RTC Magazine

Originally targeting small to mid-size telecom systems, the MicroTCA architecture is generating interest for other applications that utilize a network-centric structure, including military, medical and industrial systems. These and other diverse applications now seek to leverage the performance, management functions and high-availability features of MicroTCA while reducing cost and design time. To better address this broader range of market requirements, including the need to operate in harsh environments, MicroTCA has begun embracing ruggedized construction so that its designs can thrive outside of the central office.

The ability to connect to a network for control and data exchange is a key attribute for a growing number of system designs. Medical systems, for example, are evolving to support decentralized diagnostic activity that allows a doctor in one location to utilize a diagnostic tool such as an MRI on a patient in another location. Imaging, fluid analysis, bio-signal monitoring and a host of other medical equipment types are beginning to incorporate wireless and wired network interfaces to become part of an entire medical system that links doctors to remote patients.

Industrial systems are also adopting such a network-centric approach. Automated factory equipment and robotic systems utilize network architectures for communications and control both within a factory and between locations. The availability of wide area networking interfaces even allows equipment in diverse locations to exchange information to create a virtual factory that functions as an integrated system.

The need for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) activity to function across a wide operational front is prompting development of network-centric systems in military applications. Network interfaces allow the images and data from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to flow directly to the field operatives that can benefit most from the information. Networking is also at the core of the Future Combat Systems (FCS) under development that would allow coordination of military activity in the field down to the level of a single individual.

Other network-centric applications abound in commercial activity. Point-of-sale terminals use networks to support retail sales by providing financial transactions and inventory updates for the retailer. Information kiosks provide consumers with up-to-date and interactively customized price and availability information.

On top of this trend toward network-centric system design in other application areas, telecommunications is seeing a move away from traditional equipment installations. Network edge functions such as cellular access points are moving out of the central office and into field settings such as pole-mounted installations. Other edge equipment is moving into enterprise settings such as equipment closets.

Appeal Outside Telecom

For all these diverse applications, the MicroTCA architecture holds tremendous appeal because of its many useful attributes. For one, MicroTCA provides fine-grained modularity and scalability that simplifies the evolution of system function and growth in system capacity. Designers assembling a system can mix and match Advanced Mezzanine Card (AMC) modules, the architecture’s functional building blocks, at will. Because AMC modules have a standard backplane interface, users can upgrade system functions or increase capacity simply by changing or adding modules as needed. This ability is particularly valuable in medical system design because it preserves the system’s overall FDA certification, reducing the re-certification effort for a design upgrade to address only the new module.

Another useful attribute of the MicroTCA architecture is its support for compact system design. The mezzanine-card heritage of AMC modules means they are reasonably small while still offering a high compute density in terms of MIPS per watt per square inch (Figure 1). The chassis design targets back-to-back installations, giving MicroTCA systems a shallower depth than classic thin servers or other system platforms. The specification is open as to configuration, however, allowing from two to twelve modules in a chassis to support a range of trade-offs between size and capacity.

System management functions form a part of the MicroTCA specification, so the monitoring and control of system elements down to the module level is a built-in attribute. This control includes support for hot-swap and remote disabling of modules and other system elements so that redundancy for load-sharing and fail-over fault responses is easy to implement. MicroTCA systems thus offer built-in high availability and short repair time attributes that have been cost-prohibitive for system developers building systems from scratch.