PICMG Adds RapidIO for AdvancedMC Modules

WAKEFIELD, Mass., November 16, 2009 - The PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group (PICMG®) (www.picmg.org) announces the adoption of the AMC.4 specification, which adds RapidIO® interconnects to PICMG’s Advanced Mezzanine Card (AdvancedMC™) family. RapidIO addresses the high-performance embedded industry's need for reliability, increased bandwidth, and faster bus speeds in an intra-system interconnect. The architecture is a high-performance packet-switched, serial technology that is widely used in the signal processing, networking, and communications markets.

The AMC.4 specification is a subsidiary to PICMG’s AMC.0 specification that defines the mechanical, interconnect, management, power and thermal requirements for the industry standard mezzanine. The AMC.4 specification defines RapidIO implementations on AdvancedMC and helps support PICMG 3.5, which defines RapidIO on AdvancedTCA nodes. The new specification includes standard implementation guidance for specific configurations like 1x and 4x RapidIO.

“The use of AdvancedMC cards has become an important and fundamental element of PICMG-based embedded systems,” said Tom Cox, Executive Director of the RapidIO Trade Association, “We are pleased to work with PICMG to support RapidIO on AMC.4.”

About PICMG

Founded in 1994 as the PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group, PICMG is a consortium of over 250 companies that collaboratively develops open specifications for high performance telecommunications, military and industrial computing applications.

For information about PICMG membership, or to find out how to obtain PICMG specifications, visit the PICMG website at www.picmg.org or call PICMG headquarters at (781) 246-9318.

PICMG® is a registered tramark of the PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group. AdvancedMC™ is a trademark of PICMG. RapidIO® is a registered trademark of the RapidIO Trade Association.