April 2015
10
M
ICRO
TCA
special slot known as the MCH. Adding to
this capability MTCA also supports four spec-
i cations:
MTCA.0 (base speci cation)
MTCA.1 (Rugged Air Cooled Speci cation)
MTCA.2(HardenedHybridAir/Conduction
Cooled Speci cation)
MTCA.3 (Hardened Conduction Cooled
Speci cation)
It should be noted that beyond the base
MTCA.0 speci cation all other speci cations
are optional and may be considered according
to the use case. As a newer computing archi-
tecture MTCA utilizes the latest technology
but remains open to future enhancements
even if they are disruptive in nature. In fact
in 2011 the MicroTCA standard proved that
it was extendable and evolutionary by releas-
ing the MTCA.4 speci cation and adding the
following features:
Introduction of Rear Transition Modules
(RTM) allows to connect cables from the
rear and to easily swap IO and processing
boards without the need to remove the rear
cable
De nition of additional timing and trigger
signals in the backplane
Direct slot to slot interconnection speci c
for FPGA data sharing
Connector between the front AMC and
RTM (called Zone 3) is open to address
future requests like optical interconnections
MTCA.4 is backward compatible to
MTCA.0 and MTCA.1.
MTCA.4 closed the performance gap
between MTCA.0 and .1 to ATCA.
Today MTCA is used in a wide range of
applications - from telecom infrastructure
projects to test & measurement equipment
for mobile networks - from real-time medi-
cal applications to large installations for high
energy physics.
And based on its current position MTCA has
proven its exibility and capability from near
PC based applications to full featured ATCA
systems.
e main contributor to the success of MTCA
is the exibility and scalability of AMCs. As
an example an AMC can be designed using a
simple 1GbE port backplane interface up to
a complex backplane interface providing the
following interfaces:
Redundant GbE
Redundant storage
High-performance PCIexpress
And/or 10GbE or RapidIO interfaces
Direct links to the neighbor slot
Trigger and clock in/outputs
Clock synchronization (clock in/outputs)
To provide even more exibility and capability
MTCA.4 can then compliment the interfaces
listed above through the support of a Rear
Transition Module that provides the following
interfaces as well:
Low and high-speed analogue signals
Digital signals
Clock signals
Management signals
User-de ned signals.
From a performance and bandwidth perspec-
tive there should be little doubt that the AMC
standard was designed with the future in mind.
Surprisingly it is important to note that AMCs
are also capable of targeting cost sensitive appli-
cations that require low to medium perfor-
mance with a small package size. In fact there
are various use cases whereAMCs are used as an
alternative to a commercial or custom mother
board platform as illustrated by two recent
examples from two di erent markets:
Passive mother board platform equipped
with Ethernet and RapidIO switches with
four AMC sites for data center computing
and network applications (demonstrated at
International Super Computing Show ISC
in 2014).
Small compact, cascadable and stackable
MTCA chassis (260mm x 43mm x 302mm
(WxHxD)) with support for two AMC
modules used for wireless test applications
(introduced at Embedded World 2015).
New product developments for application
enabling AMCs used in both the MTCA and
ATCA market will only continue to strengthen
the ecosystem and in turn drive the MTCA
adoption rate to higher levels. is position
coupled with new Rear Transition Modules
will only continue to drive new initiatives for
MTCA.4 as well. In fact one such example is
already in progress. In 2014 a PICMG initiative
was launched to develop an optional exten-
sion to MTCA.4 that would provide a second
backplane behind the standard MTCA back-
plane for the purpose of routing RF signals
with support for di erential power (+V, -V).
e goal is to provide a higher level of inte-
gration and more tightly couple the intercon-
nections between a digital and RF system. Yet
another example of a exible computing stan-
dard designed to be evolutionary and meet the
market’s requirements now and for the future.
Is it time to change your computing
platform?
Yes, de nitely! Now is the time to take the
innovative step into the future and change
to MTCA! e ecosystem is there to support
the e ort with additional backing by govern-
mental and private institutions. e Helm-
holtz Validation Fund has invested more than
3 Million Euro to leverage MTCA.4, AMC
and RTM technology to additional markets
by providing training and technology trans-
fers to industry (desy.mtca.de). Other exam-
ples are found around the globe and include
the US and China. MTCA is a true global
computing standard by many counts.
Without a doubt MTCA is the replace-
ment computing architecture for VME and
CPCI. It certainly hasn’t been an easy road
to introduce a new computing platform
in the midst of a major economic reces-
sion, but since its birth in 2007 MTCA has
generated many impressive success stories.
Many of these successes are listed as part of
this article, but perhaps the biggest reason
for its ever growing success is the fact that
it didn’t have to be backwards compatible.
The designers of MTCA were completely
free to be evolutionary and use state-of-the-
art technologies and then mix them with
successful positions learned from VME and
CPCI. The outcome of this is:
Better signal quality than VME and CPCI
Better exibility and scalability than VME
and CPCI, addressing low cost, mid-range
MTCA technology overview
