January 2005 – Raleigh, NC and Toulon, France – Thales’ computers activities, a global leader in providing integrated PowerPC and Pentium-based VME COTS computing systems and solutions to OEMs and system integrators, has unveiled its fully ruggedized, conduction-cooled version of the PowerNode3, a single/dual 1 GHz PowerPC G4 high-end computing node featuring enhanced connectivity and reduced power consumption. The ruggedized PowerNode3 RC version is designed for mission-critical COTS applications requiring exceptional real-time data and signal processing. This SBC is ideally suited for demanding applications such as radar, sonar, medical imaging and machine vision systems.
The new PowerNode3 RC offers COTS system integrators a unique combination of low power (30W for dual CPU configuration versus 60W for competitive boards) thanks to the improved G4/7457 performance-to-power ratio, high Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) from the board’s shared memory architecture requiring less components with a single memory host bridge, and available VME 2eSST functionality. Also, because the RC version is functionally equivalent to its air-cooled counterpart, development work can begin on a lower cost board.
The new PowerNode3 RC features dual or single Motorola PowerPC G4 7457 processors running at 1 GHz, each equipped with a 2 MB L3 cache and 2 MB private SRAM, linked via a 133 MHz Avignon host bridge. Up to 1 GB onboard SDRAM is accessible at the local bus speed of 133 MHz. The board provides two PCI Mezzanine Card (PMC) slots (one
64-bit 66 MHz and one 32-bit 33/43 MHz).
The PowerNode3 RC is designed for enhanced connectivity, with an ALMA2e VME-PCI bridge that enables 2eSST data transfers at up to 180 MB/s for VME board interconnection. Dual Gigabit Ethernet interfaces and 4 asynchronous EIA-232/422/485 lines provide a range of high-speed networking and connection options. In addition, three differential 4x high-speed links are routed to the P0 backplane (as per PICMG 2.17), enabling the PowerNode3 CPU board to be interconnected to fabric technologies based on the LVDS standard.
Thales also announces support for Linux with Symmetric Multiprocessing (SMP) on all PowerNode3 products. The release also supports the VSIPL Scientific Subroutine Library for DSP and array processing, with AltiVec support.
Said Alain Albarello, General Manager of Thales’ computers activities “We are very proud to be able to offer this functionality to application developers. Our End-Users can now get the full benefit of parallel processing under the Linux operating system, along with the DSP capabilities of the G4 processor with AltiVec. With the MPI VSIPL Scientific Subroutine Library, users can now build a very powerful, multiprocessing signal processing system, at a reasonable cost.”
By using a single copy of the operating system, shared memory and shared I/O resources, Linux SMP lets multiple processors work in parallel. The operating system dynamically balances the system processing load among all the processors on the SBC.
The PowerNode3 is now available in all versions and temperature ranges. Pricing for the new ruggedized PowerNode3 RC starts at $11,490.
Thales also offers COTS hardware and software as well as dedicated integration services through a wide range of value-added programs, including high-performance communication layers, machine development and supervision software, built-in test, machine integration, acceptance tests, and configuration and life-cycle management.
For more information about the PowerNode3 and the entire Thales’ line of high-end computing nodes, visit Thales ’computers activities web site at www.thalescomputers.com,
or contact Thales at 1-800-848-2330, fax 919-231-8001.
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About Thales: Thales is an international electronics and systems group serving the
defense, aerospace, services and security markets. The group employs 61,500 people worldwide and generated revenues of €10.6 billion in 2003.
Thales’ computers activities include development of commercial and ruggedized VMEbus systems solutions based on PowerPC and Pentium microprocessors. Thales’ products are optimized for a wide variety of applications in the military, aerospace, transportation, communications, and industrial markets and are used by customers worldwide, including Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Boeing, Bombardier, Toshiba, BAE, British Aerospace, Ericsson, Alcatel, Thales Group and others.