CompactPCI® Serial Ethernet Star Architecture

2011-07-23, Manfred Schmitz

With the parallel PCI bus disappearing, a standard PC is now based on a simple star topology. The CPU chipset at the system's center controls peripheral devices and components through point-to-point connections. This allows high data rates, while no device needs to concede bandwidth to another.

This simple structure is completely adequate for a standard computer. But even for multiprocessing systems based on Ethernet, this architecture is often sufficient if a suitable Ethernet switch is accommodated in the system slot. This switch can be implemented as a mezzanine on the system slot.

Figure 1: Multiprocessor system based on Ethernet with a CPU in the system slot

Of course, you might as well populate the system slot merely by a switch, which itself has no computer functionality.

Figure 2: Multiprocessor system based on Ethernet without a CPU in the system slot

In another interesting variety, the computer in the system slot not only takes care of the central Ethernet connection but also functions as a NAS (Network Attached Storage). SATA (RAID) is also connected as a star. Certainly, all CPU boards can be identical, but only the CPU in the system slot uses its RAID controller and also has a plug-on switch. The additional CPUs in the peripheral slots have neither a switch nor a RAID function in the system.

Figure 3: Multiprocessor system based on Ethernet with NAS functionality

In all, a standard CompactPCI® Serial backplane has up to 9 slots, which lets you combine CPUs and hard disks as needed. A customized backplane permits to implement up to 8 Ethernet slots and 8 hard disk slots without any further bridge or switch boards.

The simple star architecture allows to solve complex tasks at a competitive price. For more demanding tasks, the CPCI-S.0 CompactPCI® Serial standard also offers a solution using an Ethernet mesh (see next article).

German version on ElektronikPraxis: Ethernet-Stern-Architektur

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