CompactPCI CPU aims for mission-critical control

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Jan 8, 2004

The Adlink cPCI-3700A is a Pentium III-based host CPU module in a 3U form factor that provides a high performance computer platform or embedded controller.

The Adlink cPCI-3700A is a Pentium III-based host CPU module in a 3U form-factor that provides a high performance computer platform or embedded controller for military, HMI, traffic control and mission critical industrial automation applications.

The module accepts Socket-370 FC-PGA processors including Pentium III CPUs with 256Kbyte on-die L2 cache at full-core speed and 100MHz front side bus, and Celeron CPUs with 128Kbyte cache and 66MHz FSB.

Compliant with the PICMG 2.0 CompactPCI R2.1 and PICMG 2.1 hot swap R2.0 specifications, the cPCI-3700A also adopts the market-proven Intel BX chipset, which is not only reliable, but also ensures extended product availability in accordance with Intel's own roadmaps.

Front panel LEDs are provided, including power status, IDE activity, Ethernet port 10/100Mbit/s selection and link activity.

A flush tactile switch is also provided for system reset.

Several cPCI-3700A variants are available, offering processor speeds from 600 to 850MHz, RAM from 64 to 256Mbyte, 20 or 30Gbyte 2.5in hard disk drive, and with or without floppy disk drive (FDD).

Without the FDD, the cPCI3700A takes up only two slots.

Further onboard features include the SMI 721 VGA/LCD controller, enabling up to 1024 x 768 display resolution in 24bit RGB-TFT LCD or up to 1280 x 1024 display resolution in 24bit true colour.

It also supports dual display and simultaneous display for both VGA and LCD.

In addition, with AGP 2x the cPCI-3700A delivers superb 2D/3D graphics performance.

Interfaces include onboard Intel 82559 10/100Base-TX Ethernet controller, two USB ports, two serial ports and one parallel port with ESD protection, a Disk On Chip (DOC) port supporting up to 144Mbyte DOC, and two onboard EIDE 44-pin connectors also capable of supporting up to 1Gbyte Flash 2000 Flash disk.

There is also onboard hardware monitoring and a watchdog timer.

The module's desktop management interface (DMI) allows users to download system hardware-level information such as CPU type, CPU speed, internal and external frequencies and memory size.

There is also support for the Intel Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) and customised power-on screen.