Lossless EthernetAdvancements in Next Generation Networks
AdvancedTCA SwitchingLayer 2 Failover Feature
CompactPCI, PICMG 2.16Continues to Fight the Battles and Win
Wind PowerPower Inverters Developed Specifically for Small Wind Turbines
Up to 30kW of Mobile PowerOn-Board Vehicle Power (OBVP) Beyond 10 Kilowatts
SHB ExpressMoving Your Program from PICMG 1.0 to PICMG 1.3
DIVERSIFIED TECHNOLOGYProviding a Cohesive Approach to Embedded Computing and Power Solutions
Page 3DTI Wired : Get Connected with Diversified Technology, Inc.
Inside This Issue
Lossless Ethernet ....................................................05Advancements in Next Generation Networks
ATCA Switching ......................................................09Layer 2 Failover Feature
CompactPCI..............................................................14Continues to Fight the Battles and Win
Wind Power ..............................................................18Power Inverters Developed Specifically for Small Wind Turbines
Up to 30kW of Mobile Power ..................................22On-Board Vehicle Power (OBVP) Beyond 10 Kilowatts
SHB Express ............................................................28Moving Your Program from PICMG 1.0 to PICMG 1.3
Message from the President ..................................04
CTO Corner ..............................................................27
Employee Spotlight ................................................27
A Commitment to Quality........................................30
Diversified Technology, Inc.
476 Highland Colony Parkway
Ridgeland, MS 39157
(800) 443-2667
www.DTIMS.com
Ken Martin
President
Steve Craven
Vice President, Program Management
Donald Germany
Vice President, Systems Engineering
Joe McDevitt
Chief Technology Officer
Gary Smith
Vice President, Operations
Keith Varner
Vice President, Engineering
About Diversified Technology, Inc.
Diversified Technology, Inc. (DTI), an Ergon
Company, was founded in 1971 and focuses
on primary markets of Communications,
Government / Military, Commercial, Power
Electronics, On-Board Vehicle Power and
Simultaneous Field Radiation Technology. As
an embedded hardware, software and
systems company, DTI’s strength lies in a
cohesive approach to assisting customers.
This cohesive approach means DTI works
hand-in-hand with companies to ensure they
are getting the best performance, highest
reliability, shortest time-to-market and the
most efficient use of computing hardware for
their program's embedded application. DTI
has a history of design and manufacturing
experience with standardized form factors
such as PCI, ETX, COM Express, VME,
CompactPCI and AdvancedTCA.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted,
in any form or by any means, electronics, mechanical photocopying, recording or otherwise,
without the prior permission of Diversified Technology, Inc.
DTI Wired is available free of charge to qualified subscribers, by emailing [email protected]
To be removed from our mailing list, send a removal request via email to [email protected]
Other product and/or company names mentioned in this publication may be trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective companies and are the sole property of their respective owners.
Copyright © 2010 Diversified Technology, Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Providing a Cohesive Approach to Embedded Computing and Power Solutions
Message from the PresidentKen Martin, President of Diversified Technology, Inc.
At Diversified Technology, Inc. we have always strived to provide a quality product that not only fills the current needs of our customers
but also those of their future advancements. This requires forward thinking about the challenges that DTI will face, as well as the
end-customer's program. Trying to predict what market changes various industries will face while ensuring your current deliverables are
completed on time, proves oftentimes to be a complicated task.
Some of the future changes DTI is focusing on are covered in this issue of our custom publication. Two of the articles cover
AdvancedTCA and the transitional challenges facing the move from 1G and 10G to 40G. As with most things, our product line only
dictates a very minor part of the global changes that are needed to make 40G implementations both practical and functional in Telecom
and other industries. How these challenges are addressed shows the level at which DTI strives to understand and implement the needs
of its customers into a design, and demonstrates that we don't just pass on hardware built to spec to them. We actually put many hours
of consideration into developing a real solution for their application—not just hardware and software.
A second development mentioned is within our On-Board Vehicle Power (OBVP) program. The 10kW system is currently being
modified through EMI (electromagnetic interference) testing as well as having numerous hardware and software changes to allow
increased output of 30kW mobile power to our soldiers. Being an embedded computer provider, DTI knows first-hand that with increased
processing and computing performance comes the need for even more raw power. That's why we had a plan in place from day one to
move this product line on to 30kW and beyond.
I also want to point out a new product line that is growing at a rapid pace for us at Diversified Technology: our Gale Series of Wind Power
Inverters. These inverters were developed for a single customer through the knowledge we acquired dealing with the OBVP
inverters, and our efforts have since grown to multiple customers throughout numerous countries. The first unit is a 12kW inverter that
performs in a NEMA 1 enclosure. The second is a smaller 6kW inverter that performs in a NEMA 3R enclosure, and is designed to
handle a smaller class of wind turbines. Both of these systems are firsts for us in the growing wind power and alternative energy
market. We are having great successes and, through these successes we are learning many things that we feel could enhance our
product line even further. Through customer feedback on these products and market studies, DTI is now in development of a third
system that will offer more functionality and features than our current generation of inverters.
All of our embedded computing products and power inverters can be enclosed in chassis that are designed and manufactured in-house.
DTI is constantly updating our systems approach to provide our customers with not only subcomponents, but with a fully integrated
solution that gets them ahead of their competition.
Throughout its 39 year existence, Diversified Technology, Inc. has designed everything from industrial control boards, Ethernet switches,
hex-core processing blades, and integrated suitcase laptops to ruggedized mobile power systems, UHF and VHF antennas, and now
wind inverters. As a company we aim to use all of these engineering experiences in serving our customers and to truly offer them
diversified product solutions.
Ken Martin
Page 4DTI Wired : Get Connected with Diversified Technology, Inc.
Page 5DTI Wired : Get Connected with Diversified Technology, Inc.
Providing a Cohesive Approach to Embedded Computing and Power Solutions
The Ethernet technology family has grown and evolved
significantly over its 35 year history. Every few years a set of
changes comes along that revolutionizes the way Ethernet
networks are used. Bandwidth increases are the most noticeable
changes, but they are not always the most important. Even with
40G (and 100G) Ethernet at our door step, there are other
important changes coming to Ethernet in next generation
devices. For the first time a group of new technologies can be
combined to make Ethernet lossless, which greatly extends the
number of applications suitable for Ethernet.
Layer 2 Ethernet networks are best-effort networks and can lose
frames for 3 main reasons: They can lose frames due to clock
differences between two devices, they can loose frames due to
a topology changes in the network, and finally, they can lose
frames due to congestion in the network. All of these reasons for
dropped frames need to be addressed in order for Ethernet to be
lossless. Luckily for us, all of these problems have been solved
with the technologies outlined below.
Timing
Ethernet devices are required to have local clocks with an
accuracy of 100 parts per million or better. That means two
perfectly compliant line-rate, wire-seed 1G Ethernet devices can
drop up to 298 frames a second due to clock differences between
them. In order to assure no frames are dropped due to clock
tolerance differences the end points need a synchronized clock.
