Product category:
Boards and Backplanes
News Release from: Schroff UK | Subject: CompactPCI Express backplanes
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 06 March 2006
CompactPCI Express backplane aids
transition
A 3U-high eight-slot CompactPCI Express backplane also supports legacy CompactPCI boards with no additional bridge components.
The CompactPCI standard was activated by PICMG in December 1999, and has now been replaced by its successor CompactPCI Express The new standard responds to developments in the PC world, where the PCIbus has been supplanted by PCI Express
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 3 Feb 2000 at 8.00am (UK)
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CompactPCI Express leverages advantages relating to technology, availability and costs from the PC world to makes higher datarates possible.
CompactPCI Express is an entirely new bus system which does no longer transfer the data in parallel but in serial.
Existing application software however is not affected by the migration to CompactPCI Express, and its use can be continued.
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Data transfers are carried out by point-to-point connections and in so-called "lanes".
CompactPCI Express supports structures with four to 16 lanes and makes possible transfer rates up to 4Gbyte/s.
Schroff, in conjunction with its partner MEN, has now developed a corresponding backplane.
MEN offers a single board computer, based on the Intel Core Duo processor and the Mobile Intel 945GM Express chipset for the CompactPCI bus.
With a specially developed side board, which can handle PCI Express, the board also becomes a system slot board in a CompactPCI Express system and so enables fast serial data transmission with PCI Express even in rough industrial environments.
The backplane development exceeds the demands of the CompactPCI Express standard in so far as it can be used as hydrid backplane for CompactPCI as well as for CompactPCI Express with no additional bridge components.
As most applications are still based on CompactPCI, but new developments will use CompactPCI Express, the ability to create a mixed assembly on a backplane will be a major advantage.
In this way, MEN and Schroff have jointly developed an uncomplicated and cost effective migration from CompactPCI to CompactPCI Express.
The new eight-slot CompactPCI Express backplane is 3U high.
The four slots on the left side with the systems slot on the right are arranged with 32bit CompactPCI bus and rear I/O on P2.
The four slots on the right, with the systems slot on the left, are reserved for CompactPCI Express.
The CompactPCI Express system slot as standard is arranged as a four-lane configuration.
Three periphery slots, type 2, with 1x4 lanes are connected.
The remaining link is directed to the slot, which is located at the furthest left position.
With this the 1x8 lane connection of a two-link configuration is possible.
Schroff has also used a proven modular power supply via power bugs and additional P47 power backplane with the CompactPCI Express backplane.
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