs, smart grid,
wireless infrastructure and gateway systems.
Elma has the expertise and resources to help
you design and build your system.
Also, private equity firm Veritas Capital
is acquiring the embedded computing
www.picmg-systems.com PICMG Systems & Technology Buyer’s Guide | Winter 2015 |
7
Technology Focus
Adding IoT friendliness
to AdvancedTCA and
related specifications
By Mark Overgaard, Pentair Electronics Protection
The Internet of Things vision of a massively Internet-connected world is rapidly coming to fruition, along with numerous
associated challenges. One of them, exhaustion of the available public Internet Protocol (IP) addresses in traditional IP
version 4 (IPv4) is already upon us. Along with many other improvements, IP version 6 (IPv6), which was formalized way back
in 1998, grows IP addresses from 32 bits to 128 bits, massively expanding the number of devices that can be addressed.
Until just the last few years, the adoption rate for IPv6 has been
very low. One reason (or consequence!) is that numerous workarounds were developed to stave off the biggest downsides of
IPv4. For instance, Network Address Translation (NAT) applied
at a point of Internet access can allow one IPv4 address to represent hundreds, thousands, or more private IP addresses; only the
public address needs to be unique. But NAT and the other workarounds have downsides, such as complicating direct device-todevice communication, an important part of IoT friendliness.
subsystems, which are based on IPMI, becoming IPv6-aware as
well. Existing IPv4-based network architectures, and the ATCA
systems used therein, can continue to take advantage of the
various available workarounds. New architectures, however,
can begin to take advantage of the inherent benefits of IPv6.
Now, however, the adoption rate is accelerating. As of
September, 2015, for instance, of the 10 largest network operators (by traffic volume) tracked by the IPv6 Launch organization, the fraction of IPv6 traffic was over 70 percent for Verizon
Wireless, and at or near 50 percent for ATT and T-Mobile USA.
IPv6-aware AdvancedTCA Base and Base Extensions
specifications
The ATCA HPM subsystem was first adopted with the rest of
ATCA at the end of 2002 and has had multiple major rounds of
enhancement since then. Other elements of xTCA, including
MicroTCA, AMC, and related specifications (numbering almost
two dozen in all) base their HPM subsystems on the foundation established by ATCA. It was natural, therefore, for the
HPM subcommittee to begin its IPv6 work with PICMG 3.0,
the ATCA specification. This work resulted in an Engineering
Change Notice (formally, ECN 3.0-3.0-001, which is ECN #001
for PICMG 3.0 R3.0), which was adopted in April 2015.
In 2013, the promoter companies of the Intelligent Platform
Management Interface (IPMI) – Intel, Hewlett-Packard,
NEC, and Dell – released an update of the IPMI specification that adds IPv6 awareness. That was a key gating factor
for the AdvancedTCA (ATCA), AdvancedMC (AMC), and
MicroTCA (collectively, xTCA) hardware platform management
8
| Winter 2015 | PICMG Systems & Technology Buyer’s Guide This article describes the IPv6-awareness initiative of PICMG,
which is led by its Hardware Platform Management (HPM)
subcommittee.
www.picmg-systems.com
›
Figure 1 | A block diagram for an ATCA Shelf Manager, in this
case the widely used Schroff Pigeon Point Shelf Manager, showing
that all protocols in the System Manager Interface are IPv6 enabled
(including the ATCA-mandated RMCP), assumed to be running here
on the most recent Pigeon Point Shelf Manager hardware platform,
the ShMM-700R.
One key principle for the ECN is that IPv6 support is optional.
With the adoption of the ECN, the official definition of ATCA
now includes IPv6 support, but an ATCA system without IPv6
support can still be fully compliant.
Another key principle of this ECN is that IPv6 complements, but
does not replace IPv4 in the ATCA architecture. IPv4 support
continues to be mandatory to maximize backward compatibility.
If IPv6 support is present, however, it must be compliant with
this ECN and with the IPv6 aspects of the IPMI 2.0 specification.
One challenge in adding IPv6 awareness was that in IPv6,
unlike in IPv4, an IP connection endpoint can have multiple IPv6
addresses, versus normally having a single primary address in
IPv4. As a consequence, ATCA originally assumed that the IP
address of the active Shelf Manager is a single IPv4 address.
After the ECN, that single address becomes the Active Shelf
Manager IP Address Set and can include multiple IP addresses.
Figure 1 shows a block diagram for one ATCA Shelf Manager
product, including the various elements of its System Manager
Interface, which is IP-based. The diagram exemplifies what is
likely to be the case for all ATCA Shelf Managers that add IPv6
awareness in that interface. Multiple protocols are supported
www.picmg-systems.com PICMG Systems & Technology Buyer’s Guide | Winter 2015 |
9
Technology Focus
in that interface, even though only the Remote Management
Control Protocol (RMCP) is mandated and functionally specified in ATCA; it makes sense for all those protocols to enable
IPv6 access, as is done in the Schroff Pigeon Point Shelf
Manager shown.
PICMG 3.7, the AdvancedTCA Base Extensions specification, is
organized as a series of changes to PICMG 3.0 R3.0. By design,
the HPM portions of these changes were structured so that
PICMG 3.0 as amended by ECN 3.0-3.0-001 could be easily
used as an alternate base. A formal ECN to PICMG 3.7 makes
exactly that change. No other changes are necessary to make
PICMG 3.7 IPv6 aware.
Both the PICMG 3.0 and 3.7 ECNs are available free on the
PICMG AdvancedTCA page: www.picmg.org/openstandards/
advancedtca.
What about MicroTCA?
The MicroTCA HPM subsystem was directly based on the corresponding ATCA subsystem. There is a PICMG subcommittee
already working on a revision of the MicroTCA base specification.
It will be straightforward for that subcommittee to include IPv6
awareness in that revision, following the model used for ATCA.
What about the HPM.x specifications?
This set of PICMG Hardware Platform Management specifications augments the xTCA architecture and includes the
­following members:
›› HPM.1: The Firmware Upgrade specification, which
standardizes upgrades for xTCA management controllers.
This critical function is not standardized by IPMI.
›› HPM.2: The LAN-attached IPM Controller (IPMC)
specification, which enables IPMCs, which are boardand module-level management controllers, to directly
connect to existing in-shelf LANs to augment their
communication with the Shelf Manager and potentially
with shelf-external entities.
›› HPM.3: The DHCP-assigned Platform Management
Parameters specification, which provides a standard way
for IP addresses and other parameters to be assigned to
LAN-attached management controllers.
HPM.1 allows the use of IP connections for firmware upgrade
traffic, but does not attempt to standardize any IP addressrelated aspect of that communication. Therefore, no IPv6
awareness changes are needed.
HPM.2 R1.0, which was adopted in 2012, already has some
placeholder provisions for IPv6 support. Those provisions have
been filled out, along with other modest changes, in the justadopted R1.1.
Figure 2 shows how a LAN-attached IPMC connects to an inshelf LAN, in this case the Base Interface (which supports 1G
Ethernet in PICMG 3.0 and optionally 10G in PICMG 3.7). With
HPM.2 R1.1, IPv6 is supported for such connections.
10
| Winter 2015 | PICMG Systems & Technology Buyer’s Guide ›
Figure 2 | One way for HPM.2 IPMCs to connect with an
in-shelf Ethernet Base Interface is to share access to one or
more network controllers so that IPMI traffic can be multiplexed
with other Ethernet traffic to or from the board’s payload
CPU(s). The IPMC to network controller link is called
a sideband interface.
HPM.3 R1.0 is tightly focused on IPv4 and the corresponding
version 4 of DHCP, the Dynamic Host Control Protocol, which
uses one or more DHCP servers in a network to provide IPv4
address assignments to DHCP clients in the network. Network
entities must have IP addresses to use IP on the network. For
instance, Shelf Manager(s) in Figure 1 and the IPMC in Figure 2
would usually, in production environments, receive their IP
address assignments via DHCP.
Assignments of IPv6 addresses and other network parameters need version 6 of DHCP (DHCPv6), which o
­ perates
quite differently, especially at the detailed level, than DHCPv4.
Therefore, R2.0 of HPM.3 will be a significant extension of R1.0.
Work on this revision is under way in the HPM subcommittee.
As with the other aspects of PICMG’s IPv6 initiative, backward
compatibility will be preserved in HPM.3 R2.0, which will support existing IPv4- and DHCPv4-based network architectures
as defined in HPM.3 R1.0. The new facilities, though different,
will be as compatible as possible with R1.0’s IPv4-oriented
approaches.
www.picmg-systems.com
ATCA boards and AMC modules, if designed to be LAN-attached
(which would typically be done via HPM.2) can also be made
IPv6-capable at the management controller level with Pigeon
Point Board Management Reference (BMR) solutions for IPMCs,
Carrier IPMCs, and Module Management Controllers (MMCs).
Carrier IPMCs are the management controllers on AMC carrier
boards and MMCs are the controllers on the AMCs themselves.
›
Figure 3 | Example IPv6-capable Shelf Manager board, the
Schroff ACB-VI, which includes a Pigeon Point ShMM-700R.
How can I get going with IPv6 for management controllers
in ATCA?
The best way is to pick management controllers that already
support IPv6. One option is Pentair’s Schroff Pigeon Point
management solutions for ATCA, starting with the already
available Pigeon Point ShMM-700R, a small mezzanine
module. The ShMM-700R comes pre-loaded with the Pigeon
Point Shelf Manager, the first Shelf Manager for ATCA to support the just-adopted IPv6 ECN. Multiple companies, including
Pentair, are already delivering ATCA shelves managed by the
ShMM-700R. Figure 3 shows a Schroff Shelf Manager board
that includes a ShMM-700R and installs in a wide range of
Schroff ATCA shelves.
Conclusion
ATCA systems with IPv6-enabled hardware platform management can be an excellent part of a backend compute complex for
the Internet of Things, as well as for new applications in ATCA’s
traditional application spaces, including communications
and defense. Mature, intensively field-tested management subsystems are critical to achieving the performance and reliability
promise of the ATCA architecture.
Mark Overgaard is Architect, System Management for
Pentair Electronics Protection. Mark was the Founder and
formerly the CTO of Pigeon Point Systems, which was
acquired by Pentair in July 2015 and integrated into Pentair’s
Electronics Protection platform, under the Schroff brand.
Pentair Electronics Protection
www.pentairprotect.com/en/na/
hardware-platform-management
info.pigeonpoint@pentair.com
LCR Embedded System’s complete line of integrated rugged
industrial and military systems, from off-the-shelf to fully
customized, are ideal for all aspects of mission-critical
computing. To learn more about what we can do for you
and your application, contact us today.
Our integrated systems feature VME, VPX,
ATCA and CompactPCI architectures
For chassis, backplanes and integrated systems, LCR Electronics is now LCR Embedded Systems.
