PICMG 2.16 Backplanes Each Have Fabric Slot

Backplanes compliant to the PICMG 2.16 specification come with six or eight slots, with one being a fabric slot and the rest acting as node slots with the CompactPCI bus. Representing the latest additions to the company’s Compact Packet Switching Backplane (cPSB) line, the new interconnect products also offer one slot that is convertible to a system slot via a CPU Enable resistor pin, a feature claimed to be unique in the industry. The PICMG 2.16 backplanes use a design that disperses their power studs and power blades throughout key locations, yielding overall widths that are said to represent true 6- and 8-slot sizes—the company reports that many cPCI backplanes have power bugs on their side, adding a slot-size of width to dimensions. The dispersed design allows the new 6-slot backplane to fit in a 3U horizontal chassis and the 8-slot unit into a 4U horizontal chassis. Further, the use of M4 power studs gives the backplanes modularity, allowing power interface boards in various configurations to be mounted to the backplane. For more details on the PICMG 2.16 Ethernet packet switching backplanes, call Justin Moll at BUSTRONIC CORP., Fremont, CA. (510) 490-7388, ext 16.