6U CompactPCI Boards Sport Quad Core Xeons

The multicore trend has hit all levels of processor families, and the Xeon is no exception. Concurrent Technologies has released the PP 66x/071 family of 6U CompactPCI boards, one of the first product lines to feature the quad core 2.13 GHz Intel Xeon processor L5518 or the dual core 2.0 GHz Intel Xeon processor L5508. Based on 45nm process technology and the new Intel microarchitecture, formerly codenamed “Nehalem,” both processors are from the Intel embedded roadmap, which offers at least seven-year availability. With up to 64 Gbytes of DDR3-1066 ECC SDRAM, two 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports and several SAS and SATA300 disk interfaces, the PP 66x/071 family has one of the highest specifications available to 6U CompactPCI users today; the boards are particularly suitable for defense and homeland security market sectors.

For high-performance I/O, control and data processing flexibility, the PP 66x/071 supports, via the front panel, a PMC/XMC site (133 MHz PCI-X and up to x8 PCI Express lanes) as well as optional I/O interconnections via two 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports (copper or optical). The rear connectors provide an interface to an optional onboard 8-port hardware RAID Controller supporting SAS and SATA300 drives. The PP 66x/071 can operate as a system controller board (left slot or right slot), a peripheral board or as a satellite board (blade). Support is also provided for PICMG 2.16 (Ethernet fabric), PICMG 2.9 (IPMI) and PICMG 2.1 (hot swap); the CompactPCI backplane interface operates at 33/66 MHz PCI signaling speeds.

Concurrent Technologies
Woburn, MA.
(781) 933 5900.
[www.gocct.com].

6U VPX SBC Serves up 45nm Core2 Duo CPU

The multicore processor trend fits neatly into the desires of today’s military system designers who want to pack as much compute density into a slot as possible. A new rugged 6U VPX SBC from Curtiss-Wright is based on the Intel Core2 Duo processor T9400. The Intel Core2 Duo processor T9400 is validated with the Mobile Intel GM45 Express chipset, providing graphics core performance up to 533 MHz and up to 8 Gbytes of 800 MHz DDR3 system memory. This platform is suitable for a broad range of embedded applications such as interactive clients, embedded platforms and industrial automation equipment.

The VPX6-1952 is available with 4 Gbytes or 8 Gbytes of high-bandwidth SDRAM and comes with a complement of high-speed I/O, including dual Gigabit Ethernet, three serial ports, ten USB 2.0 ports, and an XMC site with 20 differential and two single-ended signal pairs mapped to the backplane. The board’s integral high-speed SERDES Gigabit Ethernet and XMC mezzanine module connectivity enable high-bandwidth data flows. Data can also flow from the VPX backplane to the XMC site to support demanding high-bandwidth applications. Pricing for the VPX6-1952 starts at $13,500.

Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing
Leesburg, VA.
(703) 779-7800.
[www.cwcembedded.com].

2.16 GHz Core 2 Duo Rides 6U cPCI

Compute-density is the goal of many of the latest military embedded computer applications. Along those lines, Dynatem is now shipping the Intel Core2 Duo-based CRD CompactPCI/PICMG 2.16 SBC. The CRD is a 6U single-slot CompactPCI-compatible platform based on the Intel low-power Core2 Duo processor. The CRD takes advantage of the L7400 Core2 Duo’s low power consumption as a rugged SBC. Versions supporting the T7400 2.16 GHz Core2 Duo are also available. The CRD is a conduction-cooled module with wedge locks and a full-board heat sink for high shock/vibration environments and temperature extremes. Extended temperature and versions with conformal coating are available.

The CRD comes installed with 2 Gbyte or 4 Gbyte DDR2-400 memory, supporting ECC. Memory is BGA for the best shock/vibration spec. The E7520 Memory Controller Hub (MCH) and 6300ESB I/O Controller Hub (ICH) chips support PCIe and PCI-X expansion, respectively. Two or four onboard Gbit Ethernet ports are controlled by two PCI Express-based 82571EB dual 10/100/1000BaseTX controllers. Two Ethernet PICMG 2.16-compliant Gbit Ethernet ports are routed to the backplane. Standard conduction-cooled CRD boards have no front panel I/O due to the cooling plates. A special version has been developed with additional 2 Gbits of Ethernet routed through the front cooling-plates. The two onboard PMC mezzanine card interfaces are accessed through the 6300ESB’s 64-bit PCI-X bus. One of the two PMC sites also accommodates an XMC module supported by x8 PCIe. Pricing for the CRD starts at $6,938 in single quantity.