There are two new technologies that address clock synchro-
nization in Ethernet networks. IEEE-1588v2 is a protocol layer
technology with support for frequency and time of day
synchronization and sub-microsecond accuracy. Synchronous
Ethernet (SyncE) is a physical layer frequency synchronization
technology with 10 parts per trillion accuracy. By using IEEE-
1588v2 or SyncE to synchronize the clocks between the end
points, lossless delivery of frames can be assured. In
AdvancedTCA it may even be possible for certain applications
to replace the synchronization clock interface with IEEE-1588v2
or SyncE.
Rbridges
Today’s L2 Ethernet networks use Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)
for loop prevention. STP blocks links that create loops, and it
takes several seconds to recover from topology changes.
Rbridges address these shortcomings of STP.
Rbridges are Routing bridges. Rbridges bring some routing
functionality to bridges (switches), as the name suggests.
Rbridges use the IETF TRILL (Transparent Interconnect of Lots
of Links) protocol to discover the network topology and provide
optimal pair-wise forwarding paths. The most radical change
rbridges bring to L2 networks is multipathing. A TRILL network
is not limited to a single tree like an STP network. TRILL
supports any arbitrary network - from a simple tree to a
complex mesh and all links in the network can be active. For
AdvancedTCA networks and high availability networks in
general, rbridges allow for much better utilization of resources
because all redundant links can be active at the same time.
Rbridges with TRILL have several advantages over traditional
switches with STP, including instant recovery from topology
changes, shorter paths, greater bandwidth, and lower latency.
Lossless EthernetAdvancements in Next Generation Networks
ATS7160Next Generation 40G Ethernet Switch
Line rate, wire speed performance
L2 switching and L3 routing
• ES3 Software Support (see Page 12)
Lossless Ethernet
Advanced timing features
• IEEE-1588v2 and Synchronous Ethernet
L2 multipathing with TRILL (Rbridge)
Data Center Bridging
• Priority Flow Control, Congestion Notification, and
Enhanced Transmission Selection
FCoE support (with NPIV)
VM Aware switching
Lower latency
Page 6DTI Wired : Get Connected with Diversified Technology, Inc.
Data Center Bridging
Network congestion is an issue in all data networks that needs
to be addressed. Today’s networks rely on device level QoS to
police and shape network flows by dropping frames to reduce
congestion. This solution is limited because the devices work
alone rather than in a group where they could be sharing
information. Data Center Bridging (DCB) is a network level
technology that allows network devices to work together to
mitigate congestion.
DCB is made up of 3 new protocols that work together to
control congestion (and a 4th protocol that encapsulates the
information from the other three). First, there is IEEE 802.1Qbb
Priority-Base Flow Control (PFC). Ethernet flow control has
been around for some time in the form of IEEE 802.3x. 802.3x
flow control is too heavy handed, and it’s all or nothing approach
often causes more problems than it fixes in most networks. PFC
extends 802.3x such that pauses can be issued per class of
service. This allows network devices to pause only lower
priority classes when there is congestion. The second and third
protocols work closely together. IEEE 802.1Qau Congestion
Notification (QCN) allows network devices to communicate
congestion status throughout the network. IEEE 802.1Qaz
Enhanced Transmission Selection (ETS) allows network devices
to communicate and synchronize bandwidth allocations to
traffic classes. Taken together the DCB suite provides a more
intelligent way of dealing with congestion that is both priority
and network aware.
Lossless Ethernet
Lossless Ethernet is a goal that the Ethernet community has been
working towards for a number of years, and with IEEE-1588v2
or SyncE, TRILL, and DCB, Lossless Ethernet is a reality. It
provides guaranteed frame delivery and guaranteed performance
levels. It can replace more expensive lossless fabrics and even
external clock networks while still remaining cheap. It provides
better support for virtual machine migration and allows the LAN
and SAN to converge onto a single network. Lossless Ethernet
is a major update to the Ethernet suite you will need to have in
your next generation network.
Article Written by:
JP Landry
Networking Program Manager
With spanning-tree (A) redundant links are blocked
but with TRILL (B) all links can be active at one time.
Page 7DTI Wired : Get Connected with Diversified Technology, Inc.
Providing a Cohesive Approach to Embedded Computing and Power Solutions
With 802.3x flow control if any priority queue fills up, ALL traffic is blocked.
With 802.1Qbb Priority-based Flow Control (B) if a priority queue fills up,
only traffic of that particular priority is blocked.
COTS COMPUTING SYSTEMSFully Integrated with Custom Design Capabilities
PROCESSORBOARD
+NETWORK
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CHASSIS+
INTEGRATION=
CUSTOMIZEDEND-SOLUTIONJUST FOR YOU
• Standard Off-the-Shelf Systems
Designed to PICMG Specifications
• AdvancedTCA/AMC Rackmount
• CompactPCI Rackmount
• CompactPCI Portable
• PCI Express Slot Card
• PCI and ISA Rackmount
• Small Form Factor Portable
• Full In-House System Integration
• Full In-House Custom Capabilities
1-800-443-2667 | [email protected]
Portable Computing System
PCS-001
Page 9DTI Wired : Get Connected with Diversified Technology, Inc.
Today’s data center environments demand performance and
reliability at much greater levels than even 5 years ago. Uptime
for application and network resources reaching 99.999%
availability is becoming a more common requirement and not
just the rare case.
Application and web server redundancy can be achieved by the
use of high performance load balancers, server clustering and
virtual host control applications. Resiliency in the network is
provided by routing protocols such as OSPF and BGP for
routing at layer 3 in conjunction with non-stop forwarding and
redundant hardware features. Protocols such as VRRP provide
for host IP gateway redundancy.
Layer 2 Network Redundancy
In the past, multiple paths within the VLAN or broadcast
domains were also needed in the case of link or device failures.
With multiple paths to the same points in these networks, loops
are formed which left unchecked create broadcast storms that
can bring networks to a standstill. The spanning-tree protocol
(IEEE 802.1D) is implemented in layer 2 networks to automat-
ically block these loops so only one path exists eliminating loops
in the topology. As a result of link failures, spanning-tree will
un-block previously blocked ports to provide for path
redundancy. These operations can take as long as 30 seconds
and can impact traffic in other parts of the network and not just
local to the device on which the failure occurred. Diagram 1 is
a standard network topology used with spanning-tree (SPT)
providing loop prevention in a multi-access layer 2 network.
The diagram displays what happens when the uplink between
switch A and C fails causing SPT to re-converge and determine
the new topology. The link between C and D will still be in the
blocking state until SPT can determine the new loop-free
topology and start accepting data packets through the D
interface. This process can take up to 30 seconds during which
connectivity between the hosts and the IP default gateway will
be lost.
With just one connection to the host, path redundancy can only
be achieved by installing the link between switch C & D. More
than one physical connection can be configured to the host but
traditionally host IP stacks had no way of automatically
changing which NIC owned an IP address during failures. In
this case, a host with two different NIC connections to two
different access switches could still not achieve redundancy as
access to the primary IP address would be lost when failing over
to the second NIC. New host protocols have been developed
that give servers the ability to move IP address ownership
between NIC’s in the event of pre-defined failure conditions.
