Express upgrade for CompactPCI systems

The first CompactPCI Express products and complete solutions have been introduced by Inova Computers just a few months after the finalisation of the PICMG CompactPCI Express Exp.0 specification.

The first CompactPCI Express products and complete solutions have been introduced by Inova Computers just a few months after the finalisation of the PICMG CompactPCI Express Exp.0 specification.

Together with partners, a completely new product range, built around the new CompactPCI Express standard, has been introduced to the market.

The centrepiece of the complete system is the world's first 3U CompactPCI Express CPU, which is based on the tried-and-tested i915 embedded chipset from Intel.

When the low power (5W) dual-core Merom processors become available towards the end of 2006, a new CPU (Giltedge), based on the i945 Intel chipset will be introduced.

The serial, point-to-point CompactPCI Express bus finally permits several gigabit Ethernet and serial ATA (SATA) lanes to communicate simultaneously at maximum transfer rates.

The "bottleneck" of CompactPCI, which could barely support a single gigabit Ethernet operating at its maximum payload, has been overcome.

The CPUs are available as 8HP variants with additional peripheral interfaces and support, to date a 160Gbyte, 2.5in SATA hard disk.

A single-slot, 4HP version can be equipped with a 1.8in hard disk up to 30Gbyte.

One particular feature of the CPUs is the implementation of a uLinux kernel (SuSe) integrated in the BIOS Flash, permitting the system to boot from any medium or link (USB, LAN, CD, DVD, RS232 etc), or update application code without an operating system.

This feature is unique in the 3U world, and takes into consideration the complex programming, typical of embedded software, for a faster time to market.

Even complete hard disk images can be updated in the field retrospectively.

In addition, the Linux kernel can be used as the main operating system.

On one hand, this reduces the total cost of ownership of operating system licenses and, on the other hand, permits rapid system booting.

Start times in the order of minutes are then history.

As far as performance and feature set are concerned, these new 3U CompactPCI Express CPUs far outstrip the currently available 6U CPUs based on CompactPCI and new benchmarks, in terms of integration density and functionality, are being set for 3U CPUs.

Two different enclosure variants are available for the CompactCPI Express base systems.

One, a full-sized, 19in 4HP GoldRush has an integrated ventilation system (supervised fan-tray), and is equipped with either a standard ATX 12V compatible power supply unit, or a newly developed 100W CompactPCI Express CPU.

Any suitable backplane, and additional modules for RAID or UPS functions etc can be integrated as required.

"articularly suited to applications operating at extreme temperatures is the 3U GoldNugget) enclosure with a CompactPCI Express PSU, and provision for a conductive cooling module.

In this case, the CPU is cooled primarily through contact with the enclosure and thus remains passively cooled, even at extremes of temperature.

Besides the system slot, the backplane installed in these systems provides three hybrid and three legacy, pure 32bit CompactPCI slots.

In both enclosure variants, the backplane supports advanced power management, and features system-wide diagnostics of several selectable system management buses".

"In addition, all backplanes possess their own unique electronic serial number.

A fully software-transparent and exchangeable translation board with several install options makes the bridge between the high-speed serial CompactPCI Express bus and the CompactPCI bus.

One option is to have an additional processor independent gigabit Ethernet channel, while another provides space for a bootable 160Gbyte 2.5in hard disk.

Self-repair and OS independent remote diagnostic functions are included, thanks to the implementation of future-oriented hardware and software, such as BMC (baseboard management controller), standard remote-diagnostic, IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface), ASF (Alert Standard Format) and onboard Linux, now reality in a 3U form-factor.

It is here that Inova Computers is precursor and pioneer of fault-tolerant and low power consuming high performing systems in 3U.

The downward-compatibility afforded by CompactPCI Express permits a smooth and remarkably simple transition that bridges the CompactPCI generation gap.

The new features that CompactPCI Express has to offer can be combined with existing CompactPCI hardware.

Hence, the new CompactPCI Express standard is also a powerful driving force for the existing 3U CompactPCI market.

3U CompactPCI Express is particularly suited to those applications placing peak demands on computing power, data transfer, full remote serviceability or necessitate particularly high up-time throughout the entire product lifecycle.

Above all, 3U CompactPCI Express systems are at home in mission-critical and maintenance-free systems.

Here, rapid industrial data processing, data servers in production areas, video transmission systems, difficult-to-access embedded control systems, or interactive 24/7 PoS terminals are addressed.

Both systems in their basic form are available for less than Eur 2490 in OEM quantities.

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