Description
VMIC VMICPCI-7806
I. Basic Information
Model: VMICPCI-7806 (Alias: CPCI-7806)
Brand: GE Fanuc (VMIC, now Abaco Systems,)
Product Line: 6U CompactPCI industrial single board computer compliant with PICMG2.16 specification, adopting Intel Pentium M/Celeron M low-power processor. It serves as the master controller of cPCI industrial control chassis, matched with various cPCI I/O and PMC expansion cards, widely applied in power DCS, rail transit interlock, aerospace test and metallurgical safety control fields.
Product Positioning
VMICPCI-7806 is a general embedded main control board based on Intel 855GME chipset with passive heat dissipation design. Equipped with dual Gigabit Ethernet, multi-channel serial ports, USB, VGA, multi-mode local storage and dual PMC expansion slots, it supports IPMI chassis remote management and cPCI hot swap. Compatible with mainstream real-time operating systems, it completes massive field signal processing, millisecond SOE event analysis and redundant network data interaction, becoming the mainstream replacement hardware for legacy CompactPCI industrial control system renovation, adapting to unattended, wide-temperature and strong electromagnetic industrial environments.
Hardware Architecture
Standard 6U Eurocard flame-retardant PCB with three-proof coating, composed of six core functional units:
- Main Processing Unit: Intel Pentium M/Celeron M low-power mobile processor, 400MHz FSB, integrated graphics chipset, hardware watchdog and programmable timer to realize automatic fault reset.
- Memory & Storage Unit: Single DDR SODIMM slot (max 1GB), supports CompactFlash/SATA/IDE multi-boot modes, battery-backed RTC to retain offline key parameters.
- Front Peripheral Interface Unit: Dual Gigabit Ethernet, dual RS232 serial ports, 2×USB2.0, VGA display, status LED and reset button for local commissioning and remote data transmission.
- CompactPCI Bus Interface: 64-bit/66MHz cPCI bus compliant with PICMG2.16 hot swap standard, built-in IPMI chip for remote chassis monitoring, programmable interrupt and multi-master bus access.
- Dual PMC Expansion Unit: Two independent PMC slots (64-bit 66MHz 3.3V + 32-bit 33MHz 5V) for communication and high-speed acquisition function expansion.
- Power & Protection Unit: Powered by cPCI +5VDC backplane, equipped with EMI filter, ESD/EFT surge protection and metal shielding to resist industrial electromagnetic interference.
Mounting Specification
Vertical single-slot hot-swap installation on standard 19-inch 6U CompactPCI rack, compatible with all cPCI I/O daughter boards. It has passed IEC anti-vibration, humidity cycling and wide-temperature aging reliability tests, with standardized dimensions for direct spare replacement.Dimension (H×W×D): 233.35mm × 160mm × 40mm, net weight: 0.46kg.
Compatible Systems
- Hardware: 6U CompactPCI chassis, cPCI I/O boards, PMC expansion cards, industrial CF cards, shielded communication cables;
- Software: VxWorks, QNX, Linux, Windows embedded OS, cPCI driver, IPMI management tool, DCS/SCADA configuration software;
- Upper Equipment: Industrial touch screen, real-time database, power fault information station, remote dispatching system;
- Application Industries: Thermal/hydraulic/nuclear power control, substation automation, rail transit signal interlock, aerospace measurement, chemical ESD safety system.
Product Characteristics
- Fanless passive cooling low-power architecture realizes 7×24h unattended stable operation in sealed industrial control rooms;
- Dual physically isolated Gigabit Ethernet supports redundant control network deployment to improve industrial control network security;
- Multi-boot solid-state storage scheme features shock resistance and non-volatile program storage for convenient spare replacement and system backup;
- Dual-spec PMC expansion slots flexibly expand high-speed communication and high-density data acquisition functions for complex automation projects;
- Native IPMI remote management realizes remote power control, hardware monitoring and fault alarm to reduce on-site maintenance workload;
- Industrial wide-temperature three-proof design with CE & UL certification adapts to harsh dusty, humid and surge-prone industrial scenarios.
II. Technical Specifications
2.1 Electrical Parameters
- cPCI Backplane Power: +5VDC, typical power consumption 11.5W, max 14W
- Backup Battery: Rechargeable lithium battery for RTC offline data retention, service life ≥1 year
- Port Withstand Voltage: 500VAC/1min between all peripheral ports and ground, full-port ESD & EFT industrial surge protection
- Bus Feature: Supports cPCI hot swap, multi-master mode, electrical isolation between backplane and front peripherals.
2.2 Calculation & Storage Parameters
- Processor: Intel Pentium M (1.4/1.6/1.8GHz, 1MB L2 Cache) / Celeron M 1.3GHz (512KB L2 Cache), 400MHz FSB
- System RAM: Single DDR SODIMM slot, max expandable to 1GB
- Boot Storage: CompactFlash / SATA / IDE three optional boot modes
- Firmware: Rewritable Flash BIOS supporting remote online upgrade
- Timer Resource: Multi-channel programmable hardware timers for high-precision timing interrupt tasks.
