April 30, 2007 

Publication: Intel, Motorola, RadiSys, & GE Fanuc

Big Momentum for MicroTCA - Bringing together a new open standard

Stretching the Application Range with MicroTCA and AdvancedMC

When PICMG defined AdvancedMC™ in 2005, it opened the door to a wide range of communications and telecom applications. Today, AdvancedMC modules can serve as the basis of systems ranging from home media gateways to metro-level central office. They offer a flexible combination of size and performance options, plus additional features that make them versatile building blocks for system design.

MicroTCA™ stretches application range by allowing developers to create systems by plugging AdvancedMC modules directly into a backplane. In effect, it uses the mezzanine module as though it were a blade itself. The architecture addresses mid-level performance applications by providing more cost-effective access to AdvancedMC module capabilities than the full AdvancedTCA structure. Designers can create systems as small as one or two modules using MicroTCA.

A typical MicroTCA platform will contain a number of base functions including: MicroTCA shelf, processor blades, switch blades, and element management. Depending on the capacity of a given system, these functions may be implemented in various ways, ranging from separate AdvancedMC modules to a single set of redundant AdvancedMC modules.

http://www.intelcommsalliance.com/microtca/