MicroTCA
The Actel Power Module reference design functions as
described in the MicroTCA Specification v1.0, Chapter 4,
and provides all of the power subsystem functionality,
including the following:
• Modular inputs
• Fusing
• Supply selection
• Emissions filtering
• Transient suppression and power conversion
• Payload and management power monitoring
• Power supply to the MicroTCA Carrier Hubs
(MCH), AMCs, and cooling unit
The power module reference design includes the
redundant Intelligent Platform Management Bus (IPMB-0)
and the optional JTAG interfaces.
The reference design also includes functionally verified
hardware, FPGA HDL, and third-party software support.
All elements of the design will be thoroughly tested
during MicroTCA interoperability testing.
For those who want to customize the design, Actel
provides the source and can enable a path for turn-key
modifications. Signal Stream Technologies has partnered
with Actel to offer design services for customizing both
hardware and software and will deliver timely
engineering support and maintenance services. The Actel
Protocol Design Services group can provide modifications
to the HDL. For modules in production volume, our
partner, MicroBlade™, Inc., offers complete turn-key
power modules to your exact specifications. In summary,
you can customize the design yourself or have Actel and
its partners perform customization.
The power module reference design is delivered as a
single-board design for the smallest form factor and
superior thermal capabilities.
Unlike MCU-based designs, which are software-driven
and slow, many functions, such as analog-to-digital
conversion sequencing and sampling, over-current and
under-voltage power switchover, and hot-swap disable,
are hardwired. Hardwired fail-safe logic minimizes
response time, if there is an unexpected board extraction
or system failure.
Since payload power current regulation is fully
implemented in hardware, the Actel power module is
more accurate than MCU-based designs. The current
limit for each output channel can be individually
programmed in 256 steps with ±1% full-scale accuracy.
Likewise, both payload power and management power
output voltages are measured with ±1% full-scale
accuracy.
The power module is also more flexible than anything on
the market today. A customer can update the FPGA
firmware and application software on-the-fly and can
customize hardware, firmware, or software. With a total
of 1 MByte of on-board Flash memory, software for the
on-chip Core8051 microcontroller can be reprogrammed
on-the-fly by uploading code to an isolated buffer in the
Flash memory, performing verification, and then
switching the context to the new software. Unlike an
ASSP-based solution, the Actel controller is an FPGA, so
even the "hardware" is reprogrammable, either on the
bench using standard FPGA programming tools or in-
system via the MicroTCA backplane JTAG interface. A
customer can also add differentiation to the hardware
design, since Actel provides a full set of design
documents, including schematics, a bill-of-materials,
layout drawings, and manufacturing drawings.
A Power Module That Goes Beyond the
MicroTCA Standard
The Actel MicroTCA power module is a reference module
designed specifically to meet the power conversion,
power switching, and form factor requirements to
enable MicroTCA applications.
It supports a dual –48 VDC input and delivers more than
380 W to the MicroTCA backplane. With the
revolutionary form factor made available by the Actel
Fusion device, power output levels greater than 700 W
are easily possible in a single power module.
The monitoring and controller hardware supports input
power filtering, conditioning, fusing and monitoring,
output power control, monitoring and protection, and
DC-to-DC conversion for management and payload
power. The Intelligent Platform Management Interface
(IPMI) software is IPMI v2.0 compatible and will manage
the turn-on sequencing for local AMCs, voltage, and
current monitoring, handle abnormal power conditions,
and respond to commands and requests from an MCH via
the IPMB-0 interface. The module works with a single or
dual MCH or as a standalone device without an MCH
present in the system. It is compatible with the new
PICMG
®
MicroTCA.0 revision 1.0 standard.
The module can turn on each of the management and
payload power lines individually, as specified in the
MicroTCA specification. It also monitors temperature and
power status and reports this back to the MCH. In the
case of no MCH, the microcontroller on the module
notices that no MCH is present and can execute an on-
board preprogrammed system management application.
If an AMC is inserted, the power for that slot is turned on
and if a module is extracted, the power for that slot is
turned off. System application software can be
downloaded to the board using the serial port (RS-232)
on the front of the module or by the JTAG interface. The
IPMB bus on the power module will also monitor
temperature and handle fan speed on the cooling
module, when that reference design is available.
IPMI Debug and Self-Test
This power module allows the user to record and insert
IPMI commands into any of the I2C busses in the system.
This feature is useful for development, debugging, and
testing of a system.
3
P ro du c t B ri ef
ACTEL [ Actel Corporation ]