(800) 747-5972 e-mail sales@lcrembedded.com www.lcrembeddedsystems.com
www.picmg-systems.com PICMG Systems & Technology Buyer’s Guide | Winter 2015 |
11
Application Feature
Lower cost µTCA for special
applications
By Mike Thompson, Pentair, Schroff brand
The Schroff 11850-016 AdvancedMC mini system for two single full-size AMC modules with an NAT eMCH is designed to eliminate costs associated
with the MicroTCA system architecture while remaining compliant with the specification.
Advanced Mezzanine Card (AMC) modules were originally developed by PICMG as a modular I/O expansion device
for AdvancedTCA (ATCA) systems. An ATCA board (carrier) with one or more AMC slots is installed in the ATCA
shelf. The AMC carrier provides the AMCs with +3.3V DC management power (MP), +12V DC payload power (PP),
an I2C connection to the module management controller (MMC), synchronization clocks, and a switch for one of the
available serial fabrics, typically Ethernet, SATA/SAS, PCIe, or SRIO.
AMC manufacturers quickly determined that they could build a small version of an
ATCA system using just the AMC modules. In a MicroTCA (mTCA) system, the AMC
modules plug directly into the backplane. The support functions originally provided
by the ATCA carrier are provided by special modules in the MTCA system. The power
supply and presence detection functions went into the mTCA power module (PM);
the shelf management, Ethernet switch, fabric switch, and clock distribution functions
went into the MicroTCA Carrier Hub (MCH); and the ATCA fan tray became the mTCA
cooling unit (CU). PICMG decided that a maximum of 12 AMCs would be allowed in
an mTCA system, so the standard MCH and PM modules were designed to meet this
requirement. Since mTCA is a derivative of ATCA, all of the high-reliability features
such as hot-swap, redundancy, and shelf management were included.
MTCA system overhead cost
The simplest implementation of an MCH performs just the system management functions for up to 12 AMCs, 2 CUs, 4 PMs, and possibly a second MCH. The system management functions include the power up/down sequence of all FRUs in the chassis,
cooling management based on onboard temperature sensors, E-Keying the AMC and
MCH ports, providing an external network connection to the system management
functions, and providing an interface to the onboard sensors. All of these are vital to
the health and reliability of the system.
12
| Winter 2015 | PICMG Systems & Technology Buyer’s Guide By assembling the MCH with additional
ICs, it also provides an Ethernet switch
for each AMC’s port 0/1, and an external
Ethernet connection for management
tools. Users can add PCBs for a SRIO,
PCIe, or Ethernet fabric switch to the
MCH depending on what fabric the
AMC modules need. These fabrics are
implemented on the AMC’s ports 4-7,
ports 8-11, and ports 12-20. A PCB can
also be added to the MCH for PCIe or
telecom clock distribution. In a redundant configuration, one MCH connects
to port 0, ports 4-7, and possibly some of
the ports 12-20. The second MCH connects to port 1, ports 8-12, and possibly
some of the ports 12-20. The cost of the
MCH varies considerably depending on
the amount of features selected.
www.picmg-systems.com
The PM can come in many varieties, with -48 V DC, +12 V DC, or AC inputs, and total
power capacities ranging from 400 W to 1000 W. The PM converts the input voltage to
individually controllable +12 V and +3.3 V outputs for each AMC, CU, PM, and MCH
in the chassis. The PM also has voltage and current measurement for each output, as
well as presence detection and an enable signal output for each output. Because of
space constraints, the PM is challenging to design and cool.
The CUs in an mTCA chassis are typically redundant so a failed CU can be replaced
without a significant reduction in cooling capacity. The CU includes a management
MicroTCA Carrier
Cooling Unit #2
Cooling Unit #1
›
Air
Air Mower
Air Mower
Mower AirAir
Air Mower
Mower
Air Mower
EMMC
Mower
Figure 1 | AMC module in an
AdvancedTCA Carrier
EMMC
Power Module #4
Power
#3
PayloadModule Mgmt
Power
Power
Power
Module #2
Payload
Mgmt
Converter
Converter
Power
Power
Payload
Power
Module Mgmt
#1
Converter
Converter
MicroTCA Carrier Hub #2
C
l
Co
lc
ok
c
k
MicroTCA CarrierMCMC
Hub #1
Common
Options
Common
Fabric
Options
Fabric
Power Control
Power
Power EMMC
Payload
Mgmt
Converter
Converter
Power Control
Power
Power EMMC
Converter
Converter
MCMC
Fat Pipe
Fabric
Fat Pipe
Fabric
JS
M
Power Control
Power Control
EMMC
EMMC
Backplane
A
M
C
1
›
Figure 2 | NAT NAMC-8569-CPU
›
A
M
C
2
A
M
C
3
A
M
C
4
A
M
C
5
A
M
C
6
A
M
C
7
A
M
C
8
A
M
C
9
A
M
C
10
A
M
C
11
A
M
C
12
Figure 3 | MicroTCA system interconnections
The brain of your MTCA.4 system
Higher bandwidth for Physics: the new NAT-MCH-PHYS80
Key features
·
·
·
·
·
·
x16 PCIe Gen3 uplink at front panel
128Gbps link to local CPU/root complex
special low latency and low jitter CLK module
fully user accessible quad core Intel® Core i7
new RTM for LLRF backplane
complete product line
Let Your Application benefit
Make our expertise your solution – talk to us ... we care. N.A.T. GmbH I Konrad-Zuse-Platz 9 I 53227 Bonn I Germany
Fon: +49 228 965 864 0 I info@nateurope.com I www.nateurope.com I innovation in communication
www.picmg-systems.com PICMG Systems & Technology Buyer’s Guide | Winter 2015 |
13
Application Feature
processor that measures voltage and current in the CU, measures the individual fans’
speed, and provides a mechanism for fan speed control. In a 12-slot mTCA system, the
overhead costs for the MCH(s), PM(s), and CU(s) are reasonable. In a small slot count
system, the cost of the MCH and PM are a large percentage of the total cost of the
system, and can make mTCA uncompetitive.