2.3 Communication & Expansion Parameters
- Ethernet: 2×10/100/1000Mbps Gigabit RJ45, supports TCP/IP, Modbus TCP industrial protocols
- Serial Ports: 2×16550-compatible RS232, max baud rate 115200bps, jumper configurable to RS422/485
- Peripheral Interfaces: 2×USB2.0, standard VGA video output
- PMC Slots: Slot1: 3.3V 64bit/66MHz PCI-X; Slot2: 5V 32bit/33MHz PCI
- cPCI Bus: 64-bit 66MHz, PICMG2.16 hot swap, programmable IRQ1~IRQ7 vector interrupt.
2.4 Environmental Specifications
- Operating Temperature: 0℃ ~ +60℃ (standard); Rugged Version: -40℃ ~ +85℃
- Storage & Transport Temperature: -40℃ ~ +85℃
- Relative Humidity: 5%～95%RH, non-condensing, no corrosive gas or heavy dust
- Vibration Standard: IEC 60068-2-6, 0.7g continuous vibration horizontally & vertically
- EMC Compliance: IEC61000-6-2 industrial electromagnetic immunity standard
- Protection Class: Bare board IP20, IP30 when installed in sealed metal control cabinet.
2.5 Mechanical Parameters
- Form Factor: Standard 6U CompactPCI (233.35mm × 160mm × 40mm)
- Net Weight: 0.46kg
- Mounting: Vertical single-slot hot-swap installation on 19-inch cPCI rack with anti-loose front lock lever
- PCB: FR4 V0 flame-retardant material with full-area three-proof anti-corrosion and moisture-proof coating
- Interfaces: Front peripheral ports, rear gold-plated CompactPCI bus connector.
III. Key Features
3.1 Global Master Control Scheduling & Real-Time Computing for cPCI Systems
As the system master controller, it cyclically collects field process signals via high-speed backplane bus, executes closed-loop regulation, safety interlock logic and millisecond SOE fault sequence analysis, and uploads operating data and fault alarms to upper DCS/SCADA platforms for remote monitoring and parameter configuration.
3.2 Dual-Redundant Gigabit Ethernet & Multi-Protocol Data Interaction
Two physically independent Gigabit ports realize isolation between control network and monitoring network, automatic link switching upon single cable failure, compatible with mainstream industrial communication protocols to realize seamless interconnection with third-party automation equipment and remote dispatching systems.
3.3 Multi-Media Solid-State Storage & Power-Failure Data Security Protection
CF card serves as the main boot medium to avoid mechanical hard disk failures; SATA/IDE hard disk realizes mass historical data backup. Battery-backed RTC retains timestamped fault logs and process setpoints to ensure rapid system recovery after power restart.
3.4 Dual PMC Flexible Expansion & Multi-Processor Collaborative Operation
Dual PMC slots break onboard interface limitations for optical fiber communication, multi-channel serial and high-speed pulse acquisition expansion. Multi-master cPCI architecture supports task load balancing of multiple main control boards to improve computing throughput of large distributed process control systems.
3.5 IPMI Remote Intelligent Management & Full-Range Hardware Fault Self-Diagnosis
Automatic power-on self-test covers CPU, memory, storage, bus, network and backup battery. The built-in IPMI chip realizes remote chassis monitoring, power on/off and fault active reporting; the hardware watchdog automatically resets the system upon program runaway and latches fault data for accident tracing.
IV. Working Principle
VMICPCI-7806 completes industrial control, data acquisition and remote operation based on the core mechanism of low-power embedded real-time computing + CompactPCI high-speed bus scheduling + dual redundant network communication + IPMI remote management.After power-on, the board loads BIOS and embedded operating system from local storage, initializes all hardware peripherals and PMC expansion cards, then launches user control applications. As the cPCI master station, it cyclically acquires field signals from I/O daughter boards, executes control algorithms and outputs actuation instructions, uploading real-time data via dual Gigabit Ethernet. Under multi-master architecture, multiple main controllers share data and divide tasks through the backplane bus, with PMC cards expanding system functions. The backup battery protects key offline data, and the hardware watchdog ensures automatic fault recovery to realize long-term stable unattended industrial operation.
V. Application Scenarios
- Thermal/hydraulic/nuclear power plant DCS: Main control of boiler and turbine auxiliary equipment, high-voltage switchgear SOE fault sequence recording and safety interlock operation;
- Substation automation: Relay protection fault information station master control, primary equipment condition monitoring and provincial dispatching remote data interaction;
- Rail transit signal interlock: Switch and signal equipment status acquisition, interlock logic calculation and train fault event recording;
- Aerospace and military vehicle-borne measurement and control: Multi-sensor synchronous data acquisition, motion closed-loop control and equipment reliability test;
- Chemical and metallurgical ESD emergency shutdown system: Over-limit safety interlock control of reaction devices and leakage fault protection calculation;
- Legacy CompactPCI industrial control renovation: Direct replacement of old cPCI main control boards, fully compatible with original chassis, I/O cards and driver programs to reduce renovation costs.
