Description

Abaco Systems VMIVME-7750-74000

I. Overview

The Abaco Systems VMIVME-7750-74000 is a high-performance VME bus embedded computing module. Designed specifically for requirements of high reliability, strong real-time performance, and harsh environment adaptability, this product is compatible with various VME bus standard chassis. It is widely used in critical fields such as fighter aircraft avionics systems, shipborne radar signal processing, missile guidance and control systems, and embedded control of large industrial equipment. Relying on its outstanding computing performance and environmental adaptability, it has become a core processing unit in embedded heterogeneous computing systems.

With the core value proposition of "high-performance heterogeneous computing, high-reliability redundant design, wide-range environmental adaptability, and in-depth bus compatibility", the module is equipped with a multi-core high-performance processor and a dedicated coprocessor unit, constructing a heterogeneous computing architecture of "main processor + coprocessor". This architecture can efficiently undertake complex algorithm operations and multi-task real-time scheduling. In terms of core performance, it adopts a high-performance multi-core processor (specific models can be selected according to configuration, typically high-end embedded processors of Intel or Power architecture), with a maximum main frequency of up to 2.4GHz, supporting multi-threaded parallel processing, and the computing performance of a single module can reach more than 50GFLOPS. It is equipped with large-capacity on-board memory and high-speed cache, with a maximum memory capacity of 32GB DDR4 ECC SDRAM and a cache capacity of ≥12MB, ensuring high-speed data access and computing efficiency. It supports a variety of high-speed storage media, including SATA SSD (up to 1TB) and optional NVMe SSD, meeting the local storage needs of massive data. It integrates rich I/O interfaces and communication modules, covering Gigabit Ethernet, RS-422/485, CANopen, PCIe expansion interfaces, etc., adapting to multi-device interconnection and data interaction scenarios. Adopting the VME64x bus standard, it is compatible with traditional VME bus specifications such as VME320, supporting 32-bit/64-bit address and data buses, with a maximum bus transmission rate of up to 320MB/s. It has complete redundant design and fault diagnosis functions, including power redundancy, fan redundancy, memory ECC check, bus fault isolation, etc., ensuring stable operation under extreme working conditions. Having passed military-grade environmental adaptability tests, it can work for a long time in environments with a wide temperature range of -40℃~85℃, strong vibration, high impact, and strong electromagnetic interference.

The VMIVME-7750-74000 has achieved leapfrog improvements in core performance and reliability: the processor performance has increased by more than 40%, and the multi-core parallel processing capability has been significantly enhanced, enabling it to adapt to more complex signal processing and control algorithms; the memory capacity has been expanded from 16GB to 32GB, supporting real-time operations of larger-scale data sets; a new optional NVMe SSD high-speed storage has been added, with storage read-write speed increased by more than 3 times, meeting the needs of high-frequency data access; the performance of the VME bus interface has been strengthened, with the bus transmission rate increased from 200MB/s to 320MB/s, reducing the bus data interaction delay; the heat dissipation structure and redundant design have been optimized, with an independent temperature monitoring unit and intelligent fan speed control function added, and the wide-temperature operating range expanded from -20℃~70℃ to -40℃~85℃; the electromagnetic compatibility performance has been enhanced, passing the MIL-STD-461G military-grade electromagnetic compatibility test, adapting to more harsh electromagnetic environments.