MicroTCA-compliant cost reduction
MicroTCA Carrier Hub
Most MCH manufacturers use a modular approach to implementing their products.
The original implementations of the MCH included a fabric B SATA/SAS switch for the
disk drives on tongue 2 of the MCH. Users quickly found that they could eliminate the
SAS/SATA switch on the MCH if the common options port [2:3] SAS/SATA interconnections between the processor and storage AMC slots were directly routed through
the backplane. There is some loss of flexibility with dedicated processor and storage
AMC slots, but this generally does not cause any problems.
The fat pipe port [D:G] fabric switch, typically Ethernet or PCIe, is located on tongues
3 and 4 of the MCH. Tongue 3 connects to the first six AMC modules and tongue 4
connects to the last six AMC modules. When building a small slot count system, users
can select a smaller fabric switch on the MCH that only connects to tongue 3. If the
fat pipe fabric is not used at all, a lower cost basic MCH can be used that provides
just the management and common options port [0:1] Ethernet switching functions. If
users are not using a PCIe fabric or not building a telecom system, they can skip the
clock distribution module to again save cost.
Power module
PMs typically use -48 V telecom as the input power. These PMs convert the -48 V to +3.3
V and +12 V for the AMCs and CUs, respectively. A lower cost solution is to use a PM
Connector
Region
Back Side
Common
Options
Nonredundant
MCH
Fabric #
Redundant
MCH
#/
Fabric #
A
1/A
AMC
Port #
Signal convetions
0
AMC.2 1000BASE-BX
1
AMC.2 1000BASE-BX
–
2/A
2
AMC.2 1000BASE-BX
B
1/B
3
AMC.2 1000BASE-BX
C
2/B
D
1/D
E
1/E
4
Fat Pipe
5
6
AMC.1
1 x4
PCI-Express
AMC.4
x4
SRIO
AMC.2
10GBASE-BX4
7
8
Extended
Fat Pipe
9
10
AMC.2
10GBASE-BX4
Extended Side
13
14
15
17
18
19
20
›
14
2/E
2/F
2/G
12
16
1/F
1/G
2/D
AMC.4
x4
SRIO
11
Extended
Options
F
G
Tclock C, D re-assigned with Rev 2.0
Figure 4 | AMC-MCH port interconnections
| Winter 2015 | PICMG Systems & Technology Buyer’s Guide ›
Figure 5 | NAT MCH with clock and
fabric options.
›
Figure 6 | A Schroff +12 V input PM
with a +12 V input because it only needs
to convert a little of the +12 V to +3.3 V.
Since the -48 V and +12 V input PMs need
an external power supply, users might be
able to reduce the total cost of power
conversion by using an AC input PM.
Cooling unit
If the system does not need to be serviced while running, operators might be
able to use just a single CU and cut the
cost of cooling in half.
Bending the rules to reduce cost
In order to make small mTCA systems
more cost-effective, manufacturers and
system integrators are bending the
mTCA specification’s rules. For special
applications, and with careful consideration of the consequences, bending the
mTCA rules can result in a significant
reduction of cost in an mTCA system.
MicroTCA Carrier Hub
The idea behind having Ethernet and
fabric switches on the MCH was to support a large number of AMCs, and to
make the AMCs independent of the slot
location. If only a few AMCs are needed
in an mTCA system, users might be able
to directly interconnect the Ethernet
and fabric ports between the AMCs and
eliminate the cost of the Ethernet and
fabric switches on the MCH. Since the
www.picmg-systems.com
“A LOW-COST, REDUCED FUNCTIONALITY “EMCH” HAS
BEEN DEVELOPED BY NAT ... AMCS IN A SYSTEM WITH AN
EMCH CANNOT TELL THAT A REDUCED FUNCTIONALITY
MCH IS MANAGING THEM.”
port [A:B] Ethernet connection on the
AMC is a 1000BASE-T, it is possible to
connect port [A:B] Ethernet to an RJ-45
connector and then to an external network. PCIe fabrics need a PCIe reference
clock, so if the PCIe ports are directly
interconnected between the processor
AMC and other AMCs, the processor
AMC will need to source the PCIe reference clock and send it to the other
AMCs. Most processor AMC modules
can source the fabric clock.
A low-cost, reduced functionality
“eMCH” has been developed by NAT.
This eMCH is implemented on a mezzanine that mounts to the backplane and
provides an external Ethernet connection and service interface. It eliminates
the need for a special MCH backplane
slot and provides significant design flexibility. This low-cost eMCH provides all of
the normal management functions and
switches of port [A:B] Ethernet channels,
but does not provide fabric switching
or reference clocks. AMCs in a system
with an eMCH cannot tell that a reduced
functionality MCH is managing them.
