Ruggedized MicroTCA: a Cost-Effective Solution for Defense / Aerospace Applications
10 November 2006
Two trends are emerging in today’s defense and aerospace markets: a migration to open standards-based Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) technologies, and a transition to a network-centric paradigm.
The former migration is driven by economics as well as time-to-market. Using COTS technologies significantly reduces program-development costs and schedules whilst also improving interoperability.
The transition to a network-centric paradigm is evidenced by high-profile programs such as the US Army’s Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) and Future Combat Systems (FCS). These programs aim to use a mobile network to link soldiers to a wide range of weapons, sensors, and information systems, enabling joint interoperability, shared situational-awareness and highly-synchronized mission operations.
Addressing these trends requires both the integration of open standards-based COTS subsystems on many different mobile-platforms into a high-performance network, and ruggedizing these platforms for the defense / aerospace environment.
Most commercial open standards-based COTS technologies are not designed to operate in military environments, but Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), or IEEE 802.16 and Micro Telecommunications Computing Architecture (MicroTCA™), can be applied to create an integrated solution.
WIMAX COMMERCIAL WIRELESS-NETWORKING
WiMAX is a commercial wireless networking standard with support for fixed, point-to-point, wireless last-mile, backhaul, point-to-multipoint and multi-cell vehicular mobile delivery. It is increasingly implemented in military IP voice and data transmitters, as there are significant benefits to bridging between the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) and WiMAX in peace-keeping, disaster recovery, homeland security and special-event support missions.
WiMAX technology is used by the US Army in Iraq and at military installations in the continental US. A plan or Concept of Operations (CONOPS) on how to leverage WiMAX technology with JTRS will ensure a fighter makes optimal use of the Global Information Grid (GIG).
MICROTCA
One way of achieving consistent implementation can be by deploying platforms based on PICMG specifications. The recently ratified MicroTCA specification leverages the proven PICMG AdvancedMC™ form-factor and management infrastructure for mezzanine blades.
The AdvancedMC is a small form-factor, hot-swappable module supporting high-speed serial fabric-interconnect aimed at communications applications. The MicroTCA family of small, low-cost, flexible, high-bandwidth and highly-scalable platforms entirely comprised of AdvancedMC modules is perfect for WiMAX deployment.
The MicroTCA fully complies with the basic mechanical-characteristics and functional subsystem behavior that must exist in a compliant platform. A MicroTCA chassis is comprised of one or more cooling units and MicroTCA carriers, each of which emulates a very large AdvancedTCA carrier blade, supporting up to 12 AdvancedMCs.
Each MicroTCA carrier includes a backplane with fabric, clock, power and management interconnect, a card-cage, one or more power conversion modules, centralized hardware management and, typically, a fabric switch. The MicroTCA specification defines a number of possible chassis-form factors, but does not preclude customized alternatives.
A commercial MicroTCA platform is being developed that supports up to ten single full-size AdvancedMC modules (75mm x 180mm x 6HP). This integrated platform includes a 19in rackmount chassis, managed cooling-unit, full-size MicroTCA carrier hubs with gigabit Ethernet or GigE + PCI Express fabrics, AC or DC MicroTCA PM, backplane, full-size Pentium M or MPC7448 processing modules, telecom I/O modules and full-size SATA storage module.
RUGGED MICROTCA
Hybricon has developed a ruggedized MicroTCA ATR chassis that leverages a commercial MicroTCA platform while also accommodating double-width modules.
By using the MicroTCA specification’s optional-locking provisions, the ruggedized ATR chassis firmly retains the MicroTCA card into the card-cage, providing significant additional resistance to shock and vibration. Shock-isolating the MicroTCA card cage inside the chassis reduces the shock and vibration suffered by the MicroTCA cards, allowing the chassis to meet MIL-STD-810 shock and vibration requirements.
A secondary EMI barrier allows the ruggedized chassis to meet stringent MIL-STD-461 EMI / EMC requirements, and by providing military circular-connectors for copper and fiber I/O, it is also able to meet military ruggedization requirements for external connectors.
By providing a suitable military power-supply front-end, the ruggedized chassis is able to meet specific requirements, such as MIL-STD-704 aircraft power or MIL-STD-1275 vehicle power. Extended temperature-range AdvancedMC and MicroTCA cards also ensure effectiveness in demanding conditions.
MILCOM 2006 DEMONSTRATION
A demonstration platform for the ruggedized MicroTCA was successfully exhibited at MILCOM in October 2006. The demonstration showed the ruggedized MicroTCA ATR platform communicating over-the-air with a commercial WiMAX Customer Premise Equipment (CPE).
It simulated the equipment and data flows that might be encountered in a nomadic ‘last mile’ military application (for example from a command post to one or more forward positions). Here, the forward position might be reviewing video footage captured by a UAV or UGV, communicating via voice or video with the command post and / or relaying live pictures of the theater.
The demonstration platform consisted of a rugged ATR chassis with a shock isolated MicroTCA card cage and military I/O connectors for electrical and optical I/O. The platform supports various types of power inputs, including MIL-STD-704 for aircraft or MIL-STD-1275 for vehicles, with MIL-STD-461 EMI containment.
The ATR chassis supports up to 10 AdvancedMC modules, with a mix of double (150mm) and single (75mm) AdvancedMCs. The corresponding payload consists of one WiMAX Baseband double-module, one Intel® Pentium® M Processor-based module, one SATA storage-module, one MCH, and one MicroTCA DC power module (PM).
The ruggedized ATR platform, which can be mounted directly in a vehicle or equipment trailer at the command post, housed the WiMAX base-station and server side-components. The MCH module provided layer two-gigabit Ethernet switching between modules (over the backplane), and between external devices and modules (via front-panel uplinks).
The processor module, running WindRiver PNE/LE 1.3 (Linux 2.6.14) from the SATA HD, acted as a server for a static video stream, while a video-phone acted as a client and server for command post voice and live images. In the demonstration, the video-phone connected via gigabit Ethernet to a MCH1010 front-panel port.
The WiMAX Baseband module acted as a gateway for the VLC server and the video-phone. It communicates over the backplane via the MCH to each device, and routes IP-based voice and data via multi-mode fiber to an external WiMAX RF module. The external RF module and antenna operates in the 3.5 GHz spectrum, with a 3.5 MHz-wide channel, using Time Division Duplexing (TDD).
Across the booth were a subscriber terminal (integrated 3.5 GHz / 3.5 MHz, TDD WiMAX antenna, bridge and 10/100 Base-T Ethernet hub), which connected IP-based devices to the wireless link; a laptop running Windows, VLC client and DU meter applications that displays both the static video, and network-utilization; and a video-phone that acted as a client and server for remote-location voice and images.
The MILCOM demonstration showed that ruggedized MicroTCA can address the two major trends in today’s defense / aerospace markets, and thus provide a cost-effective solution for a variety of applications in those fields. Hybricon is confident that MicroTCA can be extended to include rugged conduction-cooled applications as well.
