News

News Releases
2005

PICMG Approves New Advanced Mezzanine Card Extension for Storage
PICMG Adds Serial RapidIO® to AdvancedTCA®
PICMG Approves SHB Express Specification
PICMG Approves New CompactPCI® Express Specification
PICMG Releases Computer-on-Module Specification for Embedded Market
PICMG Releases New Protocol Encapsulation Specifications for AdvancedTCA Systems
PICMG Approves New Advanced Mezzanine Card Specifications AdvancedMC™ Brings Hot Swap and AdvancedTCA ®-like Features to a New Generation of Mezzanine Modules

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For further information:
Rob Davidson, PICMG, (805) 542-0999
info@picmg.org

PICMG Approves New Advanced Mezzanine Card Extension for Storage

AMC.3 adds Fibre Channel, Serial Attached SCSI and Serial ATA Interfaces to AMC Specification

WAKEFIELD, Mass., November 14, 2005 – PICMG® has released the latest extension to the Advanced Mezzanine Card™ (AMC) specification, published in February 2005. AMC.3 layers Serial Attached SCSI (SAS), Serial ATA (SATA) and Fibre Channel interfaces for storage devices on the base AMC.0 specification. AdvancedMC™ is the first entirely new open mezzanine standard to be developed in more than a decade. AdvancedMC cards are switch fabric-based, hot-swappable, and fully managed.

The AdvancedMC series of specifications follows the numbering pattern set by AdvancedTCA®, in which AMC.0 creates the foundation for the mezzanine cards with definition of form factor, connector, power and thermal characteristics, management, clocking and base fabric. AMC.1 maps PCI-Express onto the extended fabric interface; AMC.3 now maps coexisting SAS, SATA and Fibre Channel instead. Carrier cards can determine the type of interface required from the system management functions required by the base specification.

“The addition of storage interfaces to AMC opens up a new set of possibilities for high-density computing environments. Storage can now be an integral part of the network and treated as a hot-swap component just like compute power and network connections” said Larry Lamers of Adaptec, who chaired the AMC.3 subcommittee. He added, “The choice of storage interfaces in AMC.3 opens the architecture to many applications from telecom to military, as well as enterprise.”

While AdvancedMC was developed to be compatible with the AdvancedTCA architecture, AdvancedMC modules will be used in conjunction with other platform architectures, including some unique new systems that will consist exclusively of AdvancedMC modules. As its predecessors have shown, good mezzanine cards will be used wherever they can fit, which will encompass a wide range of carrier form factors and applications.

Within PICMG, efforts are already underway to utilize AdvancedMC modules in new ways, including MicroTCA™, in which AdvancedMC cards plug directly into a backplane, creating physically small but very powerful systems.

The PICMG website now includes a product directory where manufacturers can list their AdvancedMC product offerings. These product listings can be viewed at www.picmg.org/v2internal/productlistings.htm. Copies of the complete specifications are available to PICMG members and can be purchased by non-members from PICMG. More information on AdvancedMC and other PICMG developments is available at www.picmg.org/v2internal/picmgnewinitiatives.htm.

For information about PICMG membership, or to find out how to obtain PICMG specifications, visit the PICMG website at www.picmg.org or call PICMG headquarters at (781) 246-9318.

###
PICMG, CompactPCI, and AdvancedTCA are registered trademarks of the PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group. AdvancedMC is a trademark of PICMG. PCI Express is a trademark of the PCI SIG. Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Rob Davidson PICMG (805) 542-0999 info@picmg.org	Phyllis Grabot PICMG Corridor Communications, Inc. for the RapidIO Trade Association (805) 341-7269 phyllis@corridorcomms.com

PICMG Adds Serial RapidIO® to AdvancedTCA®

PICMG 3.5 defines mapping to ATCA Fabric

WAKEFIELD, Mass., October 31, 2005 – PICMG® announces the release of its latest specification for high speed interconnects over AdvancedTCA® (ATCA) backplanes – PICMG 3.5 RapidIO® for ATCA, PICMG 3.5 was recently approved by the PICMG membership and is now available.

The PICMG 3.0 specification defines the detailed characteristics of AdvancedTCA cards, chassis, and backplanes as well as the protocol for the base interconnect between cards (Ethernet) but leaves the protocols on the extended fabric to other specifications. An add-in card must notify the system manager which fabric it supports before interconnects are enabled onto the backplane. Serial RapidIO is the latest fabric to be mapped onto AdvancedTCA.

"Extending RapidIO technology to an even broader range of data plane applications, while carrying forward its best-in-class control plane features, creates a very compelling, unified open interconnect architecture," says Dave Wickliff, from Lucent Technologies, chair of the PICMG 3.5 subcommittee, and chair of the RapidIO Trade Association Steering Committee. "Leveraging RapidIO standards onto AdvancedTCA via PICMG 3.5 will extend this open interconnect into the important box-level telecommunications platform. RapidIO technology provides an interconnect architecture that can homogenously span a complete platform: backplane, boards, mezzanines, and devices."

