Super embedded design for the 2020s: PICMG GEN4

How will your organization be developing high performance embedded hardware 10 years from now? You will want a mature open modular standard with far greater capabilities than systems have today. And you’ll want one that has support for advanced features built-in, can handle a wide variety of applications, is maintainable and upgradable, and has a large ecosystem.

PICMG GEN4 format is a proposed new specification for high performance embedded computing. It will provide an open modular standard for high end applications in telecom, datacom, military/aerospace, industrial/process control, and instrumentation. GEN will offer throughput in the terabit range and support storage in the exabyte range. It will support such key demands as software defined networking (SDN), network functions virtualization (NFV), and cybersecurity.

GEN4 will provide the highest performance of any embedded specification developed so far. It will also have a proven backer in PICMG, with 20 years experience in backplane and connection specification development. PICMG provides continued support and development from both vendors and end users. And all its specifications are non-proprietary with strong disclosure policies on intellectual property. None of PICMG’s 55 standards requires a license to implement.

PICMG has focused on developing open modular standards for embedded computing. Its AdvancedTCA high-end standard, had over 100 organizations involved in its development (completed in 2002). It is currently supported by over 1,000 vendors and has a $5 billion dollar annual market. PICMG has over 250 members worldwide, including AMD, Agilent, Airbus, BAE Systems, Cisco, Ericsson, General Dynamics C4S, Huawei, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Mentor Graphics.

Why should telecom, military, and instrumentation developers be interested in a PICMG GEN 4 specification? The work will provide a standard hardware base, greatly simplifying hardware development and maintenance while avoiding proprietary approaches. It will offer the high throughput required for central office equipment, wireless base stations, military communications systems, fire control, signal processing, electronic warfare, robotics, vehicles, detection systems, and many other applications. It will include hardware platform management for use in maintenance and upgrades and is the latest in a family of specifications that have enjoyed wide acceptance. GEN4 offers an open modular hardware base for systems developed and in use through the 2020’s.

Organizations can join PICMG at low cost, entitling them to participate in all existing committees and form new ones. The GEN4 specification development will start late this year and will involve weekly committee calls. We expect the process to take between two and three years. Members can form new committees to develop parallel or ancillary specifications to meet specific environmental or mechanical needs, handle certification requirements, and create special capabilities.

For more information on PUCMG contact ernie@crystalcubeconsulting.com.