PICMG 2.16 Tutorial

PICMG® 2.16 Tutorial

Summary

The proliferation of IP/Ethernet-based communications, the ongoing need for increased bandwidth, and constant time-to-market pressures have telecom and datacom integrators looking for next-generation platforms and solutions that will keep them at pace with today's evolving and emerging networks.

The PICMG® 2.16 specification, or CompactPCI® Packet Switching Backplane (cPSB), has been designed with these needs in mind as it builds upon the CompactPCI platform to include dual switched 10/100/1000 Ethernet fabrics.

The specification has acquired rapid acceptance because it blends the robustness, reliability and hot-swap capabilities inherent with CompactPCI with the ubiquity of Ethernet - yielding an architecture better suited for high availability and next-generation network applications.

Introduction

PICMG 2.16, or CompactPCI Packet Switching Backplane, is one of the newer specifications issued by the PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group (PICMG). PICMG 2.16 is an extension of the PICMG 2.x family of specifications that implements a packet-based switching architecture (based on Ethernet) on top of CompactPCI.

This enables elements in a chassis to be considered "network elements" as opposed to the master/slave structure in the traditional, bus-based CompactPCI architecture.

The spec, co-sponsored by Performance Technologies, was ratified on September 5, 2001 in just under a year of development. This fast track to ratification was enabled by a team of over 70 companies; chaired by Performance Technologies' John Peters. Joe Muczynski, also of Performance Technologies, acted as co-secretary/editor.

It was one of the most anticipated specs in recent history, and within 18 months over 40 companies were producing and shipping PICMG 2.16 compatible products.

PICMG 2.16 is an open specification supported by the PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group. The CompactPCI Packet Switching Backplane sub-committee maintains this specification. For information on how to become a member of the sub-committee, contact PICMG.

Evolution

The PICMG 2.16 platform evolved from the confluence of new IP-based communication applications, the growing popularity of CompactPCI and the fact that IP Ethernet switching has become the dominant LAN topology in the enterprise marketplace.

Its necessity, however, was driven by the before mentioned and ever-present need for bandwidth and time-to-market pressures - both inherent limitations of the PCI bus.

Although PICMG 2.16 has been designed to conquer the limitations of the PCI bus, this new architecture is designed to complement existing CompactPCI systems, not replace them - thus extending the life of the rugged and familiar CompactPCI architecture.

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