May 2001

Waves Of Change

BY CHRIS DONNER

Change seems to strike particular industries and industry segments in wave-like patterns; that is, a surge, followed by a lull, then another surge, and so on. CompactPCI is a good example. Early on, CompactPCI received a tremendous amount of press coverage and industry push, resulting in dramatic success of the form factor, especially in the telecom industry, in a relatively short time. More recently things have been relatively quiet in this space. But the crest of the next wave is upon us, or will be very soon.

The standard H.110/CT bus allows for 4,096 time slots, and that, plus advances in hot swapability and the ease of acquiring off-the-shelf (OTS) components have been sufficient to bring CompactPCI into the central office space. But as both data and voice usage continue to increase, density per shelf becomes increasingly important.

Fortunately for CompactPCI (someone would say that it was more good planning than good fortune), a 6U cPCI board with 5 connectors has some 535 pins, only 220 of which are devoted to the PCI bus. This leaves 315 free pins, and these pins can be used for bridging to other busses, such as ISA or VME. Work is currently underway to provide a faster, denser, secondary data bus using these upper connectors.

What are the options? There are many, although three of the biggest are: bringing an Ethernet pinout into the cPCI backplane, utilizing StarGens StarFabric, and integrating Intels Infiniband architecture. All three of these options promise higher densities in a same-size chassis while still maintaining the specifications required for mission-critical applications like telecommunications.

Deciding which of these options to use is a difficult task, so I have decided to take a look at two of them in this months issue: Ethernet and the StarFabric. For an overview of the work of the PICMG 2.16 subcommittee on incorporating Ethernet into cPCI, see the sidebar in this section. And for more on both Ethernet and the StarFabric, see the article provided by Bustronic.

I hope to come back to this topic and discuss Infiniband in a future issue. It is interesting to note that even as hardware advances continue to grow in keeping with Moores Law, software advances move more slowly. This suggests that technologies that require both hardware and software support may take longer to gain mass acceptance than those that rely mainly on hardware changes, although this factor can be directly affected by how open the software systems are to the development community.

Exciting things are happening to CompactPCI. The next wave is coming: equip yourselves appropriately.

[ Return To The May 2001 Table Of Contents ]

• NEXCOM Announces Latest DDR CPU Board
• ADLINK 3U CPU cPCI Modules
• HP, MGE UPS Team On System Availability
• Agilent Helps Increase VoIP Quality, Reliability
• CG Mupacs New SBC: SBCPxBX
• VMIC Pentium III 850 MHz Now Available
• Agilent Voice Quality Testing Simplifies Troubleshooting
• Force Centellis HA Cluster Server
• Teltone Announces New Features
• Crystal Debuts DarkSite
• AudioCodes Introduces TrunkPack 1610
• PLX Technology Announces GigaBridge GBP32

NEXCOM Announces Latest DDR CPU Board 
NEXCOMs latest announcement is of two dual Pentium III and DDR (Double Data Rate) memory systems: a single board computer (PEAK 6620VL2), and an ATX Server board (NEX 6620A). Both are packed with a CPU board supporting 100/133 MHz FSB up to 1GHz. Both the PEAK 6620 and the NEX 6620 optimize data transferring performance between the CPU, core logic chipsets, and memory. A maximum of 3-4GB memory allows most network services to run on these systems. C&T 69000 VGA on board supports integrated graphic functions, and dual Intel 82559 10/100 Ethernet provides sufficient bandwidth for networking. 
www.nexcom.com; 510-656-2248

ADLINK 3U CPU cPCI Modules
ADLINK Technology has announced their cPCI-3600A and cPCI-3700A CompactPCI CPU modules. The 3U modules easily plug into any cPCI chassis, providing front-port access for all connectivity and featuring Intels 440HX PCI chipset, a socket 370 Celeron/Pentium III, built-in Ethernet on board, up to 128MB RAM (on 3500A) or 256MB RAM (on 3700A). Integrated with any ADLINK cPCI chassis, including the recently introduced cPCI-2000 Series, these modules are available from stock at $1,995 (3500A) and $2,100 (3700A), with OEM quantities and discounts also available.
www.adlinktechnology.com; 949-250-3339

HP, MGE UPS Team On System Availability
Hewlett-Packard is now offering select MGE uninterruptible power supplies to its 9000 Enterprise Server customers. The new HP Power Trust II-MR UPSs provided by MGE have been specifically designed and tested to meet HPs quality, safety, and supportability standards, ensuring optimized compatibility and interoperability with HP enterprise solutions. The rackmount Power Trust II-MR UPS supports HP-UX and Windows NT/2000, and the series includes three power configurations to meet a broad range of user requirements. The UPS also allows for hot swap battery module replacement or addition without interrupting the supply of power to the connected systems.
www.mgeups.com; 714-557-1636

