Telecom Industry Hardware Standards - AdvancedTCA

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In last month’s issue of Future Technology Magazine (FTM), Tyco Electronics described three telecom industry hardware standards: AdvancedTCA (Advanced Telecommunications Computing Architecture), MicroTCA (Micro Telecommunications Computing Architecture) and AdvancedMC (Advanced Mezzanine Card). In this issue we will describe the AdvancedTCA system in greater detail, as well as the connectors that are specified by this industry standard.

AdvancedTCA was the first of these three standards to be generated. The AdvancedTCA standard is part of an evolutionary cycle that started with CompactPCI, a ruggedized industrial grade version of the computer bus known as PCI. AdvancedTCA represents the next logical evolutionary step by defining a system architecture standard optimized for telecom applications that leverages the use of existing standardized hardware and protocols.

The original motivation for this standard was to define a hardware architecture that would incorporate all necessary requirements specific to the telecom market (high reliability, 48 volt power supply, etc). The specification defines a typical telecom equipment rack with a high speed backplane, cooling fans, electrical connectors for high speed signaling and power delivery, specific card slot pitches, etc. This enables component suppliers to develop and tool standard products for this architecture that would be available “off the shelf” from multiple suppliers. These standard components include the chassis (rack), cooling fans, backplanes, connectors, card face-plates, etc. At the same time the standard allows the Telecom Equipment Manufacturers (TEMs) to design their unique electronics onto the cards (or blades) that fit into the rack. This allows the best of both worlds, the TEMs deliver their unique high value system, but it’s based on standard building blocks that are easily sourced. The end result is reduced cost and quicker time to market.

 

 

Figure 1 shows a photo of a typical AdvancedTCA rack and a cross-section of the rack demonstrating how the cards (or blades) fit into the rack. The AdvancedTCA specification calls out the Zone 1 and Zone 2 connectors as well as the keying hardware that is shown in Figures 1 and 2. Tyco Electronics’ Zone 1 connector is used to deliver power between each card and the backplane. Tyco Electronics’ Zone 1 connector is manufactured with stamped and formed contacts as opposed to screw machined contacts. This gives the advantage of being lower cost and higher performance. Tyco Electronics’ Zone 2 Z-PACK HM-Zd connector is a high speed connector with differential contact pairs supporting speeds greater than 10 Gigabits/second.

In addition to the Zone 1 and 2 connectors, the standard also calls out guide hardware that incorporates a keying function. Tyco Electronics has tooled this guide hardware and supplies all the specified key combinations.

 

 

Figure 1 also shows the location of the optional Zone 3 connectors. Zone 3 allows the TEM to incorporate unique interfaces to rear transition modules, if required, for a specific design. Since Zone 3 is optional, there is no specific connector called out by the standard. Zone 3 connectors might be input/output connectors, high speed coplanar connectors, coplanar power connectors, or any combination of these. For Zone 3 high speed requirements, Tyco Electronics recommends coplanar Z-PACK HM-Zd or coplanar Z-PACK TinMan connectors. Z-PACK HM-Zd connector P/Ns such as 6469001-1 and 6469048-1 offer the same proven performance as the Zone 2 interface but in the coplanar format at densities up to 40 differential pairs per linear inch of board edge. For even higher density requirements Z-PACK TinMan connector P/Ns such as 1934221-1 and 1934347-1 provide densities of up to 66 differential pairs per linear board edge. For power applications in Zone 3, Tyco Electronics suggests the use of the coplanar UPM power connector such as P/N series 120943-x.

One type of mezzanine connector that is commonly used on AdvancedTCA cards is the AdvancedMC connector (P/Ns x-1367703-x) that is part of the AdvancedMC standard (see Figure 3). This mezzanine standard allows customer access to change out mezzanine cards from the front face of the AdvancedTCA blade. This standard will be further described by Tyco Electronics in the September issue of FTM (Future Technology Magazine).

