Kaparel's PS4800 Backplanes Support StarFabric
8/7/2002 - Kaparel Corporation launched its PS4800 series of backplanes, as defined by the PICMG 2.17 StarFabric Specification. These backplanes support StarFabric Topology and offer high capacity CompactPCI, incorporating PICMG 2.17 architecture for developers of next generation telecom networks. The PIMG 2.17 StarFabric Specification provides a seamless migration path from today’s shared bus architecture to a robust switched interconnect, while retaining the existing hardware and software infrastructure. Star fabric, with its multiple classes of service, enables high bandwidth, high availability and scaleable point-to-point solutions, which provide control, voice, cell and packet data connectivity within a single interconnect.
Tom Sutherland, General Manager of Kaparel commented, "Kaparel is on the PICMG 2.17 subcommittee, a designated StarFabric Developer and a member of the StarFabric Trade Association Board of Directors and the PS4800 is the first of a range of off-the-shelf StarFabric Backplanes based on the ratified specification."
The PS4800 backplane is a 6U x 84HP CompactPCI StarFabric backplane. Sixteen card slots support two redundant CompactPCI buses, each having one host slot, six node slots, and one fabric slot and some of the features include:
- Two 8-slot 64-bit CompactPCI buses operating at 33MHz PCI or 66MHz PCI-X
- Selectable V(I/O) (3.3V or 5V)
- PICMG 2.1 R2.0 compliant Full Hot Swap
- PICMG 2.5 R1.0 compliant H.110 CT bus on all Node Slots (PS4800 only)
- Support for 8HP Host boards at expense of one Node Slot
- Dual redundant StarFabric support (2 Fabrics + 14 Basic Nodes) as outlined in PICMG 2.17 R1.0
- Support for Rear Transition Modules in all card slots
- Configurable power slot support for two 6Ux8HP, three 6Ux4HP, three 3Ux8HP, or four 3Ux4HP supplies
- PICMG 2.9 R1.0 compliant System Management Bus (SMBus) support on all cards, power supplies, PEMs, fans, and Alarm Card
- Support for I2C bridge function on Alarm Card to support >19 SMBus nodes
The PS4800 Family of off-the-shelf backplanes will include:
- PS4805 – Same as the PS4800 minus the H.110 bus
- PS4808 – 8 slot (7U X 32HP) - 1 Fabric Slot. 6 Node Slots with cPCI & H.110, 1 Host Slot
- PS4818 – Same as the PS4808 minus the H.110 bus
- PS4820 – 21 Slot (7U X 84HP) - 7 Node Slots with cPCI & H.110, 1 Host Slot, 1 Node Slot with H.110 & without cPCI, 1 Fabric Slot, 7 Node Slots with cPCI & H.110, 1 Host Slot, 1 Node Slot with H.110 & without cPCI, 1 Fabric Slot & 1 Alarm Slot
- PS4821 – Same as the PS4820 minus the H.110 bus
- PS4822 – Same as the PS4921 minus the CompactPCI bus
Mr. Sutherland also stated, "The PS4800 will be followed by a family of off-the shelf backplanes for designers to develop StarFabric systems and can also provide custom StarFabric architecture solutions and integration services for specific customer applications."
As an integral part of providing off-the-shelf solutions Kaparel is also introducing the PS6090 StarFabric Development Platform that provides a PICMG 2.17 system for the development of next-generation network systems. The system includes a PS4800 2.17 backplane in an 8U Rittal chassis configured with power supplies and the StarGen SFS2100 StarFabric Switch. This platform enables OEMs and integrators to provide fast to market product based on the 2.17 architecture.
In addition to the PS4800 series, Kaparel will offer the StarBridgeÔ PS1160 devices and PS4810 backplanes that will provide a solution for bridging legacy CompactPCI components over StarFabric technology with the benefit of providing the application with HA/Redundancy.
The solution provides for two 7-slot CompactPCI buses and two redundant controllers interconnecting in a dual star configuration. This is accomplished by utilizing:
- Two SG2010s in leaf mode providing transition to the StarFabric
- Two SG2010s in root mode for full redundancy
- Segments are tied together by two SG1010 switches
- Remaining Link for each switch allow for connection to an external fabric
- The architecture can also be extended to coexist with the PICM 2.17 Specification by removing the SG1010s and connecting the StarFabric Links directly into the 2.17 fabric
Kaparel Corporation (www.kaparel.com)
Kaparel is an ISO 9001:2000 registered company that develops, manufactures, and globally markets high-speed backplane solutions to the Converging Communications market. From its pioneering work in CompactPCI bridge designs, Kaparel has quickly become a leader in many aspects of CompactPCI technology.
Kaparel specializes in high slot count, hot swap and high availability systems and has custom designed over 250 high-speed and CompactPCI backplanes for major global telecommunications and computer manufacturers. Founded in 1996 (as the cPCI division of PixStream Incorporated), Kaparel is based in Canada’s Technology Triangle in Waterloo, Ontario and is a part of Rittal International (www.rittal.com), the world’s largest electronic enclosure manufacturer with offices in over 55 countries.
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