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CompactPCI EtherPlane backplane

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Jan 19, 2001

APW Electronic Solutions has developed a 15-slot CompactPCI EtherPlane backplane (EPB) for Performance Technologies, the leading US system developer and integrator.

Continuing its long-established tradition of supporting emerging technologies with early prototypes, APW Electronic Solutions has developed a 15-slot CompactPCI EtherPlane backplane (EPB) for Performance Technologies, the leading US system developer and integrator.

The EPB extends the CompactPCI specification with a packet-based (Ethernet) switching architecture to create an embedded system area network (ESAN), integrating a scaleable LAN into the embedded systems environment with inherent hot swap and HA capability.

EPB will reduce time to market through increased integration at the network/transport layers, enabling embedded system integrators to combine the power of IP with the ubiquity of Ethernet and the bandwidth of fibre.

The EPB supports scaleable bit rates of 10, 100 or 1000Mbit/s per slot, giving the choice between low cost or high performance; hot swap is provided through the standard CompactPCI specification and high availability is enabled through redundant Ethernet switching.

EPB uses only 20 pins in the J3 area per slot, it is non invasive to J1, J2, J4 and J5.

The EPB provides a CAT5 equivalent connection for every slot.

Integrating Ethernet with CompactPCI has enormous potential; the inaugural meeting of a PICMG 2.16 subcommittee was held on 9th November 2000 to consider introducing a new subset, provisionally entitled Packet Switching Backplane, to the PICMG CompactPCI specification.