II. Technical Specifications

Parameter Category	Specification Parameters	Parameter Description
Core Computing and Storage Parameters	Processor Configuration	Processor model: Intel Xeon D-2100 series / PowerPC e6500 series (optional); Number of cores: 8-core / 12-core (depending on model); Main frequency: 1.8GHz~2.4GHz (supporting dynamic frequency adjustment); Architecture: 64-bit RISC/CISC architecture; Floating-point computing capability: ≥50GFLOPS; Supported technologies: Multi-core multi-threading, hardware virtualization, advanced power management
	Memory Configuration	Memory type: DDR4 ECC SDRAM; Memory capacity: 16GB (standard) / 32GB (maximum); Memory frequency: 2400MHz; Memory channel: Dual-channel; Error correction capability: Single-bit error correction, double-bit error detection; Memory bandwidth: ≥38.4GB/s
	Storage Configuration	Main storage: SATA III SSD (256GB/512GB/1TB, standard); High-speed storage: NVMe SSD (512GB/1TB, optional); Storage interface: SATA III (6Gbps), PCIe 3.0 x4 (supporting NVMe); Read-write speed: SATA SSD read ≥550MB/s, write ≥500MB/s; NVMe SSD read ≥2800MB/s, write ≥1800MB/s; Supported RAID: 0/1/5 (optional RAID controller)
	Optional Coprocessor Unit	Coprocessor type: FPGA (Xilinx Kintex UltraScale KU040) / GPU (NVIDIA Jetson TX2, optional); FPGA resources: 250K logic units, 16GB dedicated DDR4 memory; GPU performance: 1.3TFLOPS (single-precision); Main functions: Signal preprocessing, real-time filtering, custom protocol parsing, heterogeneous computing acceleration
Bus and Interface Parameters	VME Bus Parameters	Bus standard: VME64x, compatible with VME320/VMEbus Rev. C; Bus width: 32-bit/64-bit (automatic adaptation); Bus frequency: Up to 80MHz; Transmission rate: 320MB/s (64-bit/80MHz); Address space: 16MB~4GB (configurable); Interrupt support: 7-level vector interrupt, supporting shared interrupt; Bus arbitration: Supporting priority arbitration and fair arbitration
	Network Interface	Interface type: Gigabit Ethernet (RJ45/SFP+, optional); Number of interfaces: 2 (standard) / 4 (optional); Supported protocols: TCP/IP, UDP, IPsec, IEEE 1588 PTPv2 (precision time synchronization); Transmission rate: 10/100/1000Mbps (adaptive); SFP+ support: Single-mode/multi-mode optical fiber, transmission distance ≤10km (single-mode)
	Serial Communication Interface	Interface type: RS-422/485 (full-duplex/half-duplex), RS-232 (optional); Number of interfaces: 4 (RS-422/485); Transmission rate: Up to 115200bps; Signal characteristics: Differential signal transmission, strong anti-interference ability; Supported protocols: Modbus RTU, custom serial protocol
	Expansion and Control Interfaces	PCIe expansion: 1 PCIe 3.0 x8 slot (for expanding daughter cards); CAN bus: CANopen 2.0A/B (2 interfaces, supporting redundancy); USB interface: 2 USB 3.0 (front/rear); Debug interface: JTAG (processor debugging), 1 RS-232 debug port; Power interface: VME standard power interface (+5V, +12V, -12V)
Reliability and Environmental Parameters	Redundancy and Fault Tolerance	Power redundancy: Supporting dual-channel VME power input with automatic switching; Fan redundancy: Dual-fan hot redundancy with intelligent speed control; Memory fault tolerance: ECC error checking and correction; Bus fault tolerance: Bus error detection and automatic reconnection, faulty node isolation; Storage fault tolerance: Supporting RAID 1/5 (optional), hard disk failure early warning
	Diagnostic Functions	Hardware diagnosis: Monitoring of processor status, memory health, hard disk SMART information, fan speed, and power supply voltage; Bus diagnosis: VME bus communication status, interrupt response detection, bus conflict alarm; Environmental diagnosis: Real-time temperature monitoring (accuracy ±0.5℃), optional humidity monitoring; Fault alarm: LED indicator, interrupt signal, log recording (storing the latest 200 fault information entries)
	Environmental Adaptability	Operating temperature: -40℃~85℃ (military-grade); Storage temperature: -55℃~125℃; Relative humidity: 5%~95% (no condensation at 40℃); Altitude: ≤15000m; Air pressure: 6.9kPa~101.3kPa (corresponding to 0~15000m altitude)
	Anti-interference and Mechanical Performance	Electromagnetic compatibility: Complying with MIL-STD-461G (CE102, CS101, RE102, etc.); ESD protection: Contact discharge ±8kV, air discharge ±15kV; Vibration resistance: 10~2000Hz, 15g (tri-axial, MIL-STD-810H); Shock resistance: 75g, 1ms (half-sine wave, tri-axial, MIL-STD-810H); Mechanical dimensions: 160mm (length) × 100mm (width) × 25mm (height, 3U VME standard size); Weight: Approximately 350g
Software and Compatibility Parameters	Operating System Compatibility	Real-time operating systems: VxWorks 7, QNX 7.1, RTX 2022; Embedded operating systems: Linux (CentOS 7/8, Ubuntu 20.04 with real-time kernel patch); Virtualization support: KVM, Xen (optional); Boot methods: Boot from SSD, network PXE, VME bus
	Development and Tool Support	Development environment: Eclipse CDT, Wind River Workbench, QNX Momentics; Debugging tools: GDB, JTAG debugger, Abaco System Diagnostics Tool; Driver support: VME bus driver, standard I/O interface driver, coprocessor development kit (FPGA development tool: Vivado; GPU development tool: CUDA); API support: POSIX standard API, custom Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) API

