APW Electronics Solutions first to market with “fully meshed” ATCA 3.0 backplane Released 15 November 2002 Within six weeks of the publication of Draft 0.66 of the new PICMG 3.0 specification on 6 September 2002, APW Electronic Solutions has designed and manufactured a prototype batch of 16 Slot backplanes meeting the requirements of the new AdvancedTCA (Telecommunications Computer Architecture) specification. Continuing its long-established tradition of early support for new open architecture draft standards, APW is already shipping backplanes to early adopters to enable them to undertake real-world developments. ATCA 3.0 is the generic platform specification, defining the mechanics, board dimensions, power distribution and platform management requirements. It is fabric agnostic. The three fabrics for which specifications are in development are PICMG 3.1, 1Gb/s Ethernet; 3.2, defining how Infiniband systems are built within the architecture and 3.3, defining a Starfabric implementation over the backplane providing TDM, cell, control and packet connectivity over the same fabric. The backplanes break new ground in many respects. In order to keep the thickness down and achieve the required electrical characteristics, they are manufactured from new low dielectric (Er = 3.5) laminates and pre-preg instead of FR4; the backplanes are of 34 layer construction, 18 signal layers and 16 power/ground layers. The initial prototypes are 5U high, 23” wide and 6.9mm thick; production versions could be up to 8U high to include the Zone 3 rear I/O access area. The prototypes provide the Zone 1 system management and power distribution areas and the Zone 2 Base Interface, Fabric Interface, Update Port Interface and Telephony Clocks functions. The two central slots, physical slots 8 and 9, logical slots 1 and 2, are the hub slots; all other slots are fully meshed and each adjacent pairs are linked. Clock signals are realised in 130 Ohm terminated differential pairs, all other differential pairs are 100 Ohm impedance. Minus 48VDC power connections in Zone 1, giving up to 200 Watts/slot, are via dual redundant Positronics VP power connectors. A total of 3200 Watt can be distributed through the backplane. Signal connectors in Zone 2 are ERNI ZD high-speed differential pair connectors rated at 5Gb/s *** Ends: 350 words *** Notes to Editors. For further information: APW contact: Tim Froome APW Electronic Solutions Flanders Road Hedge End Southampton Hants SO30 2LG tel: + 44 (0)1489 774500 fax:+ 44 (0)1489 780978 tim.froome@apw.com www.apw.com Agency contact: Nigel May Parkfield Parkfield House Damerham Hants SP6 3HQ tel: + 44 (0)1725 518321 fax: + 44 (0)1725 518378 nigel.may@parkfield.co.uk www.parkfield.co.uk APW is a technically enabled manufacturing services ("TEMS") company that designs and manufactures large, complex infrastructure products for OEMs in the communications, computing and Internet markets.  APW  has particular skills in the areas of manufacturing enclosures, thermal management, power supplies and backplanes; as well as core competencies in product and system design, integration and supply chain management. APW operates in more than 30 locations throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia.