0% found this document useful (0 votes)
120 views

Computer Telephony Integration

Computer Telephony Integration

Uploaded by

mirko_aguilera
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
120 views

Computer Telephony Integration

Computer Telephony Integration

Uploaded by

mirko_aguilera
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 20

CompactPCI: A Solution for the Next

Generation of Computer Telephony


Integration (CTI)
Definition
Computer telephony integration (CTI) is a term to which many are becoming
accustomed. It encompasses an entire industry, devoted to the closer integration
of telephony systems with computer-control devices, as well as an everexpanding
range of applications. At the forefront of this industry are innovative
products, built using hardware able to terminate digital telephony tier 1 (T1) and
E1 (T1 European equivalent) trunk interfaces, fax and voice processing resources,
voice-overIP (VoIP) technology, and other standard peripheral devices.
Typically, these operate in industrialized chassis housings and act as switches,
voice-mail servers, automatic call distributors (ACDs), and nearly any other kind
of telco equipment imaginable. The CTI revolution has led to a generation of such
equipment, upsetting traditional notions of how telephony networks should be
built.

Overview
Over the years, various standards and specifications have been adopted to propel
CTI technology. Recently, a new generation of standards emerged, at the
forefront of which is CompactPCI.
CompactPCI is a new standard for computer backplane architecture and
peripheral integration, defined and developed by the peripheral component
interconnect (PCI) industrial computers manufacturers group (PICMG) and
capable of dramatically raising the stakes in the world of computer telephony.
Combining the practicalities and real-world economics of the conventional
personal computer (PC) world with the kind of features long-demanded by telcos,
CompactPCI sets the standard for a new generation of CTI products. For the first
time, integrators can cheaply and efficiently build rugged, high-density systems
with the added advantage of hot swappability.

Topics
1. Background and Beginnings
2. A New Standard
3. The CompactPCI Backplane
4. Connectivity and Capacity
5. Secure Access: the Key to Operational Convenience
6. The Hot Swappability Revolution
7. Software, Integration, and Processes
8. References
Self-Test
Correct Answers
Glossary

1. Background and Beginnings


Various standards have been used by manufacturers to design and develop
hardware for use in computer-based products. Several manufacturers are
particularly interested in peripherals that can be integrated into a given form of
host processor and chassis unit, and there are a number of different means by
which this can be achieved.
All have in common the principal that peripherals should be placed into a
backplane, which also hosts some kind of processor. The peripherals occupy slots
on the backplane, derive their power from this, and utilize the host processor to
drive the applications associated with them. In this tutorial, peripherals are
referred to as cards that are inserted directly into vacant slots on a backplanein
association with a host processor or central processing unit (CPU)and housed
within some kind of casing. Information from one card can be routed to another
in the same system via a communications path known as a bus. This general
architecture is analogous to a home computer with an incorporated sound card
and modem.
In telephony systems terminating E1 or T1 physical interfaces, for example, a
typical application may require that data or signals be switched from inputs to
selected outputs. Such information may consist of telephone calls, for instance.
Because each peripheral unit will terminate a finite number of such interfaces,
larger systems can be designed by incorporating several of these cards into vacant
slots on the backplane and allowing signal transfer between cards using the
backplane bus. In this way, low-cost, PCbased switches that terminate large
numbers of E1s or T1s can be assembled.
Web ProForum Tutorials
http://www.iec.org

Copyright
The International Engineering Consortium

2/20

Backplane technology and the means by which information is routed between


cards in the system (e.g., bus technology) evolved rapidly, and a number of
different standards emerged. For instance, simple PC architecture using the
industry standard architecture (ISA) bus allowed numerous ISAcompatible
cards to be inserted into a system. However, in order to transport information
across the ISA bus between cards, large numbers of so-called bus drivers and
physical transceivers were required by the ISAcard software and hardware.
These added cost to systems and also, unfortunately, introduced delays in signal
transfer between the cards in a system. In systems where time delay is critical
(i.e. telephony switches), this delay clearly had significant drawbacks.
The solution was to separate the bus between the cards from the backplane itself.
Hence, new forms of communication between cards emerged, such as
multivendor integration protocol (MVIP), signal computing system architecture
(SCSA), and pulse code modulation expansion bus (PEB). These specifications
required dedicated chipsets to generate the signals between cards and cope with
the transceiver requirements. Physically, these intercard highways assumed the
form of ribbon cables that connected the top edges of the cards and daisy-chained
them together. This solution may allow telephony data to be switched from one
card to another inexpensively, but it makes each card dependent on its peers, as
no remedial action can be taken to one without dismantling the entire system.
Similarly, the physical dimensions of a PC form-factor card limit the number of
terminations that can be accepted by a single card. There is a limit, therefore, on
both accessibility and maximum density.
Other standards such as VersaModule Europe (VME) and MultiBus faced the
same problems but resolved them with complex devices to preserve the switching
interface on the backplane. However, VME has a much greater form factor than is
possible within ISA systems; hence, higher-density products could be produced.
VME at the simplest level is an open standard, supported by a wide range of
vendors, and it became the most common bus interface on medium-sized
telecommunications platforms. It offered scalability and a high degree of
durability but still had many limitations.
Developers searched for a new means of ensuring intercard communications,
while maximizing system density, interoperability, and reliability. High-end
systems, produced by the principal switch vendors, necessarily utilized
proprietary interfaces to achieve these goals. While newer technologies lacked
key features such as interoperability, they would always be considered poor
relations in the demanding telco environment, where five-9 reliability is often
considered the norm.
Recently, an entirely new standard emerged that addresses all of these issues and
may be the catalyst required to confer global acceptability to the computertelephony industry: CompactPCI.
Web ProForum Tutorials
http://www.iec.org

Copyright
The International Engineering Consortium

3/20

2. A New Standard
CompactPCI and PCI technologies have emerged from the search for a standard
interface between peripherals on PCcompatible CPUs and backplanes. In
keeping with the requirements for true interoperability, the PICMG, which is an
independent and cooperative consortium of vendors and manufacturers, has
overseen the development of these specifications.
The PICMG is primarily focused on the evolution and development of
specifications for PCI and CompactPCI products, and the diversity of
membership ensures that all interested parties can be represented and that
interoperability can be maintained to produce a common specification, accessible
to all.
PICMG specifications define hardware practices. Software communication and
bus architecture, however, have been defined by a second independent interest
group, the Enterprise Computer Telephony Forum (ECTF). The ECTF was
founded to converge the plethora of competing standards for computer telephony
(CT) buses and to improve interoperability between manufacturers. Essential to
this process is introducing better notions of scalability, so that solutions can be
built to serve the needs of different environments while utilizing the same core
technology. To this end, the ECTF has produced two specifications for hardware
and software bus interfaces: H.100 and H.110, also known as CT buses. The two
organizations work in tandem to develop all aspects of the CompactPCI standard.

3. The CompactPCI Backplane


As indicated, the backplane is crucial to any scalable system. CompactPCI defines
a new backplane technology that confers a number of key benefits to
manufacturers. These benefits are based upon the combination of three key
factors:

PCI silicon support

2-mm standard personal identification number (PIN) connectors

large form factor

The PCI standard is a bus standard developed for PCs by Intel that can transfer
data between the CPU and card peripherals at much faster rates than are possible
via the ISA bus (e.g., about 132 Mbps as opposed to 5 Mbps). PCI was originally
designed for standardizing the interfaces available on chips to be used on PC
compatible peripherals and was unique in that it utilized silicon. Importantly,
PCI was designed with limitations to the maximum capacity of the bus and to the

Web ProForum Tutorials


http://www.iec.org

Copyright
The International Engineering Consortium

4/20

electrical loading it would require. These considerations helped minimize the


costs of the bus interface.
PCI was rapidly adopted by other vendors and became the most common bus
interface for such chips. Despite becoming the established interface, offering
high-speed data transfer, PCI lacked the higher density available from systems
utilizing VME, as only four cards could be supported within a system.
CompactPCI was a solution to this set of problems, given that it adopted the
proven European form factor successfully utilized in VME systems.
CompactPCI uses a vertically mounted backplane consisting of five connectors, as
is defined in the PICMG's CompactPCI specification 2.0. This method of
mounting is significantly more robust that that available from a standard PC and
also provides better access for cooling because air can flow past more easily.
Telecommunications applications often require the use of large amounts of
digital signal processors (DSPs), which are usually heat intensive; thus, cooling is
essential.
Cards are inserted into the physical bus interface from the front of the unit,
enabling straightforward access. Furthermore, the vertically orientated bus
provides the possibility of access from two sides. This point is highly significant,
as is explored in Topic 4. All in all, a CompactPCI chassis offers a rugged, secure,
and highly reliable platform in which to insert communications cards for
demanding applications.

