Not Intended for Design - Do not Claim Compliance
PICMG® MTCA.0 Short Form Specification, September 21
st
, 2006 7 of 34
Figure 3 MicroTCA Carrier Hub block diagram (12 AdvancedMCs/48 Lanes)
Backplane and Connectors
MicroTCA requires a Backplane into which the AdvancedMCs and other elements are plugged. High performance
connectors of several types are specified by MicroTCA. MicroTCA Carrier elements typically occupy one or more
Slots on the Backplane. AdvancedMC Backplane Connectors at each AdvancedMC position bring the signals from the
AdvancedMC’s card edge connector into the Backplane.
Another connector type, called the MicroTCA Carrier Hub Connector, is used to connect an MCH to the backplane to
carry the signals to multiple AdvancedMCs. These connectors are optimized to carry high speed serial signals
(supporting bit rates over 10 Gb/s). Power Module Input Connectors are used to bring the input power to the Power
Modules. Power Module Output Connectors carry high current power supply connections and various control and
management signals from the Power Modules to the Backplane.
Mechanical infrastructure/Subrack
A mechanical support structure is required to hold the AdvancedMCs, MicroTCA Carrier elements and Backplane
in correct alignment and secure it to the supporting chassis or Frame. This structure, including mounting holes, Card
Guides, EMC/ESD control structures, and the means to direct the cooling airflow, is called the Subrack. Various
additional mechanical elements, including a means to mount the cooling and power elements, cable guides, and
brackets, are added to the Subrack to form the entire mechanical infrastructure (Shelf, Cube, or Pico) of a MicroTCA
Shelf.
Cooling and thermal subsystem
MicroTCA Shelves can have high power density. A cooling infrastructure is necessary to remove this heat from the
electronics. Typically, this will consist of fans or blowers, filters, and air plenums which direct a large flow of forced
air through the air paths between the AdvancedMCs and MicroTCA Carrier elements. MicroTCA Shelves may use
different cooling approaches, such as conductive cooling or natural convection.