Two of these are IPMP (IP Multipath) in Solaris and NIC
Bonding in Linux. We will use IPMP as a reference for this
article.
AdvancedTCA SwitchingLayer 2 Failover Feature
Providing a Cohesive Approach to Embedded Computing and Power Solutions
A dvanced TCA
R
Page 10DTI Wired : Get Connected with Diversified Technology, Inc.
IPMP Operation Example
IPMP can be configured to monitor failures in 3 different ways. To monitor remote path failures, the IP gateway can be pinged at
specified intervals or ARP requests for the IP gateway can also be sent. The link state of the host NIC itself can also be monitored. In
the event of a failure condition, IPMP will move the owner of the IP address to the secondary NIC card and generate a gratuitous ARP
request from that NIC to enable MAC address learning on the new path to the IP gateway. When using IPMP, the redundant link between
switch C and D can now be removed eliminating the spanning-tree blocked port from the topology.
Page 11DTI Wired : Get Connected with Diversified Technology, Inc.
While the failover times have been reduced there are still
disadvantages to using IPMP’s ping to monitor upstream path
integrity. As the number of hosts behind the access switches
grow, ICMP traffic to the gateway IP will become quite large.
Some layer 3 devices will de-prioritize ICMP traffic destined to
the device itself (L3 gateway IP) and responses to the hosts may
be dropped during times of heavy load. IPMP monitoring of the
host NIC link state will produce fast failovers (normally less
than a second), but they do not check the upstream path to the IP
gateway.
DTI’s Layer 2 Failover Feature (L2FO)
Diversified Technology, Inc. has developed a new feature for
both of our ATS1160 and ATS1936 switches that takes
advantage of the IPMP or NIC Bonding behaviors to provide
fast failover times while monitoring the upstream path to the
next hop switch. This is accomplished by the use of line
protocol monitoring (referred to as a “track” on the DTI switch)
of a specified interface and tying this monitor to the link state of
the switch host port or ports. If the line protocol of the tracked
link goes down, the track status will also change to down. Any
host interface that is tied to this track (CLI configurable) will
also have its’ line protocol status forced down. The host IPMP
NIC monitor on this link will force the failover to the secondary
NIC connected to a separate switch creating a new path to the
primary host IP address. Below is an example using only one
host and one uplink port similar to the previous example of
IPMP ping monitoring failover.
The big difference between using the ICMP monitoring feature
of IPMP and L2FO is time to failover (TTF). While the default
setting for IPMP path failure detection is 10 seconds which
translates to missing 5 ICMP replies from the IP gateway, L2FO
TTF is less than 500 milliseconds from tracked interface failure.
This TTF only takes into account the time between tracked link
failure and when the host port is shutdown. IPMP can be tuned
to failover in as low as 100 milliseconds but this creates an
overly large amount of ICMP traffic even from just one host and
would be impractical to implement in a production scenario. A
more reasonable setting for IPMP would be a 5 second failure
detection time but this is still much slower than using the L2FO.
Providing a Cohesive Approach to Embedded Computing and Power Solutions
Page 12DTI Wired : Get Connected with Diversified Technology, Inc.
Another important feature of L2FO is the ability to track the state
of port-channels (or Link Aggregation Group - LAG) as well as
individual interfaces. The number of links currently active in
the LAG as well as the line-protocol state can be monitored and
used to trigger failover. The “minimum links” feature simply
put sets the required number of interfaces that need to be active
in the LAG for the track to be considered in the up state.
Primary L2FO Features
• Up to 254 individual tracks
• Multiple failover tracks per host port interface
• Track port-channel interfaces
• Track number of active interfaces within a port-channel
• Track route prefixes in the route table
• Can be used on any interface type
(Fiber or Copper Gigabit or 10 Gigabit)
• Failover times less the 500ms
(from tracked link failure to failover action)
• Available on the ATS1936 and ATS1160 from
Diversified Technology, Inc.
• Works independently of the connected host protocol
This new Layer 2 Failover feature provides networks with the
ability to rapidly replace failed links – far faster than ICMP
monitoring via IPMP and NIC Bonding in Linux and its far
easier to configure as well. As we discussed in this article, while
using IPMP can suffice for some networks, too low of a TTF
setting results in an overabundance of ICMP traffic, and
reasonable settings are far slower than utilizing switches
designed with this L2FO feature.
Article Written by:
John Ray
Network Engineer
ES3 Software Support
Diversified Technology, Inc. announces the release of
ES3 (Enhanced Switch Software Suite) for
AdvancedTCA and CompactPCI Switch Blades.
Features Included with ES3
VRRP Object Tracking
VRRP object tracking is an extension of VRRP that allows
customers to define more robust failover conditions for VRRP
including link failures and route reachability
L2 Failover with LAG Support
L2 failover is similar to VRRP object tracking but instead of
working at the protocol level works at the interface level.
Customers can achieve sub 50ms failover times in the cases of
link failures, route failures, and switch failures
Significantly Updated Multicast Module
The multicast module has been revamped to support an updated
set of multicast RFCs and includes significant new features
such as MLD support, simultaneous IGMP snooping and
multicast routing, a IGMP querier, and SSM support
Multiple Serviceability Enhancements Including
Utilization Statistics, Persistent Loggings, and
Packet Traces
sFlow Support
Improved Security
IPv6 Management and IPv6 Support in QoS Module
Significant more User Control over Protocol Options
such as LAG Hash Algorithm
Updated LLDP and CDP Interoperability
STP Enhancements Including Root Guard
iSCSI Flow Acceleration
COMPACTPCI SOLUTIONS
Call NOW
for Immediate Deployment
1-800-443-2667
DTI Offers Full System Design and Integration Capabilities with Your Program Requirements.
PLEXSYS-4D : DTI’S 4U COMPACTPCI SYSTEM PLATFORM
www.dtims.com/cpci
Dual 300W
CompactPCI
Power Supplies
Slim DVD
(2) Removable
Hard Drives
(8) 6U slots 64-bit/33MHz PCI, PICMG 2.16
(1) PSB Switch Slot
Rear Transition Module
Support for Extra I/O
19” Wide Rackmount
7” Tall (4U)
The CSB4624 from Diversified Technology, Inc. is a PICMG 2.16 compliant
CompactPCI managed Ethernet switch. This 6U board has full IPv6 support,
twenty-four 1GbE link ports and three 10GbE connections. (5) RTM Options
The PlexSys-4D, 4U general purpose CompactPCI PSB System Platform, is
part of DTI’s CompactPCI family of building blocks. It provides telecom,
datacom, and military customers an open standards ecosystem for application
solutions development.
