6U CPCI SBC designed specifically for high-computing environments

Citation

(2007), "6U CPCI SBC designed specifically for high-computing environments", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 79 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2007.12779fad.005

6U CPCI SBC designed specifically for high-computing environments

6U CPCI SBC designed specifically for high-computing environments MEN Micro, Inc., a provider of embedded computing and I/O solutions for demanding and harsh environment applications, now offers a 611 CPCI SBC specifically designed for embedded systems that require high- computing performance. The new D6 (Figure 3) reportedly enables a wider variety of applications with high- communication speed and computing performance requirements to employ newer technologies like SATA and PCI Express, which can support up to 12 Gb Ethernet connections with no loss in performance.

The new SBC is used for Windows or Linux applications in a wide range of telecommunication and data communication equipment including the aviation and defense industries.

Figure 3 D6 Pentium M-based CPC SBC

The single-slot D6 is a 64 bit, 66 MHz system board based on a high- performance Pentium M processor with up to 2 MB of L2 cache, up to 533 MHz front-side bus frequency and up to 2GHz clock frequency. Its new Intel 7520 Intel server chipset offers four PCI Express lanes (four x4 or two x4 and one x8) for fast communication needs. The D6 also uses one PCIe lane for each of the 2 Gb Ethernet interfaces at the front, while the other PCIe lanes are used to connect one or two XMC modules.

MEN Micro's new SBC is equipped with two SATA connections for mass storage, as well as with an onboard PATA interface for connecting a hard disk or CompactFlash drive. Its various memory options include 2 GB DDR2 DRAM with ECC. For safety-critical applications, the D6 is equipped with non-volatile FRAM and SRAM as well as a CPU-independent IPMI controller for control of all management and monitoring functions on the board, including temperature supervision.

The D6 provides typical PC functions like USB, UARTs, and GPIO, in addition to an FPGA, which enables the configuration of customer-specific I/O functions such as serial interfaces, graphics, field buses and digital I/O, eliminating the need for a short- lived graphics controller. The board's standard IP core offers 2D graphics with a resolution of up to 1,280£1,024 pixels accessible through a VGA connector at the front or by a LVDS connector via the rear I/O panel.

When using a Celeron M 1 GHz processor combined with a specifically developed heat sink, the D6 can be used in an extended temperature range from 0 to 608C (32 to 1408F).

In addition, the new SBC can be conformally coated for use in humid and dusty environments, and provides high resistance to shock and vibration because all components are soldered.

The RoHS-compliant D6 uses components from the Intel Embedded Line and will be available for a minimum of five years.

Details available from: MEN Micro, Inc., Tel:+1 215 956 1583; Fax:+1 215 956 1585, E-mail: Stephen.Cunha@menmicro.com