4. Connectivity and Capacity


CompactPCI cards can come in two different sizes (3U or 6U), but the standard
defines a common physical design. There are a number of physical connectors
utilized to support integration to the physical bus itself. Although different
connectors are used in each version due to size discrepancies, each connector
serves a specific purpose and contains a specific number of 2-mm pins (535 in
all). The standard for pin connectivity was originally developed by Siemens and
confers several advantages:

power and grounding access

high signal integrity

minimal noise loss

minimal noise susceptibility

This rigid definition is in contrast with the multiplicity of arrangements that have
existed in previous systems and further assists the interoperability of the
standard (see Figure 1).
Web ProForum Tutorials
http://www.iec.org

Copyright
The International Engineering Consortium

5/20

Figure 1. Rigid Definition

There are five connectors in total. J1 always acts as the 32-bit PCI bus interface.
This is used by both the 3U and 6U board versions. J3, J4, and J5 are allocated
for input and output signal distribution and, amongst them, offer a total of 315 2mm connector pins. They are not present on 3Ucard varieties. J2 offers an
additional 32-bit bus interface as an option. Hence, when it is utilized, a total bus
of 64-bits is available. Taken together, J1 and J2 constitute the CompactPCI bus
and J3, J4, and J5 constitute the local or subbus. The subbus may itself be broken
down, given that J4 specifically provides access to the H.110 bus, while J5
provides access to other external input and output signals. J5 will be explored in
more detail in subsequent sections.
This subbus enables multiple boards to communicate with each other quickly and
efficiently. In telephony applications, this is particularly important, as it allows
rapid transfer of data between cards in a system. Furthermore, the simplicity of
design is in contrast to the complexity of ISA or VME systems (see Figure 2).

Web ProForum Tutorials


http://www.iec.org

Copyright
The International Engineering Consortium

6/20

Figure 2. Simplicity of Design

In addition to the allocation of connectors to the computer telephony and


CompactPCI buses, specifications also require the addition of mezzanine-type
daughter boards to individual CompactPCI cards. This allows CompactPCI cards
to support higher processor or chip density to host DSP chips for advanced
telephony applications.
Associated with the connector design, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic
Engineers (IEEE) specification 1101.11, known as rear paneltransition module,
has been incorporated into the CompactPCI standard. This standard requires
permanent or semipermanent connectivity of inputs and outputs and gives
mechanical definition to the strong grounding and shielding practices of
electrical components. This is particularly important when one considers the
demanding electromagnetic capability (EMC) and safety legislation now enforced
by governments around the world.
The CompactPCI specification also provides a mechanism that identifies the
physical position of each card and maps it into software. Thus, any one card has
knowledge of the inputs and outputs, internal and physical, to which it is
connected (assuming that the software is correct). Specification 1101.11 also
permits specific slots to be assigned to specific cards, should this be a
requirement.
At present, the physical capacity of the CompactPCI bus is limited. It can support
up to eight cards, which, if one is designated the CPU, leaves seven slots free for
peripheral cards. Because CompactPCI's tremendous potential for
telecommunications applications was soon recognized, a standard that
specifically defines how CompactPCI systems should use the H.110 bus was
Web ProForum Tutorials
http://www.iec.org