• 1U, 2U, 4U, 6U and 8U CompactPCI Industrial Strength Chassis
• CPU Blades based on Intel® Processor Technology
• PICMG 2.16 Compliant Ethernet Switch
• Full Suite of Rear Transition Modules to Compliment your Needs
• Custom Development Capabilities for Application-Specific Wants
Page 14DTI Wired : Get Connected with Diversified Technology, Inc.
CompactPCI has come a long way since it was first introduced
15 years ago. DTI’s first two CPU boards designed around this
form factor were based on Intel’s Pentium and Pentium PRO
processors with a maximum speed of 233MHz. Oddly enough
we still get support calls from time to time on these 2 products.
This illustrates the longevity of CompactPCI as well as the
quality of design the specification has provided for so many
years.
The PICMG 2.0 Specification, CompactPCI, was developed in
1995 by PICMG, which is a consortium of companies who
collaboratively develop open specifications for high perform-
ance, leading edge products utilized in embedded computing
industries. PICMG 2.0 is electrically a superset of desktop PCI
with a different physical form factor. CompactPCI utilizes the
Eurocard blade form factor popularized by the VME bus.
Defined for both 3U (100mm by 160 mm) and 6U (160mm by
233 mm) card sizes, CompactPCI has grown in to a major
computing form factor in numerous markets including areas it
wasn’t originally intended for, such as military applications.
Over the years, DTI has designed approximately 50 products
based on CompactPCI specifications. This list includes CPU
boards, Switches, RTM Modules, Mezzanine cards for added
performance, and fully integrated chassis with support for up to
18 slots for CPU Boards. The orientation of the boards design
provides good cooling through the chassis and allows it to
handle shock and vibration levels beyond the normal slot card
and motherboard systems.
CompactPCI uses inexpensive fabrics, such as 1G Ethernet, to
create an interconnect environment through the backplane of the
chassis. As newer standards like 10G and 40G come to market,
more and more users of CompactPCI look to move towards
AdvancedTCA and other form factors that are designed to
support those higher technologies. However, CompactPCI still
provides a fit for many applications whose vendors utilize the
low cost platform along with processor upgrades to continue
their programs well in to the future.
CompactPCI, PICMG 2.16Continues to Fight the Battles and Win
Diagram 1 above displays a front view of DTI’s PlexSys-4D
Platform and the 8 Board Slots for this CompactPCI Chassis.
Diagram 2 to the left displays a breakdown of how the seven
individual computers within the PlexSys-4D Platform are
connected together through the PICMG 2.16 compliant backplane
and how they communicate to each other via the Ethernet bus.
Page 15DTI Wired : Get Connected with Diversified Technology, Inc.
Emerging Markets
DTI has noticed a decided uptick in Military/Aerospace
CompactPCI deployments over the past 5 years. For some
applications, VME is long in the tooth and OpenVPX is not
market ready. Plus these, along with AdvancedTCA, can be
much more expensive technologies than CompactPCI. Many
military applications simply need a proven COTS technology
that can perform, not the cutting edge.
Within CompactPCI there is an increasing need for powerful
switching technologies as PICMG 2.16 deployments continue.
For those of you that are unfamiliar with 2.16, it employs a
packet-switching backplane for the system. This extends the
CompactPCI family of products to overlaying based switching
architectures on top of the existing CompactPCI. This will
extend communication and data throughput capabilities for the
network. This means L2/L3, CoS/QoS, and other network
management features are now available over the 1GbE network
within the CompactPCI platform.
A few of the growing CompactPCI Markets that we see are:
1. Avionics and Flight
• Includes Naval based Control Systems
• In-flight Entertainment (Video, Messaging, Internet, etc)
2. Medical
• Records Systems, Real-Time Imaging, Patient Care Systems
3. Military
• Fairly easy to “harden” or ruggedize for military
• Submarines, Ships, Air, Ground vehicles
• Non-combat locations
Providing a Cohesive Approach to Embedded Computing and Power Solutions
COMPACTPCI SYSTEM PLATFORMS
• 1U, 2U, 4U,
6U and 8U
CompactPCI
Industrial
Strength
Chassis
• CPU Blades
based on Intel
Processor
Technology
• PICMG 2.16
Compliant
Ethernet Switch
• Full Suite of
Rear Transition
Modules to
compliment
your needs
• Custom
Development
Capabilities
CompactPCI Platform Offerings
Page 16DTI Wired : Get Connected with Diversified Technology, Inc.
Advancements to CompactPCI
PICMG recently announced the adoption of the PICMG 2.30
specification, called CompactPCI® PlusIO. The specification
will add PCI Express, Ethernet, SATA, SAS and USB
extensions to the CompactPCI family of specifications while
preserving the existing PCI bus connectivity. The 2.30 spec
defines the use of previously reserved rear I/O pins for the
32-bit CompactPCI system slot with new high-speed
serial signals while still maintaining interoperability with
existing CompactPCI standards.
CompactPCI Serial, PICMG 2.31, will be a new industrial
standard from PICMG for modular computer systems.
CompactPCI Serial uses only serial point-to-point connections
and its mechanical concept is based on the proven standards of
IEEE. CompactPCI Serial includes different connectors that
permit very high data rates throughput but lacks some
backwards compatibility. The standard adds USB and SATA
connections while requiring no bridges, switch fabrics or
custom backplanes. There is a dedicated PCIe lane for high
speed needs.
Conclusion
The CompactPCI Marketplace is still growing in places such as
medical, military command centers and avionics. It provides
many COTS features that make it ideal for most any applica-
tions due to the design and robust switch management features
which are needed for network deployments. DTI’s commitment
to this standard and its future additions and upgrades will help
to continue the growth of the CompactPCI market.
Article written by:
Patrick Welzien
Senior Software Engineering Manager
PlexSys-119” Rackmount
1U Chassis Height
(1) System Master Slot
(1) 64-bit/33MHz Node Slot
PlexSys-219” Rackmount
2U Chassis Height
(1) System Master Slot
(3) 64-bit/33MHz Peripheral
Slots
PlexSys-419” Rackmount
4U Chassis Height
(1) System Master Slot
(1) PSB Switch Slot
(6) 64-bit/33MHz Peripheral
Slots
PlexSys-RPRugged Portable System
(1) System Master Slot
(1) PSB Switch Slot
(2) 64-bit/33MHz Peripheral
Slots
CompactPCI Single Board ComputersCPU Blades based on Intel® Processing Technology
Switch Blades with 1G and 10G Ethernet ports
Rear Transition Modules and Mezzanine Cards
6kW Inverter12kW Inverter
GALE-12
ww
w.d
tims.
com
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dGALE-6
Power Output
of 60Hz for
Domestic (USA)
Installations
and 50Hz for
European
NEMA 3R
Enclosure
Designed for
Indoor or
Outdoor
Installations
The Gale Series of Inverters
Diversified Technology, Inc.’s Gale Series of wind turbine inverters are variable power,
high frequency power inverters developed specifically to serve the wind power market.
When combined with a tower-mount wind turbine, Gale Series inverters take the
variable electric power generated and create manageable, smooth current that can
be sold to the utility.