III. Functional Features

1. Multi-core Heterogeneous Computing Architecture for Undertaking Complex Real-time Tasks

The VMIVME-7750-74000 adopts a heterogeneous computing architecture of "high-performance main processor + dedicated coprocessor", which is its core advantage in dealing with complex embedded scenarios. The main processor is selected from Intel Xeon D-2100 series or PowerPC e6500 series multi-core processors. The 8-core/12-core design supports multi-threaded parallel processing, with a maximum main frequency of up to 2.4GHz. The floating-point computing capacity of a single module exceeds 50GFLOPS, which can simultaneously schedule multiple types of tasks such as real-time control, data processing, and communication management, with a task scheduling delay as low as within 10μs. For example, in a fighter aircraft avionics system, the main processor can simultaneously run tasks such as flight attitude control algorithms, radar data reception and processing, and cockpit display control. Through the priority scheduling mechanism of the real-time operating system, the response time of critical control tasks is ensured to be ≤50μs.

The optional FPGA or GPU coprocessor unit further enhances the heterogeneous computing capability of the module: the FPGA (Xilinx Kintex UltraScale KU040) has 250K logic units and 16GB of dedicated memory, and can realize functions such as signal preprocessing, real-time filtering, and custom protocol parsing through hardware programming, freeing the main processor from repetitive underlying data processing. For example, in radar signal processing, the FPGA can complete operations such as signal denoising and FFT transformation in advance, improving data processing efficiency by more than 60%; the GPU (NVIDIA Jetson TX2) focuses on graphics rendering and parallel computing, and its single-precision floating-point computing capability of 1.3TFLOPS can meet the needs of scenarios such as avionics system cockpit display and target recognition. The main processor and coprocessor exchange data through a high-speed PCIe 3.0 x8 interface, with a data transmission rate of up to 64GB/s, ensuring the collaborative efficiency of heterogeneous computing.

2. In-depth Compatibility with VME64x Bus for Legacy System Upgrades

The module strictly complies with the VME64x bus standard and is backward compatible with traditional VME bus specifications such as VME320 and VMEbus Rev. C, making it an ideal choice for upgrading and transforming old VME systems. The VME64x bus supports 64-bit address and data buses, with the bus frequency increased to 80MHz and the transmission rate reaching 320MB/s, which is 8 times higher than that of the traditional 32-bit VME bus (transmission rate ≤40MB/s), greatly reducing the bus data interaction delay. In a shipborne radar control system, multiple VMIVME-7750-74000 modules form a distributed computing system through the VME bus. Radar signal data is transmitted between modules via the bus, and the transmission rate of 320MB/s ensures real-time sharing of massive data, avoiding signal processing delays caused by traditional bus bottlenecks.