Copyright
The International Engineering Consortium

7/20

originated. Known as the computer telephony specification or PICMG 2.5, it


complements other CompactPCI specifications. Theoretically, this standard
enables up to sixteen E1 or T1 PCMs to be terminated on a single CompactPCI
card. It also suggests that up to twenty slots could be available in a single chassis,
which would have the net result of allowing 320 E1 or T1s to be switched in a
single unit. The largest ISAbased systems could only support thirty-two E1 or T1
terminations in a single chassis.
Although such a scenario is not presently possible, it does serve as an indication
of the tremendous potential of CompactPCI to permit the design of high-density
applications at low cost. However, work is underway in providing physical
bridges between each CompactPCI cluster of eight cards. Such systems would
combine multiple clusters in a single chassis.
A final consideration for capacity is the switching bandwidth of the H.110 CT bus
itself. This has a maximum capacity of 4096 bidirectional timeslots, each with a
capacity of 64 kbps. In other words, 2048 duplex call paths may be established
across a single H.110 bus. This bus acts a time-division multiplexer (TDM) by
supporting the transmission of various kinds of signals over the same
transmission medium.
It is clear that CompactPCI offers a switching solution of great power. How that
power can be realized is the subject of Topic 5.

5. Secure Access: The Key to Operational


Convenience
All telecommunications equipment must be physically connected to the network
at some point. In an E1 or T1 switch, this means that every single E1 or T1 PCM
trunk interface must plug into the appropriate termination point on the switch
system. As PCM density grows, so does the tangle of cables. Clearly, to maintain
operational effectiveness, a simple means of combining high levels of connectivity
with ease of access to the card must be found. This is particularly important when
one considers the operational implications of truly hot-swappable systems. The
work of the PICMG has led to an elegant solution to this problem.
As indicated earlier, it is possible to connect a second board into the reverse of
the vertically orientated CompactPCI bus interface. This permits manufacturers
to design boards that serve only to terminate external input and output
interfaces. All processor activity may be concentrated on the front-panel portion
of the card, allowing all cabling associated with a particular card to be plugged
into an electrical interface at the rear of the system. Because it is divided into two
sections, the front or processor sectionwhen it must be replacedcan simply be
removed using the physical ejector levers provided without disturbing the cabling

Web ProForum Tutorials


http://www.iec.org

Copyright
The International Engineering Consortium

8/20

secured to the rear portion. Technically, the rear card is known as a break-out or
transition board.
The transition board is connected to the front-panel card via a mirror image of
the connection interface utilized by the front card. All of the input and output
interfaces for a particular rear or front combination are presented through the J5
connector pair of each, which passes across the CompactPCI backplane (see
Figure 3).
Figure 3. Transition Board

The elegance of this system is underlined by the fact that, once again,
interoperability is assured, for the IEEE 1101.11 specification defines the
characteristics of the rear input and output transition card and indicates that this
card should connect to that of the front panel. The transition card has a
maximum depth of 80 mm, which ensures that the depth of a CompactPCI
system will not exceed 300 mm. CompactPCI systems may thus be used in spacesensitive environments, particularly as they retain the small footprint that made
19-inch, rack-mounted PC systems so popular.

Web ProForum Tutorials


http://www.iec.org

Copyright
The International Engineering Consortium

9/20

6. The Hot Swappability Revolution


One of the principal innovations of the CompactPCI standard is its introduction
of hot swappability (hot swap) to CTI products. This, combined with effective
simplicity and interoperability, explains the widespread appeal of the technology.
Up until this point in time, hot swap has been an asset demanded by telcos that
simply could not be delivered by suppliers of PCbased CTI solutions. Available
on VME in a complex implementation and not to an open standard, previous
solutions have been costly and manufacturer specific. It was believed that the
barrier between hot-swap and PCbased CTI solutions was unbridgeable. Now,
however, CompactPCI allows true fault tolerance and security to be achieved
through low cost, manageable solutions.
All large, central office (CO)type switches are expected to have hot swappability
to permit the kind of fault-tolerant architecture and reliability the
telecommunications industry demands. At a stroke, CTI applications gain longdenied credibility throughout the industry.
Hot swappability or live insertion is defined as the ability to insert or remove a
process card from a live system. This process places several requirements on the
developer. Firstly, the procedure must be safe; a live system is, by definition, one
that requires power to run an application process. Secondly, the removal or
insertion of a card into the system must not cause any disruption to the ongoing
processes of the application, such as switch failure. Thirdly, taking the card in
and out of the system must not itself be affected by this action. Although the
requirements are straightforward, they have been impossible to achieve using
standard PC architectures. How, then, does CompactPCI resolve this problem?
In fact, the hot-swap standard generated by PICMG known as PICMG 2.1,
announced in July 1998, is relatively simple and defines a manual procedure by
which hot swap can be achieved. The procedure involves hardware and software
processes linked to electrical signals and can be implemented by all
manufacturers, provided that they follow the appropriate guidelines.
The procedure is dependent on several key factors. First, the silicon chips utilized
by the PCIbus architecture must be able to communicate directly with each
other, not via the mediation of hardware buffers. The chips achieve a state in
which their signals can be synchronized with those of the backplane. Because
nothing exists between the two, synchronization may occur quickly, although the
lack of mediation buffers means that the electrical loading of the bus must be
precisely monitored to maintain a synchronous state.
Second, the pin connectors between the CompactPCI card and the mating
contacts on the CompactPCI bus are designed to be of variable length. Given this
situation, certain pins will make contact with their respective mate before others
Web ProForum Tutorials
http://www.iec.org