Managed by DTI's Green Power Technology, the Gale Series inverters allow a
wide input voltage range with energy-saving low speed power mode to allow
for smooth operation at minimal turbine revolutions, and other features
designed to meet specific needs of the wind power
market. DTI’s Soft Grid Technology allows
the inverter to produce power during
wind gusts that would otherwise cause over voltage on the grid. This is
useful in rural locations during light local loading conditions. This maximizes
profits for the operator while preventing annoying system resets.
The Gale Series of Wind Turbine Inverters
are designed to comply with UL 1741
The Gale Series of Interactive Inverters was
designed specifically for the Wind Power Market
1-800-443-2667 | [email protected]
www.dtims.com/wind
WIND POWER INVERTERS
Page 18DTI Wired : Get Connected with Diversified Technology, Inc.
Harnessing the power of wind was a major factor in the
evolution of human civilization. From sailing to milling, wind
has played a vital role in human lives, and has helped shape the
world throughout history. Today the impact of wind power on
our daily lives has dwindled, as industrialization and the
increasing use of fossil fuels has moved wind power generation
to the margin of energy production methods. However, as non
renewable energy sources deplete and the search for renewable,
maintainable, and efficient energy sources increase, the use of
wind is undergoing a rebirth as an important energy source for
humanity.
Power generation with wind occurs via the conversion of wind
energy into a useful form, such as using wind turbines to
generate electricity. The first modern wind turbines were small
compared to today’s wind turbines, with maximum output power
reaching only 20 to 30kW. Since then, wind turbines have
increased greatly in size and power output, with some units now
capable of 7MW of output. Energy production from wind has
expanded in use to many countries throughout the world.
The amount of world energy produced by wind has been
spiking recently and doubled in the past three years. Many
governments have pushed for increased renewable energy
production and usage of wind power, which has helped several
countries achieve relatively high levels of wind energy
generation. Countries at the forefront of wind energy utilization
include Denmark, Spain, Portugal, Germany, the Republic of
Ireland, and the USA. As of May 2009, eighty countries around
the world were using wind power on a commercial basis.
Wind PowerPower Inverters Developed Specifically for Small Wind Turbines
Graph shown from American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) 2009 Small Wind Turbine Global Market Study
Page 19DTI Wired : Get Connected with Diversified Technology, Inc.
Wind Farms
Wind Farms are groups of turbines that are interconnected via a
power collection system and communications network used in
aggregate to generate power. Wind farms may be located in
open farmland or on off-shore platforms that take advantage of
coastal winds.
Large scale wind farms may be directly connected to the power
grid in order to supplement traditional energy production forms.
Smaller turbine applications are typically used to provide
electricity to isolated or remote locations or to provide power
generation for a small facility. Electric utility companies will
“buy back” energy surpluses produced by smaller domestic
turbines, which is a process known as “Net Metering.” The
value of the energy surplus produced by a small-scale, grid-tied
turbine is credited to the turbine’s owner. Net metering and the
clean, renewable, and sustainable aspects of wind make it an
attractive primary or secondary energy source for many
applications.
The amount of energy generated by a wind turbine is a function
of the frequency and speed of wind a given location receives
over time. A consequence is that wind energy is variable and is
often generated in short bursts – thus wind is an inconsistent
mechanism for energy production when compared to other
power generation methods. Technologies such as shaping and
smoothing, grid energy or battery storage methods, and energy
demand management are used to address the variability and
inconsistencies related to wind power generation.
Big Wind versus Small Wind
The overall wind turbine market can be divided in to 3 classes:
1. Small Wind TurbinesThese turbines have power ratings of 100kW and below
and are generally for residential and small businesses.
2. Community Wind TurbinesThese turbines have power ratings between
200kW and 1MW.
3. Large Wind TurbinesThese turbines have power ratings above 1MW.
DTI’s Focus on the Small Wind Turbine Market
Small Wind Turbines are turbines whose production capability
is roughly 100kW or less. Typically used to power homes,
businesses, farms, and other single-site units, these turbines may
be set up as stand-alone systems or interconnected to the grid.
The Small Wind Market has drastically increased growth, in part
due to lower installation costs. There were an estimated 19,000
Small Wind turbines installed during 2009, amounting to a 78%
increase in total kW power output and adding 17.3MW of
installed energy capacity. The total Small Wind capacity for the
United States is estimated to be 80MW.
Some wind turbine manufacturers design their turbines with an
induction generator rather than a power inverter. Their main
reason for doing so is that power inverters add technical
complexity and cost while induction generators allow for an
easier, cheaper method to interconnect with the utility grid. This,
however, is generally not the best method, because the
induction generator does not contain key attributes that an
inverter provides, such as higher quality output power and
usability with a wider range of wind velocities.
Providing a Cohesive Approach to Embedded Computing and Power Solutions
10kW Turbine from Bergey Windpower Co.
Page 20DTI Wired : Get Connected with Diversified Technology, Inc.
Inverters Serving the Wind Power Market
Diversified Technology, Inc.’s Gale Series of wind turbine in-
verters are variable power, high frequency power inverters de-
veloped specifically to serve the wind power market. Combined
with a tower-mount wind turbine, the inverter takes the variable
electric power generated and creates a manageable, smooth cur-
rent that can be sold directly to the utility.
The Gale Series is managed by DTI's Green Power Technology,
which allows the inverters to accept a wide input voltage range
with energy-saving low speed power mode that in turn provides
for smooth operation even at minimal turbine revolutions.
DTI provides Soft Grid Technology which allows the inverter
to continue to operate even during wind gusts that would
otherwise cause over voltage on the grid. Soft Grid Technology
dynamically lowers to the output power if the grid voltage
approaches the over-voltage fault limit. This is useful in rural
locations during light local loading conditions. This technology
allows the operator to maximize profits while also preventing
those annoying system resets.
Many wind inverters on the market are simply modified solar
inverters. These units are very similar in construction and
features regardless of their application, so inverter manufactur-
ers slightly modified their designs so that they would fit for a
wind turbine application. The Gale Series of wind inverters was
designed from the start for wind applications. This includes built
in rectification for the AC input, so no external rectifier box is
needed.
DTI designed its Gale Series to comply with standards set for
grid-tied operation, safety and electromagnetic compatibility
including: UL 1741 and CSA C22.2 No. 107.1-01. The Gale
series also accepts a wide range of input voltages from 85 to
400VAC. Once the 85VAC input is reached and the inverter
initializes, the input voltage can then drop to 50VAC input
before the inverter can no longer produce power. This allows the
inverter to produce power even during light wind velocities.
NEMA 1 (12kW) and NEMA 3R (6kW) enclosures provide
operation in controlled elements that protect the internal
components of the inverter. The inverter also includes built-in
disconnect for utility grid interaction which is isolates the
inverter from the grid during any faults. The unit also has built-
in thermal sensing, and will reduce output power or shutdown
automatically if temperatures exceed safe operating conditions.