The RapidIO interconnect architecture is an established, open standard available for review and downloading from the RapidIO Trade Association’s website, www.RapidIO.org. Also available at the website is information on system-enablement tools including RapidIO vendor product lists, synthesizable Verilog cores, analog physical layer cores, logic and protocol analyzers, operating system support, bus functional models, and hardware interoperability platforms.

Copies of the complete PICMG 3.5 specification are available to PICMG members and can be purchased by non-members from PICMG. More information on new PICMG developments is available at www.picmg.org/v2internal/picmgnewinitiatives.htm. Product listings can be found at http://www.picmg.org/v2internal/productlistings.htm.

About The RapidIO Trade Association
The RapidIO Trade Association and its global members drive the RapidIO® interconnect architecture. This ISO-certified, open-standard seamlessly enables the chip-to-chip, board-to-board, control, backplane and data plane interconnections needed in high-performance networking, communications and embedded systems. RapidIO-based products are shipping now, including silicon chips, boards and systems. Detailed information on the RapidIO specification, products, design tools, member companies, and membership is available at www.RapidIO.org.

About PICMG
Founded in 1994 as the PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group, PICMG is a consortium of over 400 companies that collaboratively develops open specifications for high performance telecommunications and industrial computing applications. The members of the consortium have a long history of developing and using leading edge products for these industries. For information about PICMG membership, or to find out how to obtain PICMG specifications, visit the PICMG website at www.picmg.org or call PICMG headquarters at (781) 246-9318.

###
PICMG®, CompactPCI®, AdvancedTCA®, ATCA®, CompactPCI® Express and the PICMG, CompactPCI, AdvancedTCA and ATCA logos are registered trademarks, and COM Express™, MicroTCA™, CompactTCA™, AdvancedMC™ and SHB Express™ are trademarks, of the PCI. RapidIO® is a registered trademark of the RapidIO Trade Association. All other brand or product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For further information:
Rob Davidson, PICMG, (805) 542-0999
info@picmg.org

PICMG Approves SHB Express Specification

New Specification updates the first PICMG specification with PCI Express mapping

WAKEFIELD, Mass., October 31, 2005 – PICMG® has now released the SHB Express™, denoted as PICMG 1.3. SHB Express updates the popular PICMG 1.0 (PCI) and 1.2 (PCI-X) specifications that defined passive backplane implementations of the desktop PC architectures. PICMG 1.3 continues that practice by mapping PCI Express® onto a System Host Board (SHB) and an SHB Express backplane to accommodate the SHB and standard add-in cards.

Twenty PICMG member companies participated in the development of the SHB Express specification development process. The specification defines the mechanical, signal mapping and power distribution requirements for System Host Boards and backplanes. In addition to providing support for new PCI Express add in cards, an SHB Express system will also support legacy PCI and PCI-X add in cards.

"SHB Express continues the fine tradition of PICMG with a fresh update to the very first specification PICMG published,” said Brad Trent of Trenton Technology. “PICMG has excelled at adapting mass market technologies from desktop computers and servers for the more demanding environments of industrial automation, medical, military and telecom,” he continued.

The specification defines systems that can range from two slots for deeply embedded applications to up to 20 slots for complex, high performance solutions.

Copies of the complete specification are available to PICMG members and can be purchased by non-members from PICMG. More information on new PICMG developments is available at www.picmg.org/v2internal/picmgnewinitiatives.htm. Product listings can be found at http://www.picmg.org/v2internal/productlistings.htm.

###
PICMG®, CompactPCI®, AdvancedTCA®, ATCA®, CompactPCI® Express and the PICMG, CompactPCI, AdvancedTCA and ATCA logos are registered trademarks, and COM Express™, MicroTCA™, CompactTCA™, AdvancedMC™ and SHB Express™ are trademarks, of the PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group. All other brand or product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For further information:
Rob Davidson, PICMG, (805) 542-0999
info@picmg.org

PICMG® Approves New
CompactPCI® Express Specification

WAKEFIELD, Mass., Aug. 9, 2005 – PICMG has released the CompactPCI Express Specification denoted EXP.0. CompactPCI Express brings PCI Express technology to the popular PICMG 2.0 CompactPCI form factor, while maintaining compatibility with CompactPCI hardware and software.

More than 40 companies participated in the CompactPCI Express specification development process. The participating companies worked to develop a specification that would meet the future market needs of the CompactPCI, PXI, military, and aerospace markets. The specification defines the connector, electrical, and mechanical requirements of 3U/6U System Boards, Peripheral Boards, Switch Boards, and Backplanes.

