RU2460115C2 - Method of assembling hardware and software - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: information technology.

SUBSTANCE: fibre-optic interface switch and the interfacing and control controller of a solid-state drive SSD through an Ethernet are formed as part of an electronic module which, together with a computer-on-a-module and an SSD, are installed on the heat sink of a small-outline package. The computer-on-a-module is connected through a PCI Express bus to the electronic module, through a Gigabit Ethernet bus to the switch of the electronic module, and through a Serial ATA bus to the solid-state drive SSD, whose second input is connected to the output of the electronic module through an Ethernet control circuit, according to which control of operation of the system, having several housing modules, is carried out through the Ethernet with series connection of the Ethernet fibre-optic inputs/outputs of the housing modules.

EFFECT: high-speed operation of equipment.

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Description

The invention relates to the field of radio engineering, electronics, computer engineering and other fields of radio electronics.

As you know, for the formation of radio equipment for various purposes, the main-modular construction principle is used ([1] - V. Shubarev and others. The main-modular construction of RES is a strategic area of radio-electronic instrumentation. "Electronics. Science. Technology. Business. Special issue." 2008 .), based on the use of basic load-bearing structures (BNK). BNKs provide for several levels of equipment formation: an electronic module (board) with a functionally complete solution; rack - for installing electronic modules; rack - for the installation of several racks, providing the formation of a complex of equipment for a specific purpose.

Many solutions of subracks contain power supplies, ventilation systems with both upper and lower position relative to the frame for electronic modules, which characterizes them as a rack-mount solution for certain types of equipment.

Racks in which the racks with equipment are installed, as a rule, have power sources and ventilation systems. Racks are usually used to build a set of equipment for a specific purpose. Depending on the options for constructing both racks and racks, they may use separately supplied power supplies and ventilation systems.

Most crate solutions use either the PCI or VME bus as the backplane of the electronically controlled modules. So, ELMA constructs use the VME bus. Software control of electronic modules that are connected by the VME bus and possible external connections is carried out using the VME controller connected to an external personal computer (PC) ([2] - GN Shalamov et al. Method for automated monitoring of radio communication systems. Patent No. 2263406 from 10.27.05. Russia). Crates allow you to use paid computers as an addition to individual tasks, and for direct use instead of an external PC. The combination of several computers (several crates with computers in a rack-mount solution) is carried out using hubs (Switch communicators), which allow organizing a local-area Ethernet network.

It should be noted that in some cases, in order to protect highly sensitive equipment, as well as a possible solution to the problem of electromagnetic compatibility, separate parts of the equipment and even entire racks are placed in shielding casings, which contribute to a significant reduction in the level of unintentional electromagnetic radiation, but also increase the mass and size characteristics of the component equipment.

Based on the foregoing, the method of layout of equipment built on the main module principle [1], adopted as a prototype, is carried out in accordance with the following procedure:

- part of the functionally completed equipment is arranged as part of an electronic module;

- electronic modules are installed in the crate along the appropriate guides;

- to create a functionally complete software-controlled equipment, the electronic modules in the crate are combined using the VME bus and other external connections;

- management of the operation of the crate equipment is carried out using the VME bus controller, coupled to a PC (or paid computer);

- the operation of the equipment complex containing several crates and several computers (rack-mount version) is controlled via an Ethernet network that combines several computers (PCs) using a hub ([3] - Stefan Rupp and others. Modular hubs to increase the capacity of connected structures in solutions of the Advanced TSA standard. "World of Computer Automation". 2008, No. 8.) (Switch Switch) local area network (LAN).

The rapid development of modern telecommunications, aimed at a significant increase in bandwidth, data transfer rates requiring the use of wide and ultra-wide frequency bandwidths, the ever-increasing integration of Internet and Ethernet networks, trunk fiber-optic communication lines (FOCL) and satellite systems based on IP technology (Internet Protocol), require a different approach to the formation and construction of equipment for communication systems. In this regard, thanks to the efforts of the VITA Association (VME bus International Trade Association), new standards VITA 41 (VXS), VITA 46 (VPX) and VITA 48 (VPX REDI) have been developed today, based on the idea of using serial switching interfaces in embedded systems packages (Switched fabrics), which made it possible to bring VME technologies closer to the data transfer technology in optical 10 Gigabit Ethernet ([4] - David Compston. The advent of VPX and VPX REDI standards extends the triumphal procession of VME bus. “The world of computer automation”, 2006 , No. 1).

New VITA technologies significantly improved the capabilities of the backbone-modular principle of building hardware on the VME bus, but in relation to new tasks they did not eliminate the existing problems associated with

- difficulties in ensuring electromagnetic compatibility and reducing the level of unintended electromagnetic radiation due to the open bus interface;

- large overall dimensions;

- a long cycle of the technological process of production.

The aim of the invention is to create a new method of layout of hardware and software, devoid of many of the above disadvantages and providing the ability to work with broadband and ultra-wideband signals.

To achieve this goal, a method for composing hardware and software using a technology called Ethernet-module is proposed, which consists in combining elements that are part of a small-sized housing with high-speed Ethernet fiber-optic interface technology.