Gale-12
DTI’s Wind Turbine Inverter with
up to 12kW of Power Output
Graph shown from American Wind Energy Association (AWEA)
2009 Small Wind Turbine Global Market Study
Page 21DTI Wired : Get Connected with Diversified Technology, Inc.
Providing a Cohesive Approach to Embedded Computing and Power Solutions
The Future of the Small Wind Turbine Market
Isolated residences and businesses situated in good wind
locations continue to purchase smaller turbine systems to reduce
or eliminate their dependence on grid electricity for economic
reasons. Wind turbines have been used over these many decades
in remote areas for household electricity generation in conjunc-
tion with battery storage and this is only going to increase as
turbines become cheaper with a lower cost to install and more
widespread availability.
In time, wind energy could be the most cost-effective source for
electrical power. In fact, there’s a good case to be made for
saying that it already has achieved this status. Major technology
developments enabling the use of wind power commercializa-
tion are being made daily. There will be infinite refinements and
improvements and one can make the assumption that the
eventual push to full commercialization and deployment of wind
technology is very near. Companies are taking advantage of
public interest, the political and economic climate, and
marketing factors to position wind energy for its next rounds of
deployment.
Article written by:
Brian Roberts
Power Software Engineer
At the state, utility, and local levels,
policies continue to be fragmented and
changing – but generally improving –
across regions and even communities, as
illustrated in the map.
Top state, utility, and local policy goals
for the industry continue to be to:
• Streamline zoning ordinances at the
local and especially state levels,
• Increase the availability and size of
financial incentives,
• Standardize grid interconnection
rules and procedures, and
• Implement or improve state/utility
net metering policies.
Map prepared by Trudy Forsyth of the
National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Data source: DSIREUSA
Graph shown from
American Wind Energy Association (AWEA)
2009 Small Wind Turbine Global Market Study
Page 22DTI Wired : Get Connected with Diversified Technology, Inc.
The military's demand for tactical power on the battlefield has
quadrupled in the past ten years and the best estimates are that
it will quadruple again this decade.
What is tactical power?
Tactical power refers to mobile power used on short term
military missions in support of a strategic objective. This
suggests a system that highly maneuverable and very rugged.
How much tactical power is needed?
That's like asking a computer engineer how much memory he
wants on his system. What ever you give him today, he'll want
twice that amount tomorrow. There are a myriad of uses for,
and numerous types of, AC power on the battlefield used in
support of the overall mission. For example, having access to
120 vac, 60 Hz in a remote location to power up communica-
tions, computers, and other specialized equipment is needed.
Mobile power must also be provided for the vast array of
computer and communication equipment assembled in a
Tactical Operating Center (TOC). Mobile power can also be
used to run advanced laser weapons.
The examples above will require different levels of power. The
general purpose application can typically be satisfied with a
10kW source, the TOC will likely require 30kW to 60kW,
depending on its configuration. Advanced laser weapons of the
future will require upwards of 100kW. As the power level
demands increase for the various applications, challenges to
meet those power levels with a rugged and highly portable AC
power source increase.
Yesterday, and to a large extent today, tactical power was and is
supplied by diesel generators. The down side of this is
logistics. The larger the AC load demand, then the larger the
generator required. The larger and heavier the generator, the
larger and heavier the required trailer becomes for towing them
around. The larger the trailer becomes, the less agile, or mobile,
the vehicle becomes that is towing the load.
Why can’t someone develop a means to provide AC power
by utilizing the vehicle's engine as the primary source?
That's exactly what the concept of On-Board Vehicle Power
(OBVP) addresses. However, the laws of physics apply and to
develop a 10kW OBVP system for installation on a vehicle, such
as a HMMWV with a 28 VDC alternator, that alternator must
put out 400 to 450 amps. The fact is that these alternators are
already in the Army's inventory today.
While the military has aggressive programs in place to move
toward Hybrid Electric HMMWV's there is a sizeable base of
existing vehicles that are candidates to be retrofitted with 10kW
On-Board Vehicle Power today. That brings us to applying
today's technology toward the application of a 10kW OBVP
system for retrofit into a portion of the more than 100,000
HMMWV's currently in use. Providing these vehicles with an
OBVP system that can supply continuous AC power eliminates
the need to trailer diesel generators. Consequently, the vehicle
can now negotiate terrain that it could not previously take on
while towing a trailer.
Up to 30kW of Mobile PowerOn-Board Vehicle Power (OBVP) Beyond 10 Kilowatts
Page 23DTI Wired : Get Connected with Diversified Technology, Inc.
The different types of AC powered equipment used on various
missions, necessitates a variety of voltage levels and operating
frequencies of AC power. Due to the laws of physics mentioned
earlier, this provision is no simple task.
Regardless of whether the soldier needs single phase 120 vac or
3 phase 208 vac, and at 50Hz prevalent in Europe, or in a radar
installation where power at 400Hz is the frequency of choice,
the OBVP system must be able to provide all of the frequency
and voltage options. Additionally, Total Harmonic Distortion
(THD) is critically important to sophisticated communications,
computers and other specialty electronic systems. High THD
can render this type of equipment inoperable. Therefore low
THD is essential to completing the mission.
Previously, commanders have dealt with defined combat lines
and specific operational theaters and occupation directives. In
the modern theater this is no longer the case, and power
generators and techniques of the past cannot adequately power
the military and its systems of the future. While technology has
improved, certain characteristics of Tactical Quiet Generators
such as noise, lack of mobility, serviceability constraints, the
need for extra vehicles to carry fuel and generators, and other
logistical issues that are inherent to the design and use of these
Tactical Quiet Generators has created battlefield nightmares for
the operators, not to mention increased costs and swollen
budgets for commanders to accommodate these logistical
shortcomings. All of these issues are in direct opposition to the
current military desire to be “lighter, faster, stronger, and
smarter.” These logistical issues must be overcome to maintain
U.S. military dominance in active combat theaters.
Providing a Cohesive Approach to Embedded Computing and Power Solutions
Page 24DTI Wired : Get Connected with Diversified Technology, Inc.
To mitigate these shortcomings inherent in current power solu-
tions, there has been a drive to develop on-board vehicle power
systems. These power systems are compact, lightweight, and
provide the military with the mobility desired and the robust
power needed by the next generation of computer systems.
Advances in the inverter technology used in on-board vehicle
power systems, such as the increasing use of high power FET's
and IGBT's to design high powered inverters, have spurred key
developments in these modern power units. A simple conversion
from the 28VDC source to single phase, 120VAC/60Hz is not
enough. Systems must also be designed for mobility, servicea-
bility, environmental ruggedness and accommodate space con-
straints as well. To this end, OBVP units do not require an
external fuel source and can be mounted directly to the
HMMWV without decreasing needed cargo space. OBVP units
also provide a wide range of output power and frequency com-
binations to the end application.
OBVP Systems: Solving the Deployable Power Crisis
Modern OBVP units are designed for use in rugged environ-
ments and to be highly mobile. Taking power from the host
vehicle's 28VDC electrical system, output power levels can
range from 2kW to 10kW. To provide inverter system security,
the VPS10K system employs pre-charge circuitry to limit
current inrush, transient protection circuitry, feedback monitor-
ing, under voltage protection and over current protection. The
VPS10K can interface with alternate controllers allowing
flexibility of operation.
