Category: Industry Trends

Intel® Pentium® III PGA370 socket-based Single Board Computers (SBCs) supporting Windows® 98 Second Edition,

Windows NT®/Windows® 2000. Windows CE, Linux, VxWorks, QNX, Solaris and LynxOS operating systems.

-Special features for embedded applications

-Up to 192 Mbyte IDE CompactFlash (optional)

Three programmable 16-bit timers

32 Kbyte non-volatile SRAM

-Supports remote Ethernet boot

-Software selectable watchdog timer with reset.

-Supports VMEbus P2 connection to hard disk/floppy drive.

-PMC Expansion Site with VMEbus P2 Inputs/Outputs

-VME64 mode support: A32/A24/D32/D16/D08(EO)/MBLT64/BLT32

-VMEbus interrupt handlers, interrupters, and system controllers

Includes byte-swapping hardware for little-end and big-end data.

-Enhanced bus error handling

-Passive heat sink design (no moving parts)

-Standard features include

-PGA370 socket processor

Up to 512 Mbyte SDRAM using a 144-pin SODIMM

-AGP SVGA controller with 4 Mbyte SDRAM

Two on-board Fast Ethernet controllers supporting 10BaseT and 100BaseTX interfaces

-Front panel Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection

-Onboard Ultra-DMA-33 hard disk drive and floppy drive controller with VMEbus P2 input/output

Two high-performance 16550-compatible serial ports

PS/2-style keyboard and mouse ports on front panel

Built-in real-time clock and micro-speaker

Functions

– 64-bit differential or high voltage digital inputs

– Each group of 32 inputs can be monitored by jumper selection:

Contact closure, voltage source, current sink, or differential signal.

– Open provides logic zero or (jumper selectable) logic one.

– Input filter options

– On-board built-in test logic

– Front panel with fault LEDs

– Front panel with fault LEDs for fault detection and isolation

– User selectable input voltage thresholds (1.25 to 66V)

RS422/RS485-compatible differential line receiver provides ± 7V noise immunity

– 8-, 16-, or 32-bit data transmission

– Dual Eurocard form factor

– High-reliability DIN-type I/O connectors

– Compatible with GE Fanuc Embedded Systems’ family of intelligent I/O controllers (901x and 906x series)

– Boot Replacement Option

– Software compatible with VMIVME-1110

Functional Features

Compatibility: Compatible with VMEbus specification. Double height form factor.

Input Connector Type: Dual 64-pin connector – DIN 41612

Input/Output Organization Eight input ports; eight bits wide. Addressable to any address within the short-circuit monitor and/or short-circuit unprivileged I/O map. Control and Status Register (CSR) addresses are independently selectable.

Addressing Scheme: Each of the eight ports can be addressed on 8-, 16-, or 32-bit boundaries. One CSR can be addressed on 8-bit boundaries. 13 jumpers provide unlimited short data I/O address mapping options.

Differential Signal Input Characteristics: Common Mode Input Voltage Range: -30 to +66 V. Common Mode Input Voltage Range: -7 to +12 V. Input Sensitivity ± 100 mV. High Input Impedance (33 kΩ).

Single-Ended Signal Input Characteristics: High input impedance (33kΩ). Threshold accuracy of 1% (typical) over the entire 66V range.

Signal Conditioning Input Filter Terminator Option: The board can be ordered with an input signal filter circuit.

For differential inputs, the circuit consists of a series resistor and capacitor connected across the signal input. For single-ended inputs, the circuit provides an input dither filter with a user-selectable time constant.

-64 optically coupled digital inputs

-5 V to 48 VDC input range

-High isolation, 1.000 V continuous, 7.500 V pulse voltage

-Filter input options

-Dual I/O connectors

-Contact closure sensing

-Voltage or current source input options

-Positive or negative true input options

-Dual Eurocard form factor with front panel

8-bit or 16-bit data transfer

-Unprivileged or supervisory I/O access

-Highly reliable DIN-compatible input connectors

Functional Features

Board Features:

This 64-bit optically coupled digital input board is designed and optimized for the VME bus.

The VMIVME-1150 is highly isolated and provides a flexible, low cost, high noise immunity 8-byte digital input port. The functional block diagram is shown below.

