Infrastructure

NAMC-XLINK

Overview

The XLINK-Family is an easy way to apply input / output (I/O) interfaces in PCI and/or CompactPCI (cPCI) form factors without any software modification in MicroTCA applications benefitting from its reliability and speed.

The NAMC-XLINK is an Advanced Mezzanine Card (AMC) providing access to the passive PC backplane (NPCI-XLINK) and/or the cPCI system (NcPCI-XLINK) via PCI Express IO Extension not sacrificing hot swap and redundancy.

The combination of different standards is ideal for projects requiring reduced engineering costs, time-to-market and gaining synergies of established systems.

Key features:

• I/Os of PCI and/or cPCI formats
• Reliability and speed of MicroTCA
• Compatible with any AMC slot / system slot 1 in PC or cPCI systems
• No driver modification
• No software adaption

XLINK-Family Overview:

• NAMC-XLINK
• NPCI-XLINK, read more ...
• NcPCI-XLINK, read more ...

Overview and Purpose
The NAMC-XLINK is a high performance single width, full-size Advanced Mezzanine Card (AMC) compatible with any MicroTCA system and connects systems based on different standards such as MicroTCA, PCI and cPCI. This MicroTCA system containing a processor card (i.e. NAMC-8569-CPU or NAMC-QorIQ-P40) and one or more XLINK cards delive the master functionality. The slave system is based on either PCI or cPCI standard and is controlled by the master system. The NAMC-XLINK connects the PCI Express (PCIe) backplane lane to a PCI Express External Cable Interface Connector on the front panel via a programmable re-driver circuitry for exchanging data streams.

Funtional Blocks
Re-Driver Circuitry
The NAMC-XLINK includes a re-driver circuitry to guarantee PCIe signal quality at the receiver portion of the PCI Express External Cable Interface.

The on-board Pericom PI2EQX4402D re-driver device allows users to adapt transmission characteristics to different cable lengths. Port A of the PI2EQX4402D directs the PCIe line of the AMC backplane to the PCI Express Cable Interface Connector; port C connects the PCIe line of the PCI Express Cable Interface Connector with the AMC backplane.

IPMB Interface
The NAMC-XLINK implements an IPMB interface consisting of an AVR ATmega645 microcontroller and a temperature sensor. The IPMB controller also manages the hot swap functionality and the geographical address as requested by the AMC.0 specification.

XLINK-Family
The NAMC-XLINK is a member of the XLINK-Family which enables the connection of different system platforms via a PCI Express External Cable Interface to a MicroTCA system.

Technical Data

Requirements
Free AMC slot

PCI Express Interface
1x PCI Express External Cable Connector at the front panel with a transfer data rate of 2.5Gb/s

Indicator LEDs
- 2 general status LEDs
- 2 LEDs (optionally)
- 4 LED blocks above PCI Express External Cable Connector

Clock Selection
- Local PCIe clock or
- Backplane clock FCLKA

Host Operating System Support
- No restrictions
- No driver adaption
- No application modifications

Power Consumption
- 12V 0.2A max. payload power
- 3.3V 0.1A max. management power

Environmental Conditions
- Operating temperature: 0ºC to +70ºC with forced air cooling
- Storage temperature: -40ºC to +85ºC
- Relative humidity: 10% to 90% at +55ºC (non-condensing)

Standard Compliance
- PICMG AMC.1 Rev 1.0
- PCI Express External Cabling Specification

Applications
Industrial and telecommunication applications requiring
- speed,
- flexibility,
- hot swap,
- reliability and optional redundancy
- different I/O form factors

XLINK Board Combinations
- NAMC-XLINK : NPCI-XLINK
- NAMC-XLINK : NcPCI-XLINK