A throttle control, that is part of the OBVP system, monitors and
controls the speed of the engine and hence the alternator to
match the alternator's output to the load the inverter is powering.
(This is true in stationary mode only.) The vehicle throttle
control system monitors the condition of the load and the power
supplied by the inverter and communicates this to the operator
via an interface that shows the operator graphically the status of
the vehicle electrical system and of the inverter. The VPS10K
can additionally interface with alternate controllers allowing
flexibility of operation.
The Graphical User Interface (GUI) allows the operator to
quickly determine the frequency of the power the inverter is
delivering to the load. It also displays the charge condition of
the vehicle's batteries. The GUI allows the operator to turn the
entire system ON and OFF and also allows the operator to
enable and disable the inverter itself.
The OBVP inverter is mounted onto the HMMWV in a space
that does not affect the cargo capacity or function of the vehicle
and allows instant availability to power in any area to which the
HMMWV can maneuver. The modular design method of the
inverter's main components and the method of connecting the
peripheral components means that the OBVP system can easily
be removed from one HMMWV, returning the vehicle to its
original configuration, and quickly and readily installed on other
vehicle platforms as needed. This provides the ability to deliver
critical power to areas of the battlefield, under harsh environ-
mental conditions, ensuring that critical systems are operational
at all times.VPS10K
DTI’s 10kW On-Board Vehicle Power
The Challenges in Gaining 30kW of Mobile Power
As mentioned previously, the laws of physics apply and
generating 30 kilowatts of AC power from the engine and
electrical system of a HMMWV is not an easy task.
There are three main challenges to address in designinga 30kW On-Board Vehicle Power system:
1) The transfer of power from the prime mover, which is the
HMMWV's engine, to the alternator that develops the
voltage necessary for input to the inverter. All of the
mechanical losses must be taken into account, as well as
the needs of the vehicle itself and the power needed to be
supplied to the inverter. To this end, the design of the
system to transfer power from the engine to the alternator
is very rigorous. Various systems have been examined and
the most efficient method will be adapted.
2) +28VDC is not enough to generate 30kW of AC power.
A new alternator is needed that converts the engine's power
to a voltage high enough to allow the inverter to output
30kW of AC power. This new alternator has been
designed and tested and has shown that it is possible to
generated 30kW of power with an OBVP system as
opposed to pulling a heavy diesel behind the HMMWV.
3) The electronics necessary for such a high power level
generates a lot of heat. Clever packaging techniques must
be used to make the inverter fit in the allotted space and to
function well under all conditions. Cooling the electronics
cannot be accomplished with convection cooling due to
size and weight constraints. This task is possible with
liquid cooling and that creates it own set of challenges to
the OBVP system designer. Among them are primary heat
transfer, circulating the coolant and the critical heat
exchanger interface with the inverter's electronics.
Realizing Tactical Goals with OBVP Systems
As advances in battlefield technology force the requirements of
higher and more mobile power solutions, On-Board Vehicle
Power units will find their way into many deployments. The
military’s focus on faster, lighter, and stronger requires the use
of new technology to power the next the generation of computer
and communication systems. These systems and where they will
be deployed will all require new mobile, rugged, power
solutions. Trailer-towed and Skid-mounted power generators
fail in these regards, as they add bulk, reduce mobility, and
require external fuel (diesel) to operate, which further reduces
the cargo capability of a military vehicle. Mobile Vehicle Power
systems, like Diversified Technology’s VPS10K, that draw
power directly from the alternator and do not impede
much-needed cargo space will be the go-to solution for the
deployment of on-battlefield systems in the 21st century
military.
Article written by:
Rich Prescott
Power Applications Engineer
Page 25DTI Wired : Get Connected with Diversified Technology, Inc.
Providing a Cohesive Approach to Embedded Computing and Power Solutions
MOBILE POWERFor Mobile Forces
www.DTIRuggedPower.com
What is OBVP? OBVP provides 3-Phase AC Power for Rugged Environments
OBVP offers Electronic Power that is:
• Solid State Electronics (No Moving Parts)
• Physically Lighter
• Smaller Dimensions
• Easily Mountable
• More Efficient and More Reliable
• Easier to Operate and Maintain
- DTI’s VPS10K is Now Being Deployed -
On-Board Vehicle Power (OBVP)
Three Phase and Single Phase Operation Available
for Mobile or Stationary Power
•••••
Hassle Free, Trailer Free
7kW Continuous, 10kW Peak Power, 30kW Coming
•••••
50Hz, 60Hz and 400Hz Selectable
from One Power Inverter
•••••
Minimizes Logistic Space Requirements
Aboard Aircraft or Watercraft
•••••
Simple Retro-fit for Vehicle Integration
and Multiple Mounting Options
•••••
Provides Power to Teams, Patrols, Convoys,
During Unexpected Delays
•••••
Offers Simplified Fuel Logistics for
Mission Planning and Deployment
•••••
Back-up Power for Mission-Critical Equipment
Page 27DTI Wired : Get Connected with Diversified Technology, Inc.
CTO Cornerby Joe McDevitt, Chief Technology Officer
Providing a Cohesive Approach to Embedded Computing and Power Solutions
Marcelo works in DTI’s Network Division as a Software Engineer, and is responsible for
designing new features for DTI’s Ethernet switching software. Marcelo has more than 20 years
experience in designing software for telecommunication systems. He graduated from Parana
Federal University in Brazil, with a BS in Electrical Engineering in 1988 and started with Nokia
Siemens Brazil (formerly Siemens) that same year. Marcelo was transferred to Nokia Siemens in the
U.S. ten years later. He joined DTI in 2008 as part of a new engineering network
division located in Dallas, TX that is focused on switch technologies within PICMG
specifications such as AdvancedTCA and CompactPCI.
Marcelo and his wife, Cristina, are the proud parents of three daughters: Leticia age 17, Natalia age
16, and Juliana age 12. He is an active member of Saint Francis of Assisi Society in
Dallas, where he serves teaching gospel studies, and in fundraisers for charity. Marcelo loves to
travel with his family, playing tennis, and sailing.
I like to joke that at times the position of CTO requires predicting the future, so let’s see how accurate I am at this.
The Economy
There will be no overnight turn around, but more of a slow gain akin to the long recovery seen in 1990s Japan. We have not
seen the price declines and deflation that Japan saw, but everything about this economy, from an Engineer’s view, looks as
though there is a similarity between now and Japan’s economic problems of the 1990s. I am naturally a technology bigot,
believing that it can heal everything. Technology developed for World War I helped the boom of the 1920s. I consider the boom
of the 1980s fueled by personal computers. We now need a technology shift to recover, and the best bet I have is switching to
a hydrogen/natural gas economy instead of an oil-dependent one, and technology would be needed to make that shift. Solar,
biomass and wind will help, but we need something revolutionary like the airplane. My dark horse pick for that technology
is Artificial Intelligence, but not your father’s AI. I am thinking of the AI of Jeff Hawkins' “On Intelligence.” I believe we will see a deployment of
that in the 1st half of this decade on a system that will be “taught” more than “programmed”.
