Intelligent Platform Management Controller for nuclear fusion fast plant system controllers

Abstract

An Intelligent Platform Management Controller (IPMC) is being developed by IPFN/IST. This controller will be integrated in the Advanced Telecommunications Computing Architecture (ATCA) and Advanced Mezzanine Cards (AMC) modules that are under development for application in nuclear fusion experiments such as the ITER Fast Plant System Controller (FPSC) prototype. This controller in addition with the Shelf Manager module is responsible for the management of hardware failure, redundancy procedures, and hot swapping of the modules in the ATCA crate. The verification of compatibility between modules that share ATCA resources, the power management of each module, temperature monitoring, and fan control are, as well, tasks that the IPMC has the responsibility to manage. Other important functions of the controller are the programming of ATCA and AMC modules firmware, application specific program selection, and firmware version control. In this paper, the hardware architecture of the IPMC implementation at IPFN ATCA modules will be described.