Many AMCs can be configured so that
they turn on without waiting for commands from the MCH. If all of the AMCs
in a system support this feature, then it
is possible to eliminate the MCH entirely.
If the MCH is eliminated, a chassis is
needed with CUs that support autonomous fan speed control based on intake
and exhaust air temperatures. If the CU is
designed well, it will listen for temperature event messages from the AMC modules and adjust the fan speed. It is also
possible to design a PM that will operate
without an MCH. In this case, when the
PM sees the presence signal from the
AMC it enables power to the AMC.
Power module
The PMs are usually installed in special
slots in the chassis. In small systems, the
www.picmg-systems.com ›
Figure 7 | An NAT-PM-AC600 600 W
AC input PM
Breaking the
Chains!
Open and Flexible System
Architecture for
Safe Train Control
Rugged Computer Boards and
Systems for Harsh, Mobile and
Mission-Critical Environments
›
Figure 8 | An NAT eMCH is shown in
the above Schroff chassis between the
AMC slots and the fans.
special PM slot can be eliminated and the
PM functionality can be moved to a mezzanine on the rear of the backplane. This
reduced cost PM-on-a-mezzanine provides all of the normal PM functions, but
in a reduced-cost implementation. The
MCH cannot tell that it is not managing a
normal PM. A significant part of the system’s cost reduction comes from using
a low-cost, open-frame power supply to
provide the 12 V for the modules.
n
Modular, SIL 4-certifiable
systems for safety-critical
railway applications
n
Configurable to the final
application from single function
to main control system
n
Communication via
real-time Ethernet
n
Connection to any railway
fieldbus type like CANopen,
MVB, PROFINET, etc.
n
Comes with complete
certification package including
hardware, safe operation system
and software
n
Compliant with EN 50155
An even lower cost PM implementation
can also be used. The low-cost version
does not support management by the
MCH, and just enables power to the
AMCs when their presence is detected.
In this case, all of the power switching is
done by components located directly on
the backplane.
Cooling unit
A normal CU includes a powerful intelligent platform management controller
(IPMC) management processor with
www.menmicro.com/markets/railways.html
PICMG Systems & Technology Buyer’s Guide | Winter 2015 |
15
Application Feature
dual intelligent platform management
bus (IPMB) connections to the MCH.
For example, Schroff uses a lower cost
implementation of a CU in their small
chassis. This low-cost CU uses a small
processor with just a private I2C connection to the MCH. In this case, the MCH
includes special firmware that treats the
low-cost CU as if it were a normal CU.
From the user’s perspective there is no
difference between the normal CU and
the low-cost CU.
The speed of the fans is normally managed by the MCH. The MCH reads
temperature sensors on the AMCs and
in the chassis, and then determines the
optimal fan speed. If the MCH is eliminated, the CU needs to manage the fan
speed autonomously. The CUs in some
small chassis will look for an MCH, and
if they don’t find one they will autonomously manage the fan speed based on
their own temperature sensors. Since
there are often two CUs in the low-cost
system, one CU is elected the master CU
and controls the speed of the slave CU’s
›
Figure 9 | Schroff lowest cost 11850023 mini system for 2 single full-size
AMC modules.
fans. The optimal fan speed is based on
the delta-T inside the system by monitoring inlet and outlet temperature sensors. The low-cost CU can also receive
temperature events from the AMC
modules and react by increasing the fan
speed.
Lower cost MTCA examples
Lowest cost
This would be the simplest “mTCA”
system. It holds two single full-size AMC
modules, includes a universal AC input,
12 V output, and 150 W power supply
inside the rear of the chassis. All ports
are interconnected between the two
AMC modules, and the backplane supports 10 Gbps fabric speeds. It has no
management functionality at all. The
12 V and 3.3 V power to the AMCs
is enabled when the system detects
the presence of the AMC. Standard
AMC modules will work in this chassis
as long as they can operate without
management.
Lower Cost:
This reduced-cost mTCA chassis has
management functionality that is mTCAcompliant, but the MCH, PM, and CU are
integrated into the chassis. Advanced
two-slot AMC boxes may include an NAT
eMCH and a PM-mezzanine mounted
to the rear of the backplane. The power
supply is an open-frame switcher inside
the rear of the chassis. Since this chassis
has normal management functionality,
there are no special considerations for
the AMC modules.
A larger version of this chassis can be
built, but since there is no MCH switching
function all of the interconnections
Accelerate Media Processing
for ATCA and MTCA
Broad range of audio and video codecs and algorithms
Key features
·
·
·
·
·
simple configuration APi so no DSP programming required
up to eight OCT2224M DSPs
Xilinx Kintex-7 FPGA
redundant 1/10G Ethernet connectivity
integrated media gateway software
Capable of up to:
· 5,120 channels G.729AB/G.711 transcoding
· 112 simultaneous H.264 HD/SD transcodes
· 16,384 TDM/iTDM channels
Let Your Application benefit
Make our expertise your solution – talk to us ... we care. N.A.T. GmbH i Konrad-Zuse-Platz 9 i 53227 Bonn i Germany
Fon: +49 228 965 864 0 i info@nateurope.com i www.nateurope.com i innovation in communication
16
| Winter 2015 | PICMG Systems & Technology Buyer’s Guide www.picmg-systems.com
›
Figure 10 | Lower cost MicroTCA-compliant platform with MCH, PM, and CU integrated into
the chassis.
›
Figure 11 | Schroff low-cost mTCA PM mezzanine on the backplane.
between the AMC modules are point-to-point through the backplane. Once the backplane is designed for this specific application, the chassis architecture is fixed.
Low cost:
Another low-cost design option is a 1U mTCA chassis that holds six single mid-size
AMC modules and a normal full-size MCH. The PM functions are integrated into the
chassis by a PM-mezzanine mounted to the rear of the backplane and an open-frame
switcher inside the rear of the chassis. This design reduces the cost of the PM, but
still allows for the use of a normal full-function MCH. No special routing is used in the
backplane, and there are no special considerations for the AMC modules.
Conclusion
MicroTCA is an extremely versatile technology with many applications driving many
different requirements. System designers can reduce costs by considering what tradeoffs make sense when it comes to power, cooling, backplane routing, and system
monitoring/management. Designers can harness the power and functionality of AMC
modules without taking on the full cost of the MicroTCA architecture by carefully
selecting their feature set.
Mike Thompson is Principal Engineer at Pentair Equipment Protection (Schroff).
Pentair Equipment Protection (Schroff)
www.pentairprotect.com/en/na
www.picmg-systems.com PICMG Systems & Technology Buyer’s Guide | Winter 2015 |
17
Industry Outlook
The promise of COM Express
By Charlotte Adams
A RIM-7P NATO Sea Sparrow Missile launches the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) during a stream raid shoot exercise.
U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jordon R. Beesley.
Cost pressures continue to bedevil military programs. Years of fighting have taken a toll on equipment, while years
of sequestration have made upgrading or replacing the equipment more difficult. Budget constraints require everyone
involved to pay the utmost attention to life cycle costs at all levels of procurement.
Although commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technologies yield
savings by exploiting the economies of scale available in the
consumer market, there is a major tradeoff. Consumer products – along with the electronic components inside them – are
intended for benign environments, whereas military products
operate in some of the world’s most demanding environments.
Electronic systems in missiles, tanks, and airborne platforms
must thrive amid high levels of shock and vibration and be able
to withstand extreme temperature swings. Resistance to dust,
sand, and salt spray also may be required.
In addition, military computers must provide high, and continually increasing, levels of performance as applications evolve;
all of this must occur in small size, weight, and power (SWaP)
packages. What’s more, these systems must endure not simply
for years, but for decades, as commercial technologies come
and go. The implementation of concepts like network-centric
warfare has only underscored the need for high-power, highbandwidth, and easily upgradable electronics. The perennial
question for designers of high-performance embedded computing (HPEC) systems then becomes: How to provide the best
technologies from the commercial market in the bulletproof
packages required by military applications?
COM Express – from commercial to military
A recent instance of this synergy is the ruggedization of
computer-on-module (COM) Express technology. COM modules were developed to insulate computer boards from processor churn. Before their invention, designers of single-board
18
| Winter 2015 | PICMG Systems & Technology Buyer’s Guide computers had to rethink their layouts each time their processors went out of production. Adopting a new integrated circuit
required designers to develop supporting silicon, as well as
low-level software and firmware. This setup typically entailed
board redesigns with the accompanying costs and delays.
Like most innovations in electronics, COM modules were
­introduced in proprietary packages but were eventually standardized in a range of sizes and pinouts. A popular set of
COM module configurations, known as COM Express, was
developed by the PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers
Group (PICMG). Today COM Express is widely used in commercial applications from gaming to health care.
The beauty of COM Express is that when a processor reaches
end-of-life, it can be replaced with a new-generation, plug-in
processor module without disturbing the underlying hardware. The carrier board can be a standard backplane module
like VME or VPX or a customized format to support the particular size and input/output (I/O) demands of a military user.
Furthermore, when upgrades become necessary, system downtime is minimal. The standard even specifies a module heatspreading interface which can be combined with a designer’s
proprietary cooling approach.
Ruggedizing COM Express
COM Express was not developed for high-stress environments,
however; after it became a commercial standard of potential
interest to military users, there was still the task of ruggedizing
the modules. This step has been achieved by measures such as
www.picmg-systems.com
screening components, developing specialized cooling technologies, and thoroughly testing products to specifications such as
MIL-STD-810 and VITA 47. Soldering rather than socketing components to modules further increases resistance to shock and
vibration by reducing the number of mechanical connections.
One example of a recent rugged COM Express product is the
Abaco Systems mCOM10-K1 module, hosting NVIDIA’s latest
Tegra K1 system-on-chip processor and up to 16 GB of soldered memory, along with support for CUDA and VisionWorks.
(Figure 1).
Rugged modules exist today using multiple IC types, while
new developments in the manufacture of memory chips permit
previously unheard-of module densities. Above all, the ruggedizing of COM Express technology has made it attractive to
applications such as missiles and unmanned vehicles.
For military customers the benefits are compelling: When the
time comes to upgrade a module, complex I/O cabling can
be left in place. This configuration avoids the necessity of
detaching wires and possibly misconnecting them, as well as
the need to retest signal integrity after the configuration is
restored. Wear and tear on board connectors is also reduced,
extending system life on multiple fronts.
›
Figure 1 | The mCOM10-K1 rugged COM Express module
from Abaco Systems features NVIDIA’s Tegra K1 system-on-chip
processor.
by providing a low-risk path to incremental upgrades at acceptable lifecycle cost.
Charlotte Adams is the Field Intelligence columnist for
Military Embedded Systems. Field Intelligence is an Abaco
Systems perspective on embedded military electronics
trends. This article originally appeared in the April/May
2015 edition of Military Embedded Systems.
