WAKEFIELD, Mass., 7 June 2007. The PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group (PICMG) in Wakefield, Mass., has released a specification that defines an open mechanism for systems to upgrade the resident management software and firmware on components and subsystems.
Designated PICMG HPM.1, the specification was developed by the existing PICMG 3.0 subcommittee but released as a separate specification so it can apply immediately to other PICMG defined architectures -- specifically Advanced Mezzanine Cards and MicroTCA systems.
This specification is the first from PICMG to augment the hardware platform management (HPM) layer of all three architectures in one document. PICMG specifications help the embedded computing industry support advanced system management technology.
The Intelligent Platform Management Interface specification, which AdvancedTCA uses as the basis for its hardware platform management infrastructure, does not provide any generic mechanism for upgrading management controller firmware.
This specification defines an advanced architecture and corresponding interfaces so that one upgrade agent can update the firmware in the many management controllers of an entire system, even if the modules in the system come from different vendors.
"HPM.1 adds very useful functionality to AdvancedTCA and MicroTCA systems, along with the AdvancedMC modules they include," says Mark Overgaard of Pigeon Point Systems in Scotts Valley, Calif., who chairs the HPM.1 effort.
"This framework will allow system integrators to have one set of tools for upgrading all the IPM Controllers in an entire system," Overgaard says. "In addition, the HPM.1 architecture ensures that all compliant FRUs will be automatically supported by the upgrade tools compliant with this specification, and vice versa."
HPM.1 is free to PICMG members and is available for purchase by non-members. For more information contact PICMG online at www.picmg.org.
