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Product category: Plugs and Sockets
News Release from: FCI
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 15 December 2005

MicroTCA group elects footprint proposal
from FCI

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Workgroup member companies, in support of the MicroTCA initiative, recently elected a connector system that allows for AMC interface cards to direct-mate with a MicroTCA back panel.

Workgroup member companies, in support of the MicroTCA initiative, recently elected a connector system that allows for AMC interface cards to direct-mate with a MicroTCA back panel MicroTCA is a modular open system needed for constrained applications where ATCA is not a good fit due to size, cost and equipment practices

It is a draft system architecture specification that gained status as a subcommittee under the PICMG organisation in October 2004.

ATCA, AMC and MicroTCA provide an end-to-end framework that meets the requirements of a full spectrum of high-availability telecom applications, from core routers and IP-gateways, radio base-stations and switching centres, to converged customer premises equipment.

FCI collaborated with Tyco Electronics to define a footprint optimised for performance, cost and availability.

The collaboration between the two connector manufacturers brought many years of expertise together to combine with positive feedback from a wide range of potential end users resulting in a proposal that the industry will benefit from in terms of availability and cost.

The footprint supports low-cost connector design.

Low manufacturing cost is achieved by using proven connector manufacturing processes, low-cost materials and a minimal number of components.

The connector contains no proprietary design, and no proprietary manufacturing processes are required.

A low, applied cost is achieved by low-cost surface mount installation, the fact that no costly hardware is required, nor are any secondary mechanical retention devices and compensating board stiffeners needed.

The MicroTCA connector is designed to be compliant with Telcordia GR-1217-CORE uncontrolled environment (UE) specifications and will support data rates of up to 12.5Gbit/s, while exhibiting very low crosstalk performance.

Prototypes of the SMT MicroTCA connectors are expected to be available by the end of 2005 and production will begin in early 2006.

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