FREMONT, Calif. – Dawn VME Products, a leading designer and manufacturer of high performance and reliable embedded packaging technology products based on the VITA and PICMG® architectures, announces its newly patented Fabric Mapping Modules connector-less backplane micro-overlays to simplify and automate the optimization of backplane topologies in compliance with OpenVPX profiles.
Dawn’s patent for “Backplane Slot Interconnection, Method and Apparatus” was issued on September 23, 2014 as U.S. Patent No. 8,841,560. Inventor is Dawn Senior Designer Brian Roberts.
Dawn’s Fabric Mapping Modules use BGA (Ball Grid Array) substrate technology as a micro-overlay, similar in function to VME backplane overlays except FMMs can be used on VPX backplanes and are tuned for high-speed signal transmission. Fabric Mapping Modules interface a PCB based differential pair matrix with compatible Dawn backplanes, so inter-slot communications can be customized to meet unique system requirements.
Fabric Mapping Modules reduces the transmission line impedance variations and “stubs” associated with connector-based interfaces by connecting directly to the main backplane via a solder interface. This advanced technique improves the signal integrity between system cards beyond the requirements of the PCI Express Gen 3, Serial Rapid I/O, and 10Gbit (XAUI) Ethernet standards.
The flexibility offered by the wide range of OpenVPX profiles allows designers to optimize the communication topology between slots within a system’s backplane, delivering tremendous improvements in the performance of real-time applications. Slots can be designed to accept the best I/O modules for a specific application and the number of those slots also matched to application needs.
Similarly, the number of processing modules is set to meet the performance requirements, and then the connections between all these modules are designed to match the applications processing style and deliver maximum sensor processing throughput. However, implementing this level of optimized topology can be a complex and time-consuming task, constrained by a number of factors.
Fabric Mapping Modules allow designers to work with flexible configurations of high speed links. Off-the-shelf backplanes can be quickly customized to mission requirements without the time and expense required for new backplane designs, a critical advantage when schedules are compressed by late system changes.
Fabric Mapping Modules can also facilitate rear backplane I/O connections and low profile connector interface systems when normal transition modules do not fit the system application envelope. Fabric Mapping Modules also provide a natural migratory development environment for moving from the lab to the field with high speed OpenVPX backplanes.
Dawn engineers have successfully used Fabric Mapping Modules to solve many OpenVPX application problems in the design phase.
Dawn Fabric Mapping Modules Summary of Features:
• Off-the-shelf backplanes can be quickly customized to mission requirements.
• Optimize the communication topology between slots within a system’s backplane.
• Customize inter-slot communications to meet unique system requirements.
• Improve signal integrity between system cards beyond requirements of PCI Express, Serial Rapid I/O and 10Gbit (XAUI) Ethernet standards.
• Directly connect PCI Express or SerialRapid I/O to multiple cards or cards and switches.
• Link SATA from a CPU card to a Solid State Drive (SSD) carrier.
• Enable XMC cards to talk to other XMC cards or other I/O like PCI Express links.
• Facilitate rear backplane I/O connections and low profile connector interface systems when normal transition modules do not fit the system application envelope.
• Fabric Mapping Modules provide a natural migratory development environment for moving from the lab to the field with high speed OpenVPX backplanes.
Applications
Dawn Fabric Mapping Module backplane micro-overlays offer a cost-effective and time-efficient method for customizing an OpenVPX backplane. They support the interoperability of OpenVPX, while providing the flexibility to quickly create designs based on off-the-shelf backplanes.
Fabric Mapping Modules connect to the backplane and modify its topology, making it more flexible. They provides quick-turn backplane customization, thus eliminating interconnect conflicts.
Pricing and Availability
Pricing to implement a standard FMM solution using in-stock FMMs is $800.00 to $1,000.00 per backplane. Please contact the factory for custom FMM implementations. Dawn VME Products Fabric Mapping Modules are available now.
About Dawn VME Products
Since 1985, Dawn VME Products has been designing and manufacturing high performance and reliable embedded packaging technology products for mission critical development and deployment. A founding member of VITATM, Dawn VME Products is dedicated to maximizing customer satisfaction through on-time delivery of zero-defect products.
Dawn’s VPX product line features VPX development systems, VPX, VPX-REDI and OpenVPX compliant backplanes, VPX extender boards, VPX power supplies, conduction cooled enclosures, accessories and customized solutions. Dawn engineering supports a wide range of custom requirements, and modifies its products to meet specific military/aerospace, telecommunication, medical, industrial and commercial applications.