The bus interface has a complete compatibility design: it supports automatic adaptation of 32-bit/64-bit address space and can coexist with traditional 32-bit VME modules in the same bus system; it provides a 7-level vector interrupt and shared interrupt mechanism, compatible with the interrupt request methods of VME modules from different manufacturers; it supports two bus arbitration modes, priority arbitration and fair arbitration, which can be configured according to system requirements to ensure the bus access priority of key modules. In addition, the module also provides a VME bus diagnostic tool, which can real-time monitor the bus communication status, interrupt response efficiency, and bus conflict situation, and generate a bus performance report, providing strong support for the stability verification of legacy systems after upgrading. In a military equipment upgrade project, after replacing the old VME processor module with the VMIVME-7750-74000, the bus data transmission efficiency increased by 7 times, the overall system response speed increased by 50%, and it is fully compatible with the original I/O modules and control modules on the VME bus.

3. Full-link Redundant Design for Ensuring Reliable Operation Under Extreme Working Conditions

In response to the "zero fault" requirement in critical fields, the VMIVME-7750-74000 has built a full-link redundant fault-tolerant system covering power supply, heat dissipation, memory, bus, and storage. In terms of power supply, it supports dual-channel VME standard power supply (+5V, +12V) input. The built-in power management unit can real-time monitor the voltage and current status of the two power supplies. When the main power supply has overvoltage, undervoltage, or power failure, it can automatically switch to the backup power supply within 100μs, with no data loss or task interruption during the switching process. In terms of heat dissipation, it adopts a dual-fan hot redundancy design. The fan speed can be intelligently adjusted according to the module temperature (2000rpm at 30℃, 4500rpm at 85℃). When a single fan fails, the backup fan automatically speeds up to full load operation to ensure that the module temperature does not exceed the threshold. The memory adopts DDR4 ECC SDRAM, which can automatically correct single-bit errors and detect double-bit errors, avoiding calculation abnormalities caused by memory data errors.

The redundant design at the bus and storage levels further improves system reliability: the VME bus supports the faulty node isolation function. When the module detects a fault in its own bus interface, it will automatically exit the bus arbitration to avoid affecting the communication of the entire bus system; in terms of storage, optional RAID 1/5 arrays are available. In RAID 1 mode, two SSDs perform real-time mirroring, and when a single hard disk fails, it can immediately switch to the backup hard disk, with a data recovery time ≤1s; in RAID 5 mode, multi-hard disk fault tolerance is supported, and when a single hard disk fails, data is reconstructed through parity check to ensure data integrity. In a missile guidance and control system, the full-link redundant design enables the module to operate continuously for 1000 hours without failure in an extreme environment of -40℃ low temperature and 15g vibration, with a system reliability of 99.999%, fully meeting the strict requirements of military equipment.

4. Wide-range Environmental Adaptability for Adapting to Harsh Working Conditions in Multiple Scenarios

Through structural optimization, material upgrading, and process improvement, the module has excellent wide-range environmental adaptability and can cope with harsh working conditions such as high temperature, low temperature, high vibration, high impact, and strong electromagnetic interference. In terms of temperature adaptation, it adopts industrial-grade components and wide-temperature packaging technology, with an operating temperature range covering -40℃~85℃. When starting at a low temperature of -40℃, the built-in preheating circuit can quickly raise the processor temperature to above 0℃, ensuring a 100% startup success rate; in a high-temperature environment of 85℃, through the optimized heat dissipation fins and intelligent fan speed control, the processor temperature can be controlled within 75℃, avoiding performance frequency reduction caused by high temperature.

In terms of mechanical environment adaptation, the module adopts a reinforced PCB design (board thickness 2.0mm) and a metal shielded housing. Its vibration resistance reaches 10~2000Hz, 15g (tri-axial), and shock resistance reaches 75g, 1ms (half-sine wave), which is much higher than the industrial-grade standards (vibration 5g, shock 20g); in a shipborne radar system, the module is installed near the radar antenna base, withstanding 10g vibration and frequent shocks for a long time while still operating stably. In terms of electromagnetic compatibility, it has passed the MIL-STD-461G military-grade test, including key items such as CE102 (conducted emission), CS101 (conducted susceptibility), and RE102 (radiated emission). In an environment with strong electromagnetic