To date a total of seven combinations have been realised between backplane and MCH (see table). The design is hence characterised by the high flexibility of the configurations. There are up to four so-called tongues on the module side, which are also connected via the 170-pin backplane signal connector of the series CN080, available from Yamaichi. This makes four variations of the CN084 series available from 170 to a maximum of 680 contact pins.
Both the backplane and the MCH side are card-edge connections. CN084 hence allows a reduction of the insertion and extraction forces between the backplane connector CN080 and the MCH modules.
A further significant advantage of using the MCH connector is that it balances the mechanic tolerances by installing the MCH module. This undesired clearance between the individual MCH modules is eliminated by firmly fitting the module to the connector with the help of the assembly jig and hence stabilising it. This makes for a precise and parallel line-up when installing modules with up to 4 tongues.
Like all connectors according to the MicroTCA specification, the CN084 is high-speed compatible for transmission rates of 12.5 Gbps. Furthermore, however, it has also been proven that there is potential for future applications. As on all Yamaichi products for high-frequency applications, the high-frequency features are excellent.