"CompactPCI Express leverages the Advanced Differential Fabric (ADF) connector used by AdvantedTCA to carry the PCI Express Signals,” said Mark Wetzel of National Instruments, the EXP.0 subcommittee chair. “The specification maintains hardware compatibility with CompactPCI by allowing backplanes to have CompactPCI slots as well as Hybrid Slots, which support CompactPCI, PXI, and Compact PCI Express peripheral boards."

Boards that are defined in the specification include System Boards, Type 1 Peripheral Boards, Type 2 Peripheral Boards, and Switch Boards. Type 1 Peripheral Boards share the same pin definitions as System Boards, so a CPU board could be designed to work in both slot types. Type 2 Peripheral Boards, can be used in Type 1, Type 2, and Hybrid Slots. Switch Boards provide a modular way to provide PCI Express fan out.

The specification defines the system slot and board to have up to 24 lanes and up to four links of PCI Express for up to 6 Gigabytes/second system bandwidth per direction. Type 1 peripheral slots and boards can have up to 16 lanes of PCI Express for up to 4 Gigabytes/second bandwidth per direction and Type 2 peripheral slots can have up to 8 lanes of PCI Express for up to 2 Gigabytes/second bandwidth per direction.

CompactPCI Express provides migration path for customers who use the highly successful CompactPCI form factor but want the added performance of PCI Express.

For information about PICMG membership, or to find out how to obtain PICMG specifications, visit the PICMG website at www.picmg.org or call PICMG headquarters at (781) 246-9318.

###
PICMG, CompactPCI, and AdvancedTCA are registered trademarks of PICMG. AdvancedMC, MicroTCA and COM Express are trademarks of PICMG.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For further information:
Rob Davidson, PICMG, (805) 542-0999
info@picmg.org

PICMG® RELEASES COMPUTER-ON-MODULE SPECIFICATION FOR EMBEDDED MARKET

COM Express™ defines small form factor computer module with full complement of interfaces

WAKEFIELD, Mass., July 15, 2005 – PICMG has released the COM Express Specification (COM.0) for very small form factor computer modules aimed at a wide variety of vertical applications in the embedded marketplace.

The Computer-on-Module approach puts an entire computer host-complex power on a small form factor (either 95mm x 125mm or 155mm x 110mm) module that can be mounted on larger carrier boards containing the application specific IO and power circuitry. It also allows flexibility in standard form factor boards that require upgradeable host functionality. This brings benefits to system designers, such as reduced time-to-market, cost-effective customization and lower product lifecycle costs.

COM Express supports a rich set of interfaces, including PCI Express, PCI Express Graphics, Serial ATA, Serial Attached SCSI, USB 2.0, LVDS, Serial DVO (digital video out), Ethernet, and GPIO, as well as enhanced system and power management features, making it suitable for many embedded computing applications. Support for PCI and parallel ATA further ensures that OEMs have a smooth transition path from existing systems.

The specification was developed by PICMG member companies with extensive experience in the embedded market place. The subcommittee included ADLink, Diversified Technology, Foxconn, GNP, Intel, Kontron, Maxim Integrated Products, MEN Mikro Elektronik GmbH, Microbus, PFU Systems, RadiSys, SBS Technologies and Tyco.

“The specification meets the need of the embedded industry for a computer-on-module standard applicable to a wide range of form factors and which encapsulates modern, high-speed interfaces,” said Kishan Jainandunsing of PFU Systems, who chaired the PICMG COM.0 Subcommittee.

The PICMG website includes a product directory where manufacturers list their PICMG compliant product offerings. These product listings can be viewed at www.picmg.org/v2internal/productlistings.htm. Copies of the complete specification are available to PICMG members and can be purchased by non-members from PICMG. More information on new PICMG developments is available at www.picmg.org/v2internal/picmgnewinitiatives.htm.

For information about PICMG membership, or to find out how to obtain PICMG specifications, visit the PICMG website at www.picmg.org or call PICMG headquarters at (781) 246-9318.

###
PICMG, CompactPCI, and AdvancedTCA are registered trademarks PICMG. AdvancedMC, MicroTCA and COM Express are trademarks of PICMG.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For further information:
Rob Davidson, PICMG, (805) 542-0999
info@picmg.org

PICMG® RELEASES NEW PROTOCOL ENCAPSULATION SPECIFICATIONS FOR ADVANCEDTCA SYSTEMS

Specifications SFP.0 and SFP.1 enable legacy protocols on PICMG 3.1 Ethernet and other transports over AdvancedTCA® backplanes

WAKEFIELD, Mass., June 14, 2005 – The PICMG executive membership has approved two new protocol specifications that will allow applications that use legacy transport protocols to be easily ported to AdvancedTCA systems. By encapsulating these protocols on AdvancedTCA interconnects, they appear to be running over a direct connection.

