Feature Cases & enclosures
and one fabric clock for PCI Express (PCIe). For measuring purposes, however, additional, extra high-precision clock and trigger signals are required. These topologies have now been realised in the previously undefined section of the pinouts of the AdvancedMC board. Extensions were also required in the area of management for MTCA.4. In MTCA.0, IPMB-L and IPMB-0 are already defined. IPMB- L links the MCMC (MicroTCA carrier management controller) of the MCH (MicroTCA carrier hub) with the MMCs (module management controllers) of the AdvancedMC modules in a radial architecture. IPMB-0 links the MCMC of the MCH with the EMMCs (enhanced module management controllers) of the PMs (power modules) and CU (cooling unit) in a bussed, redundant architecture. It was still necessary to link the new rear transition modules into the manage- ment. The working group also decided to tie each RTM via an I2C bus to its respective AdvancedMC module. Then the rear module is managed in the same way as the managed FRU (field replaceable unit) of the front module.
Cooling front and rear
Management: the RTM is linked via an I2C Bus to its respective AdvancedMC module
Thus both front and rear modules remain in their intended positions. Now either front or rear modules can be removed or inserted without the need to observe any particular sequence.
For cost reasons and in order to make effective use of the existing Eco system, the rear module is designed in such a way that a front module is simply rotated through 180˚ and hinged backwards. Thus the locking mechanism is at the top (on front modules it is at the bottom). This also has the advantage that the insertion forces act at exactly the points where they are required. The rear I/O connector and its mating connec- tor are both on top.
Clock and trigger signals
A further addition over MTCA.0 was the expansion of the clock and trigger signals, originally conceived for telecommunications uses. MicroTCA.0 defines three telecommunications clocks. Revision 2.0 of the AdvancedMC specification increases this to four telecoms clocks
MicroTCA.4 defines active cooling for the front and rear modules. The two areas can also be cooled independently of one another, which is made possible by placing active logic on the rear modules. With a fan management system more advanced than that of MicroTCA.0, the front and rear areas can be independently regulated via the MCH in a number of steps from zero to maximum fan speed.
Possible applications
The MicroTCA.4 specification was ratified in August 2011 and since then several MicroTCA systems with rear I/O have been introduced to the market that match the specification as it currently stands. In the physics community it is already being used, for example, to control ring accelerators in high-energy physics.
So, from a seemingly specialised application area, the trend now is a migration back to the industrial sector for certain applications that require the additional rear I/O, high availability, redundancy and remote maintenance features. MicroTCA.4 is now being considered and even adopted in the fields of industrial automation, image processing, real-time motion control, medicine, transportation, and testing and measurement – a true sea change for the specification.
Pentair – Schroff UK T: 01442 240471
www.pentairequipmentprotection.com Enter 663
Enclosures from the smallest to the largest.
ENCLOSURES POWER DISTRIBUTION CLIMATE CONTROL
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