While COM Express technology is ­relatively new to the military
world, the initial upfront investment promises to yield dividends
ew16_177_799x123_825_VITA_Technologies_SYN.indd 1
www.picmg-systems.com defense.ge-ip.com
19
05.10.15 11:16
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Communications & Networking
Sponsored by V Rose Microsystems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-23
V Rose Microsystems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Artesyn Embedded Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Artesyn Embedded Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Fivetech Technology, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Design
ADLINK Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Military and Aerospace
Alphi Technology Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
North Atlantic Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
E-CAST
Key emerging agile systems
engineering techniques for the IoT
Presented by IBM
Agile and Model Based Systems Engineering
(MBSE) are recent independent advances in systems
development that promise higher quality and faster
VEROTEC INTEGRATED PACKAGING
TecSYS development platforms
Modular build from standard elements
• user-congurable with rapid ttm
• EMC IEEE1101.10/11 card cage
• pluggable or embedded power supplies
• thermally managed enclosures
• high performance backplanes
time-to-market. While Agile development practices
are being used for IoT development, can the addition
of MBSE concepts provide a coherent strategy for
developing complex IoT systems with high reliability
and availability? Join us as IBM’s Internet of Things
Chief Evangelist, Bruce Douglass, provides an overview
of this combined approach with a robotics case
study that illustrates high availability in industrial IoT
applications.
Continuing 5
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excellence
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onal and elegant enclosures for
cPCI, VME, VME64x, VPX, other major bus structures and general electronics
GO TO E-CAST:
ECAST.OPENSYSTEMSMEDIA.COM/569
www.picmg-systems.com E L E C T R O N I C S PA C K A G I N G
Ph: 603.821.9921 • sales@verotec.us • www.verotec.us
PICMG Systems & Technology Buyer’s Guide | Winter 2015 |
21
Communications & Networking
Sponsored By:
Communications & Networking
Artesyn Embedded Technologies
Centellis® Security Edition (SE) Platform
The Centellis® Security Edition (SE) platform
is a high bandwidth, highly efficient security
gateway solution, built on an open hardware
and software platform, to protect telecom networks from malicious
threats and provide secure access to subscriber services.
VRM-uTCA-Chico
Based on Clavister security applications and powered by Artesyn
bladed platforms, Centellis SE offers virtualized security for wireless
networks. It offers excellent performance (e.g. 70 Gbps IPSEC
termination per blade), resource efficiency and powerful security
features. Its minimal footprint and extremely low resource
requirements make the Centellis SE an optimal solution for all types of
virtual and cloud-based network security solutions, allowing security
to be combined with other network functions in a single node.
bit.ly/1HAt3Dk
picmg.opensystemsmedia.com/p373208
Communications & Networking
The VRM-Utca-Chico-2S is the newest member to the V Rose
line of MicroTCA Chassis. With two payload slots capable of
60 watts per slot this table top size chassis accepts Full-size,
Mid-size, and Compact-size cards. It can eliminate the need
for MCH’s making it a perfect fit for cost sensitive applications
without sacrificing performance. Its easy scalability makes it
perfect for applications such as Software Defined Radio, Electronic Signal Processing, Industrial Automation, Digital Video/
Image Editing, and smaller Telecom Systems.
The Chico’s rear I/O comes equipped with a JTAG input for connection testing and In System Programming (ISP). A mini USB
port that works as a management terminal to connect to the
serial port of inserted boards. A 1Gbps switch with external
RJ45 WAN and LAN, an eSATA port for external drives and a
12V power connector for connecting the included 150 Watt
power supply. Besides the eSATA port the Chico also comes
with an optional onboard HDD/SSD SATA drive as well as the
option for a PCIe x4 port that offers port-to-port external x4
port extension.
Artesyn Embedded Technologies
ATCA-7480 Packet
Processing Server Blade
The ATCA-7480 blade uses two Intel® Xeon®
E5-2600 v3 family processors (up to 28 cores per blade), optimized data
paths and the Artesyn QuadStar™ interface to deliver the highest performance
processing. Optional dual crypto hardware accelerators can improve the
performance of security applications.
Scalable memory capacity (up to 512GB) enables faster database access,
accelerated pattern matching and helps optimize routing decisions in
virtualized network environments. Sixteen memory sockets mean cost
sensitive applications can achieve memory capacities using lower cost
memory modules.
Artesyn's enabling software for SDN/NFV supports Intel® DPDK-accelerated
OpenVSwitch, OpenFlow and OpenStack plug-ins.
bit.ly/1HAtltM
picmg.opensystemsmedia.com/p372402
Communications & Networking
Artesyn Embedded Technologies
Centellis® 8840 Telecom Platform
Phone: 518-762-1288
Email: sales@vrmcs.com
The Centellis® 8840 is a high availability
platform suited to application acceleration
and advanced networking with a rich
ecosystem of blades and software that enable its deployment
in a range of applications from security appliances to session
border controllers to content optimization. Many configurations
have been pre-certified for NEBS L3, saving certification cost
and time-to-market. It can be deployed in existing networks as
well as SDN & NFV networks of the future. The future-proof
backplane design enabling 10G, 40G & 100G allows the system
to scale with advancing technologies and increasing bandwidth
requirements. Its ability to power & cool up to 600 watts/blade
slot accommodates today’s technology with headroom for
higher powered processors.