SFP.0 is a layer 2 ½ or “shim” protocol specification for low-overhead, high-speed generic encapsulation targeted at PICMG 3.1 Ethernet-based modular systems, but also has application for other PICMG 3.x & 2.16 fabric-based systems. SFP.0 is generic in the sense that it can be used to encapsulate all kinds of packet and cell-based traffic (e.g. Time Division Multiplexed (TDM) and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)) for transport between blades or chassis on a switched fabric.

SFP.1, also known as I-TDM (Internal TDM), is a companion protocol specification to SFP.0 that is optimized for TDM traffic over high-speed fabrics such as 1 and 10 Gigabit Ethernet (PICMG 3.1), Advanced Switching (PICMG 3.4), Infiniband (PICMG 3.2), etc. SFP.1 and SFP.0 together provide a complete encapsulation for TDM over Ethernet. This provides a functional replacement to the hardware-based H.110 & H.100 buses that existed in older telephony systems.

“These specifications are perfect adjuncts to the evolving family of PICMG specifications, as they meet the need for an optimized mechanism to encapsulate legacy and proprietary protocols over the high-speed switched fabrics of modern ATCA based systems,” said Steve Adams of Intel, who chaired the PICMG SFP.0 & SFP.1 Subcommittee.

These two related specifications are logical extensions to the PICMG family of specifications that further enable the commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) eco-system of multi-vendor interoperable products that lower the cost of development and time to market, while fostering innovation in the dynamic market place of modular communication systems.

The PICMG Website includes a product directory where manufacturers list their PICMG-compliant product offerings. These product listings can be viewed at www.picmg.org/v2internal/productlistings.htm. Copies of the complete specifications are available to PICMG members and can be purchased by non-members from PICMG. More information on new PICMG developments is available at www.picmg.org/v2internal/picmgnewinitiatives.htm.

For information about PICMG membership, or to find out how to obtain PICMG specifications, visit the PICMG website at www.picmg.org or call PICMG headquarters at (781) 246-9318.

###
PICMG, CompactPCI, and AdvancedTCA are registered trademarks of the PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group. AdvancedMC and MicroTCA is a trademark of PICMG.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For further information:
Rob Davidson, PICMG, (805) 542-0999
info@picmg.org

PICMG Approves New Advanced Mezzanine Card Specifications AdvancedMC™ Brings Hot Swap and AdvancedTCA ®-like Features to a New Generation of Mezzanine Modules

WAKEFIELD, Mass., February 22, 2005 – The PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group (PICMG®) has released the first two specifications defining the new Advanced Mezzanine Card architecture. AdvancedMC™ is the first entirely new open mezzanine standard to be developed in more than a decade. AdvancedMC cards are switch fabric based, hot-swappable, and fully managed.

The AdvancedMC series of specifications follows the numbering pattern set by AdvancedTCA, where AMC.0 creates the foundation for the Mezzanine Cards with definition of form factor, connector, power and thermal characteristics, management, clocking and base fabric. AMC.1 maps PCI-Express onto the extended fabric interface. Additional specifications to support Ethernet, storage, and SerialRapid I/O are near completion and will be released as AMC.2, AMC.3 and AMC.4 respectively.

More than 60 companies, both vendors and users, participated in the specification development process. This process ensured that both a breadth of knowledge and experience went into development of the specifications and that they will be embraced by both vendor and user communities.

"AdvancedMC is leveraged to exceed the high availability needs of the telecom industry by accommodating system management and hot swap capability,” said Mark Summers of Intel, who chaired the PICMG subcommittee that developed AdvancedMC. “AdvancedMC is positioned to strengthen AdvancedTCA by providing greater thermal and volume envelope add-in modularity for a variety of I/O, storage and processor applications" he added.

Though the specifications were developed to meet stringent telecom requirements for reliability, availability, serviceability and manageability, AMC module characteristics are expected to appeal to many other markets as well.

Within PICMG efforts are already underway to utilize AdvancedMC modules in new ways, including MicroTCA™, in which AdvancedMC cards plug directly into a backplane, creating physically small but very powerful systems.

The PICMG Website now includes a product directory where manufacturers can list their AdvancedMC product offerings. These product listings can be viewed at www.picmg.org/v2internal/productlistings.htm. A short-form version of the specifications that summarizes the details of the architecture is also available on the PICMG Website. Copies of the complete specifications are available to PICMG members and can be purchased by non-members from PICMG. More information on AdvancedMC and other PICMG developments is available at www.picmg.org/v2internal/picmgnewinitiatives.htm.

For information about PICMG membership, or to find out how to obtain PICMG specifications, visit the PICMG website at www.picmg.org or call PICMG headquarters at (781) 246-9318.

News

News Releases 2005

News Releases
2005