Serial Rapid I/O™ for AdvancedTCA® Systems Specification

The objective of this document is to present base requirements, and, in some cases, suggest implementations for the PICMG® 3.0 Specification. Includes detailed information of the elements that must be considered during development.

The PICMG® 3.1 specification is a member of the PICMG 3 AdvancedTCA^® series of specifications. The base specification in the family, PICMG 3.0, is required to understand this specification. The PICMG 3.0 base specification implements a Board and Shelf architecture where the Boards all have point-to-point differential pair serial-data links to communicate with each other. The base design is sufficiently generic that it can accommodate many different link-level standards. PICMG 3.1 establishes the usage of Ethernet (IEEE 802.3) and Fibre Channel (NCITS T11) communication within the AdvancedTCA Shelf. PICMG 3.1 supports 10 Gigabit Ethernet via AdvancedTCA® Channels using EEE 25GBASE-KR, IEEE 10GBASE-KX4, IEEE 10GBASE-KR, I and XAUI signaling, 100 Gigabit Ethernet using IEEE 100GBASE-KR4 signaling, 40 Gigabit Ethernet using IEEE 40GBASE-KR4 signaling, and 100 Gigabit Ethernet using IEEE 100GBASE-KR4 signaling.

PICMG 3.2 builds upon the PICMG 3.0 Base Specification and the InfiniBand Specifications to meet the following objectives:

• Define how InfiniBand signaling is to be used over the Fabric Interface defined in the PICMG 3.0 Specification.
• Provide guidelines for the use of 1X, 4X, and 12X InfiniBand links
• Provide guidelines for the use of InfiniBand in-band management
• Provide recommendations and guidelines for utilization of advanced InfiniBand features that increase performance and interoperability

The content of this document is derived from and is dependent upon the PICMG 3.0 base specification. It is not intended as a stand-alone document or to be used separately from the base specification.

PICMG 3.3 builds upon the PICMG 3.0 specification to meet the following objectives:

• Define the StarFabric signals to be used over the data Link Channels provided by the PICMG 3.0 base specification.
  
• Support over each PICMG 3.0 Channel for 2.5Gbps StarFabric Links.
  
• Establish the System Management criteria for ensuring compatibility between PICMG 3.3 devices.
  
• Define design rules such that devices compatible with all other PICMG 3.x subsidiary specifications can be safely inserted in the same system, even if they do inter-operate.
  
• Provide example topologies and example implementations for Board and Backplane developers.

The content of this document is derived from and is dependent upon the PICMG 3.0 base specification. It is not intended as a standalone document or to be used separately from the base specification.

PICMG 3.4 builds upon the PICMG 3.0 specification to meet the following objectives:

• Define the PCI Express signals to be used over the Fabric Interface defined in the PICMG 3.0 base specification.
• Provide guidelines for the use of x1, x2, and x4 PCI Express links through Link Width Negotiation.
• Support over each PICMG 3.0 Channel for up to 10Gbps PCI Express links
• Establish the System Management criteria for ensuring compatibility between PICMG 3.4 boards.
• Define design rules such that devices compatible with other PICMG 3.0 standards can be safely inserted in the same system, even if they do not interoperate.
• Provide example topologies and example implementations for Board and Backplane developers.

The purpose of this document is to define a set of connectors for data and management on the Rear Transition Module (RTM) described in PICMG 3.0 R3.0. The management protocols are those defined in the IRTM specification. The intent is to define a power/system management connector that can be used by other RTM dot specifications that detail other data connector versions such as coax, fiber optic, etc. This document also details power and cooling issues. This document specifies keying options for various signal levels. It also defines management e-keying that are unique to this spec but follow the guidelines in the IRTM specification. Zone 3A indicates that this is the first definition of connectors for Zone 3. The intent is for other implementations in Zone three to use sequential lettering, e.g. Zone 3B, Zone 3C, etc.

The objective of this specification is to define hardware platform management aspects of Intelligent (MMC-based) Rear Transition Modules (IRTMs), covering PointTo-Point (P2P) and Clock E-Keying and related hardware platform management topics. This specification defines E-Keying mechanisms without defining specific pinouts or connector descriptions as these may vary from one IRTM to another. Instead, the IRTM implementation specific documentation must define the required pinout mappings to “Ports” as defined in this specification. IRTMs provide electrical and mechanical support for hot swapping. Actual complete implementations for hotswapping of IRTMs require additional levels of support from the Front Board, operating system, and other software.

SFP.0 defines the implementation of a System Fabric Plane Format. A System Fabric is a Layer-2 network (e.g. LAN) that has additional protocols implemented in the endpoint nodes such that the collection of these nodes acts together as a system. Note that a System Fabric may be implemented as:

• a LAN between blades in a backplane
• a LAN that spans multiple backplanes
• a private LAN between Rack Mount Servers that form a system
• any combination of the above

Note that SFP does not aim to be an end-user protocol. It exists only within the confines of a Converged Communications System (e.g. Content Processing Router). The System Fabric Plane (SFP) framework is intended to be a standard way for modules to communicate in Comm Fabric type applications, such as:

• Routers
• Wireless Radio Network Controllers (RNCs)
• Voice over Packet Gateways
• Media Servers
• Firewalls
• Etc. or any combination of the above.

Note that these are all prime candidate applications for ATCA. SFP is a layer that encapsulates many types of application protocols, such as:

• Internet Protocol Datagrams
• TDM/Voice (I-TDM)
• ATM (AAL-1, AAL-2, AAL-5)
• Wireless SDUs / PDUs (small packets for Wireless applications)
• Etc.

This document specifies the I-TDM protocol. New modular architectures and standards (like PICMG 3.x) define communication systems that do not include a TDM backplane or TDM interconnect technology for LAN attached communication modules. TDM traffic has not been eliminated, just the legacy H.1×0 bus in next generation modular systems. Packet back-planes and LANs have replaced legacy physical interconnects, but there still needs to be a standard way of transporting TDM traffic from one module to another.