Copyright
The International Engineering Consortium

10/20

do or, conversely, lose contact before others do so. Finally, each card is secured in
place via a lever that clips into position at the front or rear of the chassis unit.
The procedure essentially follows a predictable sequence. When a card is selected
for extraction, the lever is raised or released. This action breaks a contact on
some associated circuitry and sends a signal to the controlling software, which, in
turn, signals that a particular card is being prepared for extraction. Hence, the
system can redirect processes elsewhere. Once the withdrawal process begins,
certain pins will lose contact with their mates before others. In fact, there are
three lengths defined by the standard. The shortest will obviously lose contact
first, which sends a signal to the control system indicating that the card is being
removed. Thus, power-down procedures can be initiated.
When a card is being inserted, the longest pins make contact first, thereby
generating a signal that instructs the system to begin delivering power to the
card. As the shortest make contact, further signals are generated that inform the
system that the board is now fully in place and that all of the power-up
procedures can be completed. The medium-length pins make contact as the
initial charges are being applied to the card, and the PCI chip resumes operation.
Closure of the security lever completes the process.
The PICMG specification defines the signals associated with each event that
developers use to build hot swappability into their applications. This activity
demands close monitoring at a high level to ensure that any applications in
service take all necessary actions to divert resources away from the removed card
or to allocate resources to an inserted card. Thus, developers must be extremely
diligent.
A further consideration involves timing. All telecommunications systems are
either synchronized to an external clock source or generate a clock source that
must be distributed to other equipment via the telecommunications network.
Telecommunications equipment does not usually accommodate several clock
sources. If the card to be removed is the card that is responsible for distributing
the timing signal across the system, synchronization may be lost, causing the
system to run free. However, the CompactPCI bus enables the reception of two
timing signals. Hence, if one source is lost, a secondary source can be provided to
ensure that the system remains appropriately synchronized.
In mission-critical systems such as those experienced in the telecommunications
industry, such capabilities have great importance, and their availability in such
systems will undoubtedly prove to be revolutionary.

7. Software, Integration, and Processes


The CompactPCI backplane acts as a seamless connection between all peripherals
attached to it. The CPU and all other PCIcompatible chips appear as resources
Web ProForum Tutorials
http://www.iec.org

