MicroTCA has some powerful and compelling features, especially in the realm of system management. The more advanced the features are, the most complex the process can become. This is one of the reasons why the Interoperability Workshops (IWs) are so important.

One of the key benefits of MicroTCA is that the ecosystem’s interoperability was built into the spec from the beginning, not patched on at a later date like some other architectures. However, there are always subtleties to ensure optimum performance that need to be reviewed. Plus, there are plenty features of Hardware Platform Management, etc., to test. These include power channel notifications, power budgeting management, redundancy testing, RTM management, and more.

The results of the IWs are kept confidential, but I can say that the participants’ products worked very well together in the workshop that was held last October at VadaTech’s facility in Nevada. Any minor bugs/issues are discussed between the parties and quickly addressed to ensure the smoothest operation of interoperable systems. Participants included Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), N.A.T., Sanritz Automation, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Schroff, Teledyne Lecroy, UBER, and VadaTech.

We look forward to continuing these important workshops as the MicroTCA ecosystem continues to expand. Be on the lookout for new MicroTCA.4 systems, 40G products, and a wealth of new digitizers.

Justin Moll is Director of Marketing for VadaTech Inc. With more than 15 years of embedded computing experience, Justin has previously worked in Director and Management-level positions for electronics packaging companies. He has a BS in Business Administration from the University of California, Riverside. Justin is active in the embedded industry and is currently the Chair of the 40GbE over MicroTCA committee in PICMG.