According to the invention, a part of the functionally completed equipment, a fiber communicator Switch and an SSD SSD interface and control controller are formed via an Ethernet network as part of an electronic module, which, together with a computer-on-module and an SSD, are installed on a radiator of a small housing, the creation of a functionally complete program-controlled housing module provides the connection of the computer-on-module via the PCI Express bus with the electronic module, via the Gigabit Etherne bus t with the Switch communicator of the electronic module, and via the Serial ATA (SATA) bus with the SSD solid-state drive, the second input of which is connected to the output of the electronic module via the Ethernet control circuit, according to which the operation of the equipment complex containing several housing modules is controlled by Ethernet networks with serial connection of fiber-optic Ethernet inputs / outputs of housing modules.

The combination of distinguishing features and properties of the proposed method is not known from the literature, and therefore, the method of assembling hardware and software using Ethernet-module technology meets the criteria of "novelty" and "inventive step".

Figure 1 shows the structural diagram of the layout of the housing module according to the proposed method.

Figure 2 shows a variant of placement of functional devices on the radiator of the housing module module.

Figure 3, 4 and 5, respectively, show the structural solutions of various racks, a two-level crate and an electronic module inserted into the crate along the guides, using the technology of the main-module construction of the equipment [1].

The housing module (Fig. 1) according to the proposed method (Ethernet-module technology) includes an electronic module 1, an SSD 2 drive, a nano ETX express-SP 3 computer-on-module ([5] - The world's first “computer-on -module ”nano ETX Express-SP based on Intel Atom.“ World of computer automation. 2008, No. 3). The electronic module 1 includes part of functionally complete software-controlled hardware 4 connected via the PCI Express bus to the nano ETX Express-SP 3 computer, the communicator Switch 5 connected via the Ethernet bus to the controller for connecting and controlling the SSD SSD via Ethernet 6 .

In accordance with the proposed method, the layout of the hardware and software using Ethernet-module technology is carried out in the following sequence:

- the components that are part of a small-sized case interface with the technology of high-speed Ethernet fiber-optic interface;

- part of the functionally completed equipment, the communicator Switch of the fiber-optic interface and the controller for pairing and controlling the solid-state drive SSD via Ethernet are formed as part of the electronic module;

- an electronic module, a computer-on-module and an SSD drive are installed on a radiator of a small-sized case;

- to create a functionally complete program-controlled housing module, the computer-on-module is connected via the PCI Express bus to the electronic module, through the Gigabit Ethernet bus - with the Switch communicator of the electronic module, and via the Serial ATA (SATA) bus - with the SSD, the second input of which is connected to the output of the electronic module via an Ethernet control circuit;

- the operation of the equipment complex containing several housing modules is controlled via Ethernet with a serial connection of fiber-optic Ethernet inputs / outputs of housing modules.

It should be noted that the PCI Express bus of the nanocomputer is not the only one through which processing and control of the functional part of the electronic module is possible. USB 2.0 buses can also be used for this purpose.

As shown in figure 2, to ensure optimal thermal conditions of the nanocomputer 3, its processor is in close contact with the radiator 7 of the housing module. With these goals in mind, the SSD 2 drive is located directly on the heatsink 7 of the housing module. The processor part of the electronic module 1 through the heat buffer 8 is in close contact with the radiator 7 of the housing module.

The housing module has a cover 9, which, depending on the requirements for electromagnetic compatibility and the acceptable level of unintentional electromagnetic radiation, can be made in the form of a shielding element (electromagnetic screen), in the form of a grid version or plastic version.

The housing module is powered by a direct current circuit through an input power filter (not shown). After the power input filter, additional stabilized power circuits (if necessary) for various voltages can be located in the housing.

The housing module can be attached to a wall, beam, bracket, mounted on a table, on other equipment, etc. etc.

It is possible to solve a complex of equipment in the form of a monoblock, formed with clamping bolts connecting two, three or more housing modules, while the intermodular connections of the Ethernet network and other possible optical connections can be made by open optics.

Preliminary calculations showed that taking into account the available data on the sizes of the elements included in the housing module, the level of integration of the modern element base, the development of optical systems, fiber optics and nanotechnology, the housing module using Ethernet-module technology can be a device with a height of 6U and a width of no more than two sections on BNK crate technology.

The proposed solution has the following range of advantages:

- high efficiency since presents a consolidated solution for many applications;

- the smallest possible (today) weight and size characteristics;

- high technology;

- low metal consumption;

- significantly low cycle production processes in the manufacture;

- a very effective approach to ensure electromagnetic compatibility and reduce the level of electromagnetic radiation;

- high speed and high throughput;

- the possibility of redistributing the computing resources of the complex;

- the possibility of optimal reallocation of memory resources;

- high flexibility in the formation of various technical means;

- minimum maintenance costs;

- significantly low cost;

- high maintainability.

This solution is being tested at various levels of production.

Claims (1)

A method of assembling hardware and software using a technology called Ethernet-module, namely, that the components that are part of a small housing interface with high-speed Ethernet fiber-optic interface technology, characterized in that part of the functionally completed hardware is a fiber-optic Switch communicator interface and controller interface and control SSD SSD via Ethernet form in the electronic module, which together with the computer-on-module and storage an SSD is installed on the radiator of a small-sized case by the body, while to create a functionally complete program-controlled case-by-case module, the computer-on-module is connected via the PCI Express bus to the electronic module, through the Gigabit Ethernet bus - with the Switch communicator of the electronic module, and via the Serial ATA bus - with a solid-state drive SSD, the second input of which is connected to the output of the electronic module via an Ethernet control circuit, in accordance with which the operation of the complex of equipment containing several housing modules is controlled by stvlyayut for Ethernet network with a series connection of fiber optic inputs / Ethernet outputs housing modules.

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