CompactPCI CPU blade extends longevity and improves costs

Advantech's MIC-3392L (click image to zoom by 2.1x)

By working closely with long-standing customers in Computer Telephony, IPTV, Satellite and High Performance applications like Radar, Imaging and Instrumentation, Advantech has adapted an industry – proven Intel Core 2 Duo-based product to the Intel Celeron M. With a goal to reduce volume pricing to less than 1000 USD, customers can reach important cost down targets and ease some of the market cost pressures they are currently facing.

The 6U computing blade complements the company's existing offerings of high performance blades and supports an Intel Celeron M processor running at 1.86GHz. It is supplied with 1GB of soldered DDR2 RAM controlled by an Intel 945 chipset and comes with onboard PMC and SATA HDD sites, PICMG 2.16 and front panel LAN ports along with hot swap and IPMI support

"We see a continued demand for CompactPCI in the market, especially in applications where AdvancedTCA presents a significant overhead and customers are not yet ready to migrate to MicroTCA.” said Peter Marek, Blade Computing Division Director at Advantech. “While our MIC-3392 and MIC-3393 blades are well-suited to serve applications requiring the highest x86 computing power, there is a significant number of applications on CompactPCI which require a cost efficient, lower performance CPU for control purposes only. Quite frequently, these applications are built around special purpose blades for the data plane, eitherdelivered by third parties or even designed in-house”.

Advantech is also implementing an accompanying upgrade support program to help customers faced with difficulties due to forced component end-of-life by current suppliers. With an emphasis on local expertise and experience, Advantech's supportteams and alliance partners offer on-site consultancy to address driver and software compatibility. When product modification or customization secures better overall system interoperability or facilitates re-certification needs, Advantech's European and Asian design teams are available to provide their design experience and knowledge of NEBS and similar standards.

“The MIC-3392L is based on successful industry deployment of the MIC-3392 which uses longer-life chipsets. With our continued commitment to CompactPCI, Advantech is helping users choose when they want to migrate to a new platform based on strategy and market demands well ahead of silicon end-of-life scenarios." says Paul Stevens, Telecom Marketing Director at Advantech.

For further product details, visit Advantech networks and telecom at www.advantech.com/NC or E-mail to NCG@advantech.com.