Agilent Helps Increase VoIP Quality, Reliability
Agilent Technologies has made available two new test applications for the Agilent Advisor designed to help network professionals quickly identify and measure voice quality across networks delivering voice over IP (VoIP). The Agilent Advisor IP Telephony Analyzer and the IP Telephony Reporter offer features that allow for more insightful voice quality assessment combined with diagnostics for optimized network performance. The Agilent Advisor IP Telephony Analyzer improves voice quality testing by allowing analysis of the voice traffic on a packet network. The softwares audio play out feature allows network engineers to isolate the cause of poor voice quality within the VoIP network, while providing the option of hearing the audio with jitter or de-jittered. In addition, the IP Telephony Analyzer adds features that automate the troubleshooting of networks suffering from jitter and packet loss. The real-time analysis of the Agilent Advisor speeds troubleshooting and allows overnight monitoring, facilitating a more efficient use of network personnel. The Agilent Advisor allows users to test LAN, WAN, ATM, and 3G wireless networks.
www.agilent.com; 800-452-4844, ext. 7470

CG Mupacs New SBC: SBCPxBX
Carlo Gavazzi Mupac has introduced the SBCPxBX, a Celeron/Pentium III-based SBC designed to meet the needs of embedded and applied computing OEMs and systems integrators. The system features the aforementioned Celeron or PIII processor, an Intel 440BX chipset, on-board video support, and up to 768MB SDRAM. There are USB, serial, and parallel ports, as well as optional CompactFlash, Ultra2 SCSI, and 10/100 Ethernet controllers. The system supports five PCI bus masters, PCI-to-PCI bridging, and can drive up to 20 slots of ISA.
www.carlogavazzi.com; 800-926-8722

VMIC Pentium III 850 MHz Now Available
VMIC has announced a 3U CompactPCI PC-based controller, the VMICPCI-8420, now available with an 850 MHz Pentium III CPU and offering seven cPCI expansion slots. The VMIcPCI-8420 is a 19 rackmount system with 2 serial ports, a 6.0 GB hard drive, 1.44 MB floppy drive, 320W power supply, 2 USB ports, a built-in Ethernet port, and an external CD-ROM drive connector. The system supports Windows NT and VxWorks and includes VMICs cPCI I/O driver software. It is available now, and has a starting list price of $5,962.
www.vmic.com; 800-322-3616

Agilent Voice Quality Testing Simplifies Troubleshooting
Agilent Technologies announced new features available for the Agilent Voice Quality Tester (VQT) that simplify testing and troubleshooting of global voice networks. The Agilent VQT now allows network technicians and engineers to evaluate the voice quality of distributed VoIP networks from a single location anywhere on the network, saving valuable test time and enabling a far more efficient use of skilled engineering resources. The remote control capability dramatically reduces costly, time-consuming travel requirements, and the need for trained staff working in multiple locations. 
www.agilent.com; 800-452-4844, ext. 7470

Force Centellis HA Cluster Server 
Force Computers carrier-grade Centellis CO 88540-15U embedded cluster server is the latest in the Centellis CO Series 88000 line of CompactPCI-based platforms. Based on the UltraSPARC-IIi processor and Solaris 8 operating system, the embedded cluster server offers a highly available, open-systems-based, NEBS Level 3 platform for applications that require fault resilience and easy integration into Central Office solutions. As a high availability solution, the Centellis CO 88540-15U delivers five-nines uptime reliability for network equipment manufacturers in need of a carrier-grade server that leverages engineering investments in cPCI and Solaris technology. The unit features dual high-performance, 440MHz UltraSPARC-IIi processor-based single board computers on a dual eight-slot cPCI backplane. Support is provided for up to six hot-swappable SCSI hard disk drives and two 5.25-inch single-ended SCSI devices. Solaris 8 is factory installed, ready for the installation of third-party cluster software.
www.forcecomputers.com; 800-FORCE-99

Teltone Announces New Features 
Teltone Corporation announced availability of subscriber (phone) simulation for its latest product, the Telecom Simulation Platform (TSP). The TSP was designed for maximum flexibility through mix and match T1/E1 and POTS (loop start FXS channels) modules that plug into a base chassis. Teltone has extended the analog capabilities of the TSP to more channels and with different signaling protocols, including FXS loop-start and ground-start, FXO loop-start and ground-start (simulating a phone), and 2-wire/4-wire E&M, by connecting a Channel Bank to the T1 interface of the TSP.
www.teltone.com; 800-426-3926

