Programmable arrays look after MicroTCA: News from Actel Europe

Note: A free brochure or catalogue is available from Actel Europe on the products in this news release. Click here to request a copy.

Actel Corp reckons it is the first silicon provider to embrace the Micro Telecom Computing Architecture (MicroTCA) standard with a comprehensive roadmap of free and tested reference platforms for system management using field-programmable gate array (FPGA) technology. Leveraging the company's single-chip mixed-signal Fusion Programmable System Chip (PSC), these new reference designs include hardware, software and intellectual property (IP) for a complete solution to meet the cost, footprint, flexibility, security and reliability requirements facing today's system designers. Built on the AdvancedTCA (ATCA) specification, MicroTCA is an emerging global standard driven by the PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group (PICMG) offering adopters lower cost and a smaller form factor, improved reliability and flexibility and reduced time to market.

According to industry estimates, the overall MicroTCA market opportunity is $3.5 billion in 2010.

'MicroTCA is poised to capture large shares in markets which need low-cost, high-reliability, remotely-managed systems', said Mike Franco, President and CEO of Signal Stream Technologies and chairman of the MicroTCA subcommittee.

'I am pleased to see Actel's commitment to support the MicroTCA design community with Fusion and several comprehensive reference designs'.

'As an early semiconductor entrant, Actel is well positioned to capture a significant share of this promising market'.

'As a smaller, lower cost option for the marketplace, many believe that MicroTCA has great potential to replace successful standards like CompactPCI and VME as the platform of choice', said Jake Chuang, Senior Director, Application Solutions Marketing for Actel.

'As more telecom OEMs adopt MicroTCA, Actel can help them improve reliability and reduce the costs and board space associated with current MicroTCA and system management implementations using Actel's free Fusion-based reference designs'.

Actel has identified five reference designs along its roadmap to address the MicroTCA specification a power module, an advanced mezzanine card, a cooling module, a MicroTCA carrier hub and a power supply.

Actel's first available offerings include the power module and the advanced mezzanine card.

Conformant with MicroTCA version 1.0 and the Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) version 2.0, the Fusion-based power module design offers unprecedented integration, resulting in a more than 50% reduction in part count, cost, and board space as well as improved manufacturability, flexibility and reliability versus typical power module designs.

Actel's advanced mezzanine card design conforms to PICMG AMC.0 ECROO1 RC1.0 and allows designers to integrate payload and management functions.

In 2007, Actel plans to deliver the cooling module, the MicroTCA carrier hub (MCH) and the power supply reference designs.

Actel's cooling module will offer temperature and voltage monitoring for fans.

Performing shelf and carrier management functions, Actel's MCH will provide integrated baseboard and network management and support the MicroTCA Carrier Management Controller (MCMC) interface.

Later in the year, Actel expects to offer the conversion of AC power to 48V DC input via its power supply offering.

Pricing for the Fusion PSC family starts below US $5.00 each in 250,000-unit quantities.

Free of charge to qualified customers, the power module and advanced mezzanine card reference designs are available now.

The cooling module and MCH reference designs will be available in 1H 2007 with the power supply available in 2H 2007. Request a free brochure from Actel Europe....

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Programmable arrays look after MicroTCA

Free and tested reference platforms enable system management using field-programmable gate array technology.