www.vrosemicrosystems.com
picmg.opensystemsmedia.com/p373204
bit.ly/1MBpNaT
picmg.opensystemsmedia.com/p373209
Features:
ñ
ñ
ñ
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22
150 Watt External Power Supply
Point-To-Point Connectivity between Slots
1Gbps Switch with External WAN and LAN Ports
Onboard SATA Drive
External eSATA Drive
8 - 40 x 40 mm Fans In Push Pull Configuration
IPMI Support Available On Request
| Winter 2015 | PICMG Systems & Technology Buyer’s Guide www.picmg-systems.com
Communications & Networking
Design
Artesyn Embedded Technologies
ADLINK Technology
Centellis® 2100 Platform Core
cExpress-SL COM Express®
Computer-on-Module
The Centellis® 2100 compact, high
availability platform is ideally suited for
data intensive, central office and enterprise networking
applications. Its bladed architecture provides scalability,
minimized cabling and ease of maintenance; and it has a
strong ecosystem of off-the-shelf or custom blades that
allow easy configuration for a range of applications & upgrades
as new technologies become available. With integrated
chassis, cooling, power, switching, and shelf management;
and with power & cooling up to 400 Watts per blade slot, it
accommodates today’s technology with headroom for future,
higher powered processors. The Centellis 2100 is also SDN &
NFV-ready ensuring seamless integration with evolving
telecom networks.
The cExpress-SL PICMG COM.0 Type 6
Compact Size Module features 6th
generation Intel® Core™ i7/i5/i3 processors and accompanying Intel®
QM170 and HM170 Chipset. DDR4 memory is supported up to a total
of 32GB, with a lower voltage compared to DDR3 resulting in a reduction in overall power consumption and heat dissipation. The cExpress-SL provides support for three independent UHD/4K displays and
is well-suited for applications in automation, medical, and infotainment, with extended operating temperature range optionally available
for transportation and defense applications. The cExpress-SL offers
built-in SEMA (Smart Embedded Management Agent) Cloud functionality and is ready-made for IoT applications.
bit.ly/1CXmlUc
picmg.opensystemsmedia.com/p373210
www.adlinktech.com
picmg.opensystemsmedia.com/p373184
Communications & Networking
Military & Aerospace
Fivetech Technology Inc.
ATCA Ejector Handle
Alphi Technology
Corporation
Fivetech ATCA Ejector Handle
This ergonomic leverage mechanism
engages with minimal effort for easy
injection/ejection of front board faceplates into a server
rack/chassis. Fivetech’s new ejector handle evolves
leverage principles so the ejector can be pulled or pushed
in any heavy server tray with sleek, systematic movement.
As engineers repeatedly operate server trays during
maintenance, Fivetech's innovative ejector handle can
save time, effort, and reduce workloads. The ejector
provides the best solution for accelerating speed and
efficiency, and is also customizable.
USER RECONFIGURABLE ISOLATED
COMMUNICATION I/O with 20 LVDS, 4 RS-422 AND 1 RS-232
Altera Cyclone® IV FPGAs, 4MBYTE DUAL-PORTED SRAM
ñ 20 isolated I/O pins buffered LVDS interface
ñ 4 isolated RS-422 interface
ñ 1 isolated RS-232 interface
ñ Fully user programmable
ñ Direction programmed
ñ Change of state detection & interrupt: Generated per line on
positive or negative edge
ñ Bit pattern recognition
ñ Direct readback of register
ñ Direct output control
ñ Pre-programmed output latch with output strobe PMC interface
ñ VIO 3.3/5.0 Volts
ñ 32-bit, 33/66 MHz
ñ DMA for maximum throughput from the host
PMC-CIV-COM-ISO
www.fivetk.com
picmg.opensystemsmedia.com/p373205
www.alphitech.com
picmg.mil-embedded.com/p373203
Design
Military & Aerospace
ADLINK Technology
North Atlantic Industries
Express-SL COM Express®
Computer-on-Module
Sensor Interface Unit - SIU31
Configure with up to 3 I/O and Communications Function Modules —
Over 40 different modules to choose from
Configure to Customize
The SIU31 is a highly configurable rugged system or subsystem
ideally suited to support a multitude of Mil-Aero applications that
require high-density I/O, communications, Ethernet switching and
processing. The SIU31 uses one NAI field-proven 3U cPCI board to
deliver off-the-shelf solutions that accelerate deployment of SWaPoptimized systems in air, land and sea applications.
The Express-SL PICMG COM.0 Type 6
Basic Size Module features 6th generation Intel® Core™ i7/i5/i3 processors and accompanying Intel®
QM170 and HM170 Chipset. DDR4 memory is supported up to a
total of 32GB, with a lower voltage compared to DDR3 resulting in a
reduction in overall power consumption and heat dissipation. The
Express-SL provides support for three independent UHD/4K displays
and is well-suited for applications in automation, medical, and infotainment, with extended operating temperature range optionally
available for transportation and defense applications. The Express-SL
offers built-in SEMA (Smart Embedded Management Agent) Cloud
functionality and is ready-made for IoT applications.
Architected for Versatility
NAI’s Custom-On-Standard Architecture™ (COSA™) offers a choice of over
40 intelligent I/O, communications, Ethernet switch and SBC options.
Pre-existing, fully-tested functions can be combined in an unlimited
number of ways to quickly and easily meet system requirements.
www.adlinktech.com
picmg.opensystemsmedia.com/p373206
www.naii.com
picmg.opensystemsmedia.com/p372473
www.picmg-systems.com PICMG Systems & Technology Buyer’s Guide | Winter 2015 |
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