Compatibility:

The VMIVME-1150 is a standard double height printed circuit board that is electrically and mechanically compatible with the VME bus.

Input Organization:

Eight input ports, each eight bits wide. The ports are organized as eight consecutive 8-bit read-only registers.

Addressing Scheme:

Each 8-bit port is individually addressable anywhere within an 8-bit or 16-bit boundary.

Short-circuit monitoring or short-circuiting anywhere within unprivileged I/O space.

Board Address:

The board address is selected by the on-board DIP switches. Runs in any available slot on the VMEbus backplane except slot 1.

VMEbus Access:

The address modifier bits are decoded to support short supervised or unprivileged short I/O access. A jumper is provided to support this option. The board is factory configured for short supervised I/O access.

VME Bus Reply:

The DTACK reply is a response to a data select (DS0 or DS1) and the decoded board address.

Hardware Tips and Specifications

This IS215AEPAH1A Alternative Energy Power Assembly may be best understood when its hardware elements are contextualized according to the intended function of this printed circuit board.

The first descriptor for the function of this AEPA-abbreviated product is present in its functional description as an alternative energy power supply assembly.

This functional description happens to be an exact match to the AEPA functional acronym for this product, a rare blessing for a specialized Mark VIe series product.

The series to which this IS215AEPAH1A board belongs actually provides additional insight into the functionality of this product.

Considering the place of the IS215AEPAH1A PCB in the Mark VIe family of wind turbine control systems, it is not surprising that this GE Energy board is dedicated to wind turbine applications.

Now that the functional status of this IS215AEPAH1A PCB as an alternative energy power supply assembly has been described.

Then it is possible to highlight some of the hardware specifications available for this Mark VIe wind turbine series product.

Considering this product’s place in the specialized and recently developed Mark VIe wind turbine family, little original product-specific instruction manual material detailing the hardware of this IS215AEPAH1A PCB exists online.

That said, this initial Mark VIe series label identifies the board as an alternative energy power supply assembly with special component versions.

This IS215 series label has dual naming capabilities for this IS215AEPAH1A product; it also outlines its status as a domestic GE printed circuit board.

The original manufacturing location of this PCB can be traced more specifically to GE’s plant location in Salem, Virginia.

In this IS215AEPAH1A part number, the IS215 series label is followed by an example of the AEPA functional acronym.

It is itself followed by the H1 series grouping label, which, like the IS215 series label mentioned earlier, provides a dual naming convention for this product.

This H1 grouping label indicates that the product is a conformal coated printed circuit board with Mark VIe series grouping.

While the conformal style of PCB coating specific to this power supply assembly is well documented, given its widespread use on General Electric circuit boards, the first Mark VIe grouping of this part is the Mark VIe grouping.

Features

A distinctive feature of the VCMI is that it acts exclusively as a VMEbus master within the control and input/output racks.

The VCMI is responsible for the VMEbus, a standardized computer bus structure, and oversees the coordination of data transfer and control signals within these racks.

The VCMI manages the assignment of unique identification (ID) to all boards in the rack and their associated terminal boards.

This ID management function ensures that the various components within the rack are identified and interacted with in a systematic and organized manner, thereby increasing the overall efficiency and reliability of the system.

The VCMI Bus Master Controller is a multifaceted communications hub that seamlessly connects controllers, I/O boards and the broader system control network.

As a VME Bus Master Controller in a given rack, it enhances its ability to manage and optimize the flow of information, ultimately improving the performance and cohesiveness of the integrated system.

Board Type: 6U High VME Boards

The boards specified are classified as 6U High VME boards and are dimensioned to meet the widely adopted VME standard. At 6U high, the boards conform to a standard form factor and are compatible with a range of systems and platforms that meet the same specifications.

At 0.787 inches wide, this VME board integrates seamlessly into the VME chassis, contributing to the modularity and scalability of the overall system.

Processors

Texas Instruments TMS320C32 32-bit Digital Signal Processor: At the heart of this VME board is the highly capable Texas Instruments TMS320C32.

This processor is a 32-bit digital signal processor (DSP) known for its ability to handle complex mathematical calculations and signal processing tasks.

The TMS320C32 is a rugged, purpose-built processor ideally suited for applications requiring high-speed, efficient digital signal processing, and is therefore well suited to the intended function of this board.