MCH Mini backplane
The MCH Mini Backplane can be used as a replacement for the microTCA crate when only the switch functionality of the MCH is required.
Features:
- replaces the microTCA crate for switch-only applications. MCH + backplane = complete 10-port WR switch.
- provides 8 downlink ports with SFP sockets
- provides PHY autocalibration (not supported by the MCH) on downlink
ports
The drawing below shows the block diagram of the mini backplane:
The mini-backplane can be split into 4 subblocks:
- MCH connector: a modified AMC right-angle connector (CN1) normally used to attach AMC cards onto AdvancedTCA blades. The PCB footprint has reversed pin order, so the MCH can be plugged in with the component side facing upwards (unlike the AMC cards, where the bottom side of the PCB is facing the top).
- power supply: delivers +12 V / 3 A bulk power to the MCH (via a MOSFET switch controller by the watchdog MCU), +3.3 V / 3 A for the SFPs and the backplane logic and +3.3 V / 200 mA microTCA management power. The 12 VDC is supplied from a separate AC power supply module.
- SFP assemblies: SFP cages with I/O expanders and calibration
buffers
- I2C logic: I2C hub and I/O expander.