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Open VPX in Commercial Applications
CompactPCI Serial Challenges VPX as Embedded Shifts to Serial Pointto-Point Architectures The last few years have seen the parallel PCI bus technology incorporate an increasing number of fast serial point-to-point connections, slowly changing the structure of computing systems. Bus-based systems have morphed into ones using star topology connected by serial point-topoint connections, but modular computers are still needed in industrial environments. by Barbara Schmitz, MEN Micro
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considerable number of new serialbased standards have been created, which—unfortunately—were optimized for special markets or applications (a) (b) during their initial development. Only two of the more recent standards have embraced the proven 19-inch technology and the single or double Eurocard format to create a migration path from legacy technies providing solutions now serial interfaces: Comnology to current ion into products, technologies and (PICMG companies. Whether your goal is to research the latest pactPCI Serial CPCI-S.0) and ation Engineer, or jump to a company's technical page, the goal of Get Connected is to put you VPX (ANSI-VITA 46.0). you require for whatever type of technology, Figure 1 Assearching early as and products you are for. 1981, the Versa Module Connector scheme and backplane. Eurocard bus (VMEbus) was developed by a consortium lead by Motorola and Philips, then standardized as ANSI/IEEE ing, telecommunications, aerospace and contested choice for robust, modular bus1014-1987 by the IEC. It was originally especially in military engineering. As the based systems with a passive backplane. Some 15 years later, around 1994/95, conceived to be used with the 68000 PCI bus was not yet known, communicaZiatech and Pro-log presented a concept tion on the backplane was developed from Motorola processor family in control for modular computers based on PCI bus scratch. systems. Soon, VMEbus supported both plug-in cards in a Eurocard format conThe original VMEbus was equipped RISC (e.g., PowerPC) and CISC (e.g., x86) architectures and established itself in with a 16-bit data bus and a 24-bit address nected to a passive backplane. The conindustrial automation, medical engineer- bus; the advanced VME64, which fol- cept was called CompactPCI (PICMG 2.0) lowed next, offered a bus width of 64 bits and soon more companies like Motorola, with 80 Mbit/s while VME320 (2eSST) Radisys, Intel and Lucent showed interest, Get Connected then provided a higher data rate of 320 participating in the standardization—one with companies mentioned in this article. Mbit/s. VMEbus had long been the un- of the first ever PICMG standards. www.rtcmagazine.com/getconnected
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SEPTEMBER 2011 RTC MAGAZINE
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