Crystal Debuts DarkSite
Crystal Group has announced its DarkSite remote management application for servers. A platform-independent management tool, DarkSite is an embedded computer system complete with its own OS, functioning independently from the host system and requiring only an ISA or PCI slot for power. Sensors on the system can monitor temperature, fan rotation, and power in the host system, while DarkSite can also keep an eye on a servers resources. DarkSite is compatible with Windows 95/98, 2000, NT 4.0, Linux, Solaris x86, and SCO (Caldera) UnixWare 7.x. 
www.crystalpc.com; 800-738-1636

AudioCodes Introduces TrunkPack 1610
AudioCodes has announced a CompactPCI IP telephony board that supports 480 channels of voice, fax, and data services. This new AudioCodes cPCI platform provides double the density over current available VoIP CompactPCI solutions. The TP-1610 is a VoIP-compliant, high-density, single board that supports PSTN signaling, MGCP, and MEGACO call controls. The TP-1610 communication board is planned to support VoATM and an OC-3 interface in future versions. AudioCodes newest member of the TrunkPack family adheres to market demands for higher densities and offers OEMs more revenue-producing channels per system. The TP-1610 utilizes AudioCodes TPM (TrunkPack Module), allowing for easier future upgrades such as increased channel densities, wireless vocoder support, and V.90 modem functionality. 
www.audiocodes.com; 408-577-0488

PLX Technology Announces GigaBridge GBP32
PLX Technology announced the GigaBridge GBP32, a controller based on PLXs recently introduced adaptive switch fabric architecture. The GigaBridge GBP32 is designed to preserve investment, increase scalability, and boost high availability in Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)-based telecommunications, data communications, and embedded systems. PLX also announced widespread industry support for the architecture and GigaBridge line, including efforts by communication system vendors and third party developers designing products to include or support the GigaBridge GBP32 controller. PLX already has received silicon of the 32-bit GigaBridge GBP32, and alpha sampling to selected PLX customers and partners is scheduled to begin this quarter. 
Development tools from PLX and third-party vendors also will be shipping in Q3. A 64-bit GigaBridge controller is scheduled for introduction later this year. PLX expects that the controller and development tools will be the first PCI-based switch fabric silicon and software on the market. 
www.plxtech.com; 408-774-9060 

[ Return To The May 2001 Table Of Contents ]

As part of my CompactPCI updates, I had a long and interesting conversation with John Peters, VP hardware engineering of performance Technologies, and also chairman of PICMG 2.16 subcommittee. PICMG 2.16 is the working group focusing on the integration of switched Ethernet fabric into the CompactPCI backplane, creating the CompactPCI Packet Switched Backplane (CompactPCI/PSB).

As John was quick to point out, this effort is not being undertaken simply because of a desire to bring Ethernet cabling into the cPCI backplane. Rather, it is a continuation of the process that launched cPCI in the first place: leveraging existing components and technologies (in this case, the ubiquity of Ethernet and IP) to provide a high-density, high-availability solution that rapidly achieves critical mass without having to create anything new. As John said, CompactPCI/PSB is pursuing revolutionary solutions using evolutionary technologies.

So why Ethernet? One of the key reasons John gave was the fact that the use of Ethernet within the chassis allows users to look at system development from a completely different perspective. With Ethernet, systems integration can be done at the network and transport level and above. In other words, CompactPCI/PSB is operating system-agnostic. Individual cards in a chassis can have their own OS and memory, and can communicate with the other cards via TCP, UDP, or some other protocol. Since integration has traditionally been a key problem area in system development, allowing integration to be done at a higher level provides a significant time savings and a simpler design model.

Another benefit is that the PICMG 2.16 specification only requires 8 pins to provide a full network to each card in the system. This means that with 16 pins, which can be accommodated by the cPCI backplane, you can provide two fully redundant networks within a single chassis, limiting potential system losses to a single slot in a chassis. Other benefits include performance -- Ethernet continues to expand capacity, from 10/100 to gigabit and soon to 10 gigabit (note that this is a per-slot density, not per chassis). Also, Ethernet is also inherently hot-swapable and therefore doesnt require modification to support swapping out of components.

Keep in mind that the specification refers to switched Ethernet, not older Ethernet. Thus, the chassis becomes a point-to-point network, one that will eventually be able to employ fiber as well, resulting not only in increased densities, but also in systems that are less susceptible to interference from radio waves and vibrations, unlike copper wires. Most importantly, fiber will offer virtually an unlimited conduit for increased bit rates in the future.

So when will the spec be ready? John told me that the subcommittee is shooting for the end of July for ratification, and that they are relatively on target. Considering that the group first began work on the spec back in November 2000, ratification before November of 2001 would mean less than a year to define this specification, a remarkable accomplishment. John also pointed out that because Ethernet is a tested and deployed technology, once the specification is ratified there will be no gestation period, no need to prove interoperability or to work out the bugs. Off-the-shelf products should be available almost immediately.

[ Return To The May 2001 Table Of Contents ]

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