AdvancedTCA
The jump from 10G to 40G Ethernet will likely see a 4x increase in AdvancedTCA usage. With nearly all of the interoperability problems solved,
AdvancedTCA will also become a “Best-In-Breed” shop for users. Those users need not choose stovepipe and vendor locked-in models from some
players. AdvancedTCA is already entrenched in Telecom and will not be replaced, but AdvancedTCA’s growth will come via the Military, and it will
see more success in that market than its original Telecom market – making it the Tang of the 2010s.
PICMG 2.30 and PICMG 1.3
CPU performance via many cores and multithreading is growing quickly. The PCI-Express bus is well supported in both current and future chipsets.
This will drive some users away from 1U/2U motherboard systems and back to systems with larger slot count chassis. Use of large slot count chassis
was a mainstay of the late 1990s, but much of that was lost to the 1U/2U systems of the world in the 2000s. Some will come back in the 2010s, and
this positions PICMG 2.30 and PICMG 1.3 very well.
Now that my predictions have been made, we just have to sit back and see how accurate I am.
The Employees are DTI’s Most Important AssetEmployee Spotlight - Marcelo DeSouza
When a program takes the single board, passive backplane
system in to the next decade and beyond, there are many
obstacles that must be faced. They range from components
going EOL to new software requirements that demand increased
hardware performance. PICMG 1.3, which is also known as
SHB Express, was created to offer PCI Express specifications
for the slot card computer. The demanding environments of
industrial automation, military, medical and telecom will require
full upgrades to PCI Express from PCI/ISA to compete in the
future.
What is the difference between PCI and PCI Express?
PCI and PCI Express are both types of peripheral card expansion
slots. PCI was created in 1993 by Intel and became the standard
in peripheral expansion. Network interface cards, video cards,
I/O expansion cards, and sound cards were all PCI-based. As the
amount of data pushed through the PCI bus increased, PCI-X
became popular in servers. PCI-X was a “double-wide” PCI
interconnect that allowed data transfer rates of up to 133MB/s.
As technology advanced, interconnect bandwidth demands and
requirements of very fast throughput rates from expansion cards
increased substantially. In 2004 PCI Express was created, which
offers data transfer rates to 16GB/s (up from 32MB/s of PCI -
a 500-fold increase in data throughput).
PCI and PCI Express slots are not compatible; therefore you
can’t interchange cards between these two slot types, but must
update the full backplane of your system.
PICMG 1.3 Specification
SHB (System Host Board) Express (aka PICMG 1.3) covers a
technology that is packaged with a host board using PCI
Express as the primary interface to the backplane. The same
board dimensions apply to PICMG 1.3 that apply to PICMG 1.0
(PCI/ISA) and PICMG 1.2 (PCI-X/PCI), however the backplane
must be completely changed to support the higher speeds of PCI
Express.
Why would I want to migrate from PICMG 1.0 to PICMG 1.3?
The first response is to avoid End of Life issues with your
components. Cards that are easily available today will become
harder and harder to find. It is best to make that full system
change now rather than to continue updating part by part until
you no longer have any options. It’s best to avoid that finality
by planning ahead and migrating your program to a new
technology that is ideal and well thought out for your
application. Many feel that the PCI bus is set to end sooner
rather than later, and will go the way of the EISA and ISA
busses.
The second reason would be for performance. The increased
data transfer rates will help you get more bang for your buck
and allow your end-customer to grow their feature set.
Article written by:
Doug Mays
Field Application Engineer
Page 28DTI Wired : Get Connected with Diversified Technology, Inc.
Moving Your Program from PICMG 1.0 to PICMG 1.3SHB Express
ISA BusPCI Bus
PCI Express Bus
PICMG 1.3 Board
PICMG 1.0 Board
1) Keep your existing chassis
2) Select your new PCI Express
Backplane
3) Select your new PCI Express
Single Board Computer
(Built to same dimensions as PCI Slot Card)
4) Fully integrate your new system
for your application
5) Your System is now Ready for
Current and Future Customers
Rackmount Computing Systems for PICMG 1.3
TreXpress Systems
2U/4U Chassis Heights
19” Wide Rackmount
Full PICMG 1.3 Compliance
Upgrade!
PCI = EOL
1-800-443-2667 | [email protected] | www.dtims.com/pcie
A Commitment to Quality
Diversified Technology, Inc. (DTI) is committed to providing complete product solutions and support to our customers. Investments
have been made to a state-of-the-art design/production facility equipping it with the latest board placement solutions and PCB
manufacturing technology. DTI's employees undergo extensive training on a routine basis, which helps to maximize the quality and
performance of our end products and services.
Our Customer Focus
DTI believes a satisfied customer is a repeat customer, so the focus is placed on delivering a complete product on time, every time. Our
tradition of supporting customers at every level is based on a technical staff dedicated to providing quick and complete solutions to
customer issues, while the service department is committed to fast turn times on any RMA repairs that may occur. Using a formal
program to monitor and analyze all customer satisfaction results, Diversified's management ensures that all customer needs are met.
Our Programs
Using industry recognized programs, DTI reaffirms its commitment to the ISO 9001 registration it has maintained since 1996. The
Supplier Management program practiced here at DTI emphasizes relationship building, early involvement of suppliers in our design
cycle, and periodic auditing of suppliers to ensure the highest quality parts and materials are provided to customers. Our formal
Continuous Improvement Program cultivates projects that will reap both short and long term rewards for the customer and is complimented
by our Reliability Program that tests products beyond their normal use, promoting their longevity in the application field.
Our Employees
Diversified Technology, a designer and manufacturer of high end technology products, recognizes a business' success depends largely
on the quality of its people. DTI's employees are its greatest assets, which is why the greatest investment is placed on them through
continuous training and technical demonstrations. DTI believes that the growth of a company is largely promoted by the growth of its
employees.
Our Tools
DTI continues to invest in the latest technology innovations to advance the effectiveness of our employees and to promote quality
end-user products. Equipment acquisitions and upgrades such as Automated 3-D Solder Paste Inspection, Automated Optical Inspection
(AOI), Automated X-RAY Inspection (AXI), and In-Circuit Test (ICT) are just some examples of our effort to maintain a first-in-class
manufacturing facility. DTI has also cultivated internal software development teams to create database driven utilities to improve the
efficiency of production and service for our products by allowing real time quality data analysis and quick response to customer requests.
Our Mission
DTI has been in business for over thirty-six years providing high quality computer solutions to the embedded marketplace. As we move
forward, our mission is to provide a complete solution that still maintains the quality standard associated with our company.
Page 30DTI Wired : Get Connected with Diversified Technology, Inc.
1.800.443.2667
www.DTIMS.com
Diversified Technology, Inc.
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