New T-Frame™ Test and Development System Provides PICMG® 3.0 Functionality for AdvancedTCA™ Applications
February 3, 2003
Tracewell Systems, Inc. in conjunction with backplane partner, Comtel GmbH, announces the T-Frame for AdvancedTCA™, the industry’s first test and development system for engineers designing ATCA™ switch fabric boards and systems. Heading this development effort is ATCA veteran David Wright, whose background in the design and simulation of high speed interconnects, helped validate the layout and signal integrity aspects of the specification. The result is an 8-slot system providing all the functionality and control of a fully compliant AdvancedTCA shelf with the added benefit of open access to test points and in-circuit test devices. T-Frame for AdvancedTCA provides a rugged yet easily portable product that withstands the rigors of telecom development and test.
The T-Frame for AdvancedTCA is optimized for development of AdvancedTCA main boards and rear transition modules. Its open-frame design provides easy access to both front and rear boards for probes and debugging. The unit is 12U high and is mounted on a tilt stand for easier access to the cards, and is the most robust, user-friendly, and thermally effective stand on the market.
Cooling is provided by a 3U lower air chamber with six axial double-bladed fans and a 1U upper air chamber with six axial double bladed fans. Air enters the lower chamber from front, bottom, and rear, travels up past the boards, and is exhausted through the top of the rack. This high-performance push-pull cooling system provides proper cooling airflow even with the sides removed, and can handle full ATCA heat loads of up to
200 W per board.
Shelf Management Controller. The T-Frame for AdvancedTCA includes a shelf management controller (ShMC) to monitor, control, and assure proper operation of AdvancedTCA boards and the shelf. It watches over the basic health of the system, reports anomalies and takes corrective action where needed.
Backplane. The T-Frame for AdvancedTCA's backplane supports dual star switch fabric routing at data rates of 3.125 Gbps and higher. Update channel is routed between even/odd boards; base channel routing is provided from logical slots 1 and 2. The backplane is manufactured in low-loss FR4 for cost effective performance. Differential pairs are routed "centered" through ZD connectors pin fields, and the distance between pairs is at least 35 mm to minimize crosstalk.
Power distribution. The T-Frame for AdvancedTCA distributes 48 V A and B independently to all slots through four power studs, with separate studs for logic and shelf ground. Up to 1600 W of power consumption can be supported. An external mains-powered supply can be provided for laboratory use.
Price and Availability. Pricing for Tracewell’s T-Frame for AdvancedTCA starts at $7995 and the units are available six weeks ARO.