 

 

A new version of AdvancedTCA for space constrained applications known as AdvancedTCA 300 is in the final stages of being specified. When this new standard is released it will use all the Tyco Electronics connectors discussed above, plus it will use a new Power Entry Module (PEM) connector. This new connector is Tyco Electronics’ P/Ns 1888765-1 (right angle receptacle) and 1888766-1 (vertical plug). See Figure 4.

 

 

Besides the required and optional connectors discussed above, there are a multitude of other Tyco Electronics’ connectors that will be used in an AdvancedTCA system on the individual cards that go into the rack. There may be mezzanine connectors, stacking connectors, processor and memory sockets, input/output (I/O) connectors for power, signal or high speed cabling. In addition, there will be requirements for Tyco Electronics heatsinks.

For some of these requirements, Tyco Electronics has developed unique versions of standard product specifically to fit in the AdvancedTCA form factors. Following is a summary of some of these items.

Tyco Electronics has developed a special version DDR2 low profile memory socket specifically designed to accept Micron Technology’s VLP (Very Low Profile) DDR2 memory module and fit within the card pitch (component height) on an AdvancedTCA system (Figure 5). In addition to the height design, the ejectors are specially designed to allow maximum airflow to reach the module DRAMs for efficient cooling. This connector series is identified as P/N 1888669.

 

 

Tyco Electronics has also developed a line of ganged and stacked RJ45 connectors especially for AdvancedTCA, AdvancedMC, and MicroTCA applications, which have been designed to fit within the face plate heights specified by these standards. They include the Low Profile Mod Jacks in 1x1 and 1x4 configurations that are perfect for AdvancedMC and MicroTCA compact module faceplates. There is also a full line of offset, stacked configurations for AdvancedTCA and AdvancedMC full size faceplates. See figure 6. These designs maximize space utilization and PCB real estate in the system by optimizing the number of ports packaged within the faceplate. Refer to Table 1 for LED and grounding options.

 

 

 

As mentioned earlier, there are numerous additional standard connectors that will be used in AdvancedTCA applications that have not been mentioned in this article. The intent here has been to cover the connectors that are specified by the AdvancedTCA specification and certain standard connectors that Tyco Electronics has modified to fit in AdvancedTCA applications. As always, Tyco Electronics stands ready to work closely with Future Electronics to assist with customer applications.

In the next issue of Future Technology Magazine Tyco Electronics will provide an overview of the next PICMG industry standard, Advanced Mezzanine Card (AdvancedMC). Stay tuned…..

 

AdvancedMC, AdvancedTCA, CompactPCI and MicroTCA are registered trademarks of the PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group.

TE logo, Tyco Electronics, Z-PACK, Z-PACK HM-Zd and Z-PACK TinMan are trademarks. Other products, logos, and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

 

 

 Featured Products

Part Number		Description	Data Sheet	App. Notes
1766500-1		AdvancedTCA AdvancedTCA® Zone 1 (Z1) - Right Angle Plug
1766501-1		AdvancedTCA AdvancedTCA® Zone 1 (Z1) - Vertical Receptacle
1888250-1		PCB Mounted Jack - Single Port, Multi-port and Stacked
1888251-2		PCB Mounted Jack - Single Port, Multi-port and Stacked
1888509-3		Stacked Modular Jack Assembly, 2 x 6 with LEDs, 8 Positions
1888653-4		Stacked Modular Jack Assembly, 2 x 1, 8 Positions, Offset
1934221-1		Z-PACK TinMan Receptacle, 5 Pairs, 16 Columns
6469001-1		AdvancedTCA Zone 2 Z-PACK HM-Zd High Speed Signal Connector
6469002-1		AdvancedTCA Zone 2 Z-PACK HM-Zd High Speed Signal Connector
6469048-1		AdvancedTCA Zone 3 Z-PACK HM-Zd High Speed, Co-Planar RTM Board Connector

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