Developing Cost-Effective MicroTCA Solutions

By Paul Stevens and Peter Marek, Advantech

Vendors trying to reduce MicroTCA system costs have developed several innovative AMC infrastructure arrangements. Simplifying or eliminating the MicroTCA Carrier Hub (MCH) and substituting intelligent Field Replaceable Units (FRUs) can lower costs substantially. But can such approaches meet the price targets required in such applications as wireless basestations, VoIP equipment, converged application platforms, and security appliances?  

MicroTCA has not yet approached the target of $500-$1,000 suggested in early discussions. Today’s typical price for a 2U MicroTCA system including power, cooling, switching, management, and one processor AMC (PrAMC) is around $5K. Cheaper versions are now available which still offer management, switching, and hot swap. Of course, there are always tradeoffs in terms of features. Lower-cost systems typically provide an unmanaged Gigabit Ethernet hub or a PCIe root complex on a PrAMC with x1 lanes to a few slots. Redundant MCHs and Switched PCIe are extra-cost options.

Reducing costs further requires moving the PM function to the MCH and the backplane to allow the integration of open-frame power supplies. Much activity is occurring here, and most manufacturers are working on such variants to address cost-sensitive networking applications. However, even these reductions may be insufficient, as equipment OEMs seek to lower costs aggressively in response to the economic downturn.

One thing is certain. More cost reductions are essential to attract attention in other industries. For example, the industrial control and transportation markets currently deploy solutions based on 3U CompactPCI, Industrial PCs, or motherboard-based servers. How much is MicroTCA’s added value of modularity, serviceability, bandwidth, and performance worth to them?

Several vendors are addressing such issues with a specification called INCA (Industrial and Network Computing Architecture) which simplifies the MicroTCA architecture. INCA merges the MCH and a PrAMC into a single blade called a PMCH. A PMCH offers GbE, PCIe, and SATA, and introduces simple plug-and-play USB connectivity as well as optional PCI Express x16 for industrial graphics. Furthermore, INCA introduces a new concept of LMCs (LeanMCs), which are AMC-like cards that require no management, hot-swap circuitry, or e-keying. Off-the shelf, unmodified AMCs are interchangeable with LMCs in an INCA chassis. Designers can easily re-spin hardware from a proprietary or Industrial PC platform to LMCs without knowing anything about IPMI, thus simplifying migration from PCIe or USB-based industrial hardware.

The PMCH supports Industrial PC-style power supplies and cooling units. Such simplifications mean that target prices for a functional INCA system are in the $2,500 range with a goal of sub-$1,500 in high volumes.

INCA’s main goal is to extend MicroTCA’s range of applications, not to displace it. Introducing a simplified system infrastructure will greatly increase the market for AMCs. INCA can provide the missing link between the Industrial PC world and open modular bus-based systems by simplifying hardware development with LMCs and trading off redundancy, hot-swap, and management in applications that do not require them.

Peter Marek is Technical Director at Advantech, and Paul Stevens is Telecom Sector Marketing Director. You can reach them at peter.marek@advantech.eu and paul.stevens@advantech.eu, respectively.