100G ATCA technology is successfully tested

The technology's connector and backplane, which were developed with ERNI, allow 100Gb/s Ethernet connectivity in an ATCA shelf. Four independent networks are provided to every blade through the innovative QuadStar backplane architecture. Used with 40G payload and switches, the architecture provides customers with flexibility, allowing them to deliver 160G per blade bandwidth with no redundancy or a 120G per blade backplane if one network is used to provide redundancy. When implemented with no redundancy, an aggregated system bandwidth of 1.6Tb/s is enabled. 

When used with 100G payload and switches, the QuadStar technology allows customers to deliver up to 400G to each blade (4.0Tb/s aggregate system bandwidth) in a non-redundant implementation or 300G with redundancy. Customers can future-proof their investments by implementing with 40G technology today and upgrading to 100G later using the same chassis and backplane. 

The ATCA technology will be available in Artesyn’s Centellis 8000 series systems at the end of 2014. SDN/NFV network security and optimisation, where deep packet inspection techniques are used to process massive data flows in real time, will be the first applications to use the technology. 

Doug Sandy, Embedded Computing Chief Technology Officer, Artesyn Embedded Technologies, said: “Working with the industry, Artesyn is facilitating the development of open standards around 100G ATCA, which enable customers to evolve their SDN/NFV platforms to the highest possible performance. Through the companies in our heritage, including Pro-Log, Motorola Computer Group, Force Computers and Emerson’s Embedded Computing business, Artesyn has a long history of contribution to specification development and contribution to the electronics and embedded community. We have been one of the top contributors to the ATCA specification and our leadership in 100G ATCA technology underlines that effort."

“What’s more, we’re enabling customers to future-proof their technology investment by making the 100G shelves available as soon as possible so they can avoid having to ‘rip-and-replace’ their shelves when the 100G payload blades become available. We followed the same philosophy in the migration from 10 to 40G and it’s one of the reasons Artesyn now has the largest installed base of ATCA technology in the world,” continued Sandy.