Copyright
The International Engineering Consortium

11/20

common to the entire system, while peripheral chips appear to system software
as though they are co-located with chips on the CPU of a standard PC. This
situation has several implications.
First, it means that no barrier exists to running software and processes that have
evolved in the desktop world on CompactPCI systems; software can readily be
ported from one platform to another, which represents an essential savings in
time and money.
Second, provided a peripheral is CompactPCI compliant, it can be integrated into
a CompactPCI platform. Integrators can simply choose devices from a vast array
of vendors and plug them into their systems. In telecommunications applications,
a wide variety of interfaces can be supported on the same platform, as they
simply become resources within the same system and peripherals to the
CompactPCI bus.
A further benefit is the fact that a wide range of operating systems can be
supported within a CompactPCI system. Most operating systems that run on a PC
will run on CompactPCI systems without further modification. Furthermore,
developers can select the processor they require based on preference alone. This
wide range of compatibility makes it a relatively straightforward task for
developers to build CompactPCI systems or to transfer from one technology to
another. It also confers a degree of future proofing to system design. Because all
system components are peripherals of the CompactPCI bus, individual
components may readily be replaced without causing disruption to the system as
a whole.
Given the capabilities of this new technology, it is useful to review the
applications to which it can be directed. As previously indicated, PCbased
systems built around various kinds of network interfaces (e.g., E1, T1,
asynchronous transfer mode [ATM], and IP) are already common. Despite their
ever-growing sophistication, reliability, and cost effectiveness, such systems have
not always been validated by certain sections of the industry. Conversely, other
parties have cheerfully accepted the limitations of such systems. Developers have
been positioned somewhere in between, trying to reconcile the demands of each
communityon the one hand for cost-effective functionality and on the other for
telco-grade reliability.
There is no doubt that PC solutions have answered many of the arguments
against them, but objections will still be raised in some quarters. However,
CompactPCI changes all of this. It offers the best of both worlds (i.e., the
opportunity to develop complex systems in a cost-effective manner while
addressing the issues of reliability that are raised against the PC world).
Developers have a tremendous opportunity to offer telco-grade equipment using
technologies that have evolved from PCs. Rugged, fault-tolerant, reliable, and
Web ProForum Tutorials
http://www.iec.org

Copyright
The International Engineering Consortium

12/20

high-density applications can readily be implemented. CompactPCI may be


anticipated in all areas of the telecommunications network, and as more and
more networks are rolled out by more and more operators, cost considerations
will surely force purchasers in the direction of systems designed using this new
technology.
The first system to offer hot swap as a truly open standard, CompactPCI is indeed
revolutionary.

8. References
1. Davidson, R. "CompactPCI Technology Update," VMEbus Systems, October
1997.
2. Davidson, R. "How Compatible Is Compact PCI or, What Works with What?"
CompactPCI Systems, Fall 1998.
3. Fischer, W. "CompactPCI Systems Corner," CompactPCI Systems, Winter
1997.
4. Fischer, W. "CompactPCI Specifications Corner," CompactPCI Systems,
Spring 1998.
5. Fischer, W. "CompactPCI Specifications Corner," CompactPCI Systems, Fall
1998.
6. Harrison, D. K. & Honey, J. "CompactPCI System Management," CompactPCI
Systems, JanuaryFebruary 1999.
7. Medeiros, J. "CompactPCI Technology Update," CompactPCI Systems, Spring
1998.
8. Newton, H. "Newton's Telecom Dictionary," Flatiron, 1998.
9. Pavlat, J. "CompactPCI and Computer Telephony," CompactPCI Systems,
Winter 1997.
10. Pavlat, J. "Keying CompactPCI Backplanes and Boards," CompactPCI
Systems, Spring, 1998.
11. Pavlat, J. & Waltz, E. "The CompactPCI Report: Rear Panel I/O," CompactPCI
Systems, Fall 1998.
12. Pavlat, J. "CompactPCI Report," VMEbus Systems, April 1997.
13. Pavlat, J. "CompactPCI Revision 2.2: Expanding the Possibilities," VMEbus
Systems, June 1997.
Web ProForum Tutorials
http://www.iec.org

Copyright
The International Engineering Consortium

13/20

14. Peacock, G. "How to Build a VMEbusBased Telecommunication Switching


System," VMEbus Systems, October 1995.