Dynatem
Mission Viejo, CA.
(949) 855-3235.
[www.dynatem.com].

3U VPX SBC Serves up Dual Core Freescale MPC8640D CPU

There have been only a handful of SBC vendors so far that have rolled out VPX products. The ones that jumped on board have already got several out. Extreme Engineering Solutions’ latest VPX offering is the XPedite5170, a feature-rich 3U VPX (VITA 46) solution targeting Freescale Semiconductor’s dual-core MPC8640D processor. The XPedite5170 delivers enhanced PowerPC performance with AltiVec technology and power efficiency for today’s military customers requiring high performance in small form factors.

The board runs at up to 1.25 GHz, and includes two channels of 1 to 4 Gbytes of DDR2-533 SDRAM and up to 4 Gbytes of NAND flash and 256 Mbytes of NOR flash. Interconnects included dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, PCI Express or Serial RapidIO Fat Pipe P1 interconnect. The P2 interconnect includes GPIO, two RS-232/RS-422/RS-485 serial ports, I²C and PMC I/O. XPedite5170 is shipping today with XPand1000 development chassis. Pricing varies from $6,000-$8,000 depending on ruggedization level, memory configuration and quantity purchased.

Extreme Engineering Solutions
Middleton, WI.
(608) 833-1155.
[www.xes-inc.com].

2.53 GHz Core 2 Duo Climbs Aboard 6U VME

VME, combined with VXS, is an ideal way to marry the legacy of installed VME with the performance of fabric-based VXS. Doing exactly that, GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms announced the V7875 SBC with extensive I/O capability and advanced graphics. VITA 41.3 (VXS) for Gigabit Ethernet across the backplane is also optionally available. Featuring the Intel Core2 Duo T9400 processor running at 2.53 GHz, the V7875 also provides up to 6 Mbytes of L2 cache. Use of the Intel GM45 chip set provides fast access to up to 4 Gbytes of DDR3 SDRAM and a x16 PCI Express interface to deliver exceptional performance for demanding applications.

The V7875 provides support for a PCI-X XMC/PMC site, but also a connector to the EXP237 mezzanine board to deliver an optional three additional XMC/PMC sites. Additional connectivity is provided by a dual SATA disk interface, two Gbit Ethernet ports routed to the front panel, four USB 2.0 ports and two serial ports. For applications not requiring the XMC/PMC site, even further I/O–one eSATA port, one USB 2.0 port and two Gbit Ethernet ports (when VITA 41 is not available)–can be provided via the front panel.

GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms
Charlottesville, VA.
(800) 368-2738.
[www.gefanucembedded.com].

6U 2.16 GHz Core 2 Duo Board Boasts Health Monitoring

An increasing number of military applications are requiring computing that can operate autonomously. That means the system has to monitor its own health. With that in mind, General Micro System’s “2nd Coming” is the industry’s first 6U, 2.16 GHz Core 2 Duo, Conduction-Cooled cPCI SBC to provide full System Health Monitoring and reporting to meet all PICMG 2.9 specifications, while adding a slew of additional health monitoring and reporting system status to an external device.

The C276 supports up to 4 Gbytes of 667 MHz DDR-2 memory and vast onboard I/O. The standard I/O included are dual Gbit Ethernet on PCIe bus with TCP/IP Offloading Engine, dual IDE, quad SATA with RAID (0, 1, 5, 10 and 50) capabilities, five USB-2.0, 1 Mbyte of user/Boot flash and two serial ports. Additional standard I/O included are: one PMC/XMC site with rear I/O, 16 bidirectional Digital I/O lines and dual COM ports with RS-232/422 buffers (jumper selectable). The C276 module is fully compliant to IEEE Std. 1101.2 and ANSI/VITA 2-0 2001. The 2nd Coming operates from -40° to +85°C at the rails with relative humidity of 5-95 percent at 40°C, and may be exposed to shocks of up to 100g for 5 ms, or 40g for 11 ms in 3 axis. The 2nd Coming supports extremes; vibrations range from 5 Hz to 2 KHz for up to 30 minutes at 15g RMS in each axis.

General Micro Systems
Rancho Cucamonga, CA.
(909) 980-4863.
[www.gms4sbc.com].

Dual 1.4 GHz PowerPCs Reside on 6U CompactPCI

CompactPCI has passed the test of longevity and maturity, making it one of the accepted form factors in today’s military applications. Feeding that trend, Interface Concept has unveiled a high-performance 6U CompactPCI board, the IC-xe6-cPCIb, powered by one or two Freescale 1.4 GHz MPC7448 PowerPC processors. This new single or dual processor SBC is PICMG 2.16-compliant and blends low power consumption and large communications capabilities. The board implements a Marvell Discovery III chipset (MV64460).

The memory banks are made of up to 2 Gbytes of DDR-ECC SDRAM, up to 256 Mbytes of mirror flash and up to 1 Gbyte of soldered NAND flash. A quad UART provides four additional asynchronous channels available on P2 connector. The 64-bit PCI/PCI-X bridge allows the IC-xe6-cPCIb to handle two PMC slots with PnIO routed to J3/J5. Thanks to its SATA controller, the IC-xe6-cPCIb can manage directly four storage devices. The IC-xe6-cPCIb provides one Gbit Ethernet, one console, one USB-2 and two SATA ports on the front panel. This board has been designed to meet the most severe environments–standard, extended and rugged grades. Prices start at $3,950.

Interface Concept
Briec de l’Odet, France.
+33 (0)2 98 57 30 30.
[www.interfaceconcept.com].

3U VPU Features Core2 Duo Processor

The ranks of VPX vendors continue to grow. Kontron’s latest offering is the VX3020 based on the Intel Core 2 Duo processor. VPX, a proposed ANSI standard, breaks out from the traditional connector scheme of VMEbus to merge the latest in connector and packaging technology with the latest in bus and serial fabric technology. The boards are available in Rugged Conduction-Cooled (RC) versions that support operational temperatures ranging from -40° to +85°C according to VITA 47 recommendations.

Based on the latest dual-core 1.5 GHz Intel Core2 Duo LV processor, the Kontron VX3020 VPX CPU board offers high-end processing performance to meet a wide range of demanding signal and data processing requirements. With the Intel 3100 chipset the Kontron VX3020 supports up to 2 Gbytes of DDR2 SDRAM and features all the high-performance I/Os that are available on the latest laptop PCs such as the UXGA graphics controller with PCI Express, two Gigabit Ethernet network interfaces configurable by software either on the front RJ45 connector or the rear VPX backplane connector, 3 x SATA-150 interfaces and multiple USB 2.0 ports. An onboard USB connector is able to support a standard USB Flash disk module. The Kontron VX3020 can also easily run high demanding PCI-based applications with support for high-performance and PCI software backward-compatible PCI Express, which is configurable either as x4 or quad x1 over the backplane.

Kontron America
Poway, CA.
(858) 677-0877.
[www.kontron.com].

Core2Duo cPCI Board Provides Advanced Graphics

Military and aerospace applications such as aircraft monitoring, visualization and control all have something common. They demand a blend of high-performance compute muscle, with a ruggedness suited to harsh environments. Along those lines, MEN Micro offers a 6U CompactPCI SBC that combines Intel’s multicore technology with a flexible mezzanine card extension and rugged design to provide exceptional performance in industrial applications. The D9 can be equipped with the Intel Core2 Duo, Core Duo or Celeron M processors to support a multitude of dual-core and single-core CPUs depending on specific application requirements.

By incorporating the Intel Mobile 945GME Express Chipset with an integrated 256-bit graphics engine providing up to 250 MHz, the D9 combines outstanding computing and graphics performance with low power consumption. The 945GME supports the connection of two monitors with either the same or different displays. Provisions for a VGA connector or up to two digital video portals are provided via a mezzanine card. The card is equipped with a tailored heat sink and up to 4 Gbytes of soldered DDR2 RAM for optimum shock and vibration resistance. The D9 offers an extensive combination of I/O functions with rear I/O, mezzanine extension cards as well as XMC or PMC. A total of six USB 2.0 interfaces, up to four UARTs and up to four Gigabit Ethernet ports are available at the front or at the rear of the D9.

MEN Micro
Ambler, PA.
(215) 542-9575.
[www.menmicro.com].