Self-Test
1. What is a bus?
a. a mode of transport
b. a vehicle
c. a means of communication between peripherals
2. Which of the following is not an intercard bus?
a. MVIP
b. SBSC
c. PEB
3. Which organization is responsible for originating hardware standards for
CompactPCI?
a. PCIMG
b. PCMGI
c. PICMG
4. Which organization is responsible for defining software bus architectures for
CompactPCI?
a. ECGF
b. ENTF
c. ECTF
5. What is the bandwidth of the ISA bus?
a. 15 Mbps
b. 10 Mbps
c. 5 Mbps

Web ProForum Tutorials


http://www.iec.org

Copyright
The International Engineering Consortium

14/20

6. What is the bandwidth of the PCI bus?


a. 142 Mbps
b. 132 Mbps
c. 122 Mbps
7. How many connectors are there on a 6U CompactPCI card?
a. 2
b. 5
c. 6
8. Which connector acts as the PCI bus interface?
a. J1
b. J2
c. J3
9. Which connector acts as the H.110 bus interface?
a. J2
b. J3
c. J4
10. How many cards can a standard CompactPCI bus support?
a. 6
b. 7
c. 8
11. How many cards can be supported on the largest single-chassis ISA systems?
a. 28
b. 30
c. 32

Web ProForum Tutorials


http://www.iec.org

Copyright
The International Engineering Consortium

15/20

12. Which connector is used as the interface between the front and rear modules
of a CompactPCI card?
a. J3
b. J4
c. J5
13. A compactPCI chassis has a physical footprint of________inches.
a. 19
b. 22
c. 25
14. Hot swap works because of which of the following?
a. the connector pins of the CompactPCI cards are of different lengths
b. the cards are robust
c. the cards are the right size

Correct Answers
1. What is a bus?
a. a mode of transport
b. a vehicle
c. a means of communication between peripherals
See Topic 1.
2. Which of the following is not an intercard bus?
a. MVIP
b. SBSC
c. PEB
See Topic 1.

Web ProForum Tutorials


http://www.iec.org

Copyright
The International Engineering Consortium

16/20

3. Which organization is responsible for originating hardware standards for


CompactPCI?
a. PCIMG
b. PCMGI
c. PICMG
See Topic 2.
4. Which organization is responsible for defining software bus architectures for
CompactPCI?
a. ECGF
b. ENTF
c. ECTF
See Topic 2.
5. What is the bandwidth of the ISA bus?
a. 15 Mbps
b. 10 Mbps
c. 5 Mbps
See Topic 3.
6. What is the bandwidth of the PCI bus?
a. 142 Mbps
b. 132 Mbps
c. 122 Mbps
See Topic 3.
7. How many connectors are there on a 6U CompactPCI card?
a. 2
b. 5
c. 6
Web ProForum Tutorials
http://www.iec.org

Copyright
The International Engineering Consortium

17/20

See Topic 4.
8. Which connector acts as the PCI bus interface?
a. J1
b. J2
c. J3
See Topic 4.
9. Which connector acts as the H.110 bus interface?
a. J2
b. J3
c. J4
See Topic 4.
10. How many cards can a standard CompactPCI bus support?
a. 6
b. 7
c. 8
See Topic 4.
11. How many cards can be supported on the largest single-chassis ISA systems?
a. 28
b. 30
c. 32
See Topic 4.
12. Which connector is used as the interface between the front and rear modules
of a CompactPCI card?
a. J3
b. J4
Web ProForum Tutorials
http://www.iec.org

Copyright
The International Engineering Consortium

18/20

c. J5
See Topic 5.
13. A compactPCI chassis has a physical footprint of________inches.
a. 19
b. 22
c. 25
See Topic 5.
14. Hot swap works because of which of the following?
a. the connector pins of the CompactPCI cards are of different
lengths
b. the cards are robust
c. the cards are the right size
See Topic 6.

Glossary
ACD
automatic call distributor
ATM
asynchronous transfer mode
CPU
central processing unit
CT
computer telephony
CTI
computer telephony integration
DSP
digital signal processor
ECTF
enterprise computer telephony forum
Web ProForum Tutorials
http://www.iec.org

Copyright
The International Engineering Consortium

19/20

EMC
electromagnetic capability
IEEE
institute of electrical and electronic engineers
ISA
industry standard architecture
MVIP
multivendor integration protocol
PCI
peripheral component interconnect
PCM
pulse code modulation
PEB
PCM expansion bus
PICMG
PCI industrial computers manufacturers group
SCSA
signal computing system architecture
TMC
time-division multiplexer
VME
VersaModule Europe
VOIP
voice over Internet protocol

Web ProForum Tutorials


http://www.iec.org

Copyright
The International Engineering Consortium

20/20

You might also like