Note: Since March, the VITA standards meetings have all been virtual-only via WebEx. This update is based on the results of the September meeting. Contact VITA if you are interested in participating in any of these working groups. Visit the VITA website (http://www.vita.com) for details on upcoming VITA meetings.
ANSI accreditation
Accredited as an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) developer, VITA provides its members with the ability to develop and promote open technology standards.
The following standards has recently been ANSI and VITA ratified via public ballot:
- ANSI/VITA 46.30-2020: VPX Higher Data Rate Standard
- ANSI/VITA 67.2-2020: VPX Coaxial Interconnect, 8-Position SMPM Configuration
The following standard has recently been VITA-ratified as a VITA Draft Standard for Trial Use:
- VITA 46.31 VPX: Higher Data Rate, Solder Tail
These standards are available for download by VITA members and is posted at the VITA Store for purchase by nonmembers.
VSO study and working group activities
Standards within VITA may be initiated through the formation of a study group and developed by a working group. A study group requires the sponsorship of one VITA member, while a working group requires sponsorship of at least three VITA members.
Several working groups have current projects underway. Here’s a roundup of these projects:
ANSI/VITA 42.0: XMC: Switched Mezzanine Card
Objective: The VITA 42.0 XMC standard defines a popular mezzanine-card architecture using a PCIe interconnect to host carrier modules.
Status: The standard is due for its five-year review. The working group is reviewing revisions to bring the standard in line with current practice in related standards.
ANSI/VITA 46: VPX Baseline
Objective: The VITA 46.0 base standard defines physical features that enable high-speed communication in a compliant system.
Status: The standard is open for revisions. The working group is reviewing updates for compliance requirements and requirements for 12 V power.
ANSI/VITA 46.11: VPX System Management
Objective: The VITA 46.11 standard defines a system-management architecture for VPX systems.
Status: The standard is due for its five-year review. Improvements based on feedback from the community are under consideration.
VITA 51.4: Reliability Component Derating
Objective: The goal of this working group is to develop a new component-derating standard.
Status: This working group has joined forces with the IEEE to jointly develop this standard under IEEE-2818. A draft document has been developed.
ANSI/VITA 61: XMC 2.0
Objective: The VITA 61 XMC 2.0 standard, based upon VITA 42.0 XMC, defines an open standard for supporting high-speed, switched-interconnect protocols on an existing, widely deployed form factor, but utilizing an alternate, ruggedized, high-speed mezzanine interconnector.
Status: The standard is due for its five-year review. Revisions to match VITA 42 changes are in review.
ANSI/VITA 65: OpenVPX Architectural Framework for VPX
Objective: The OpenVPX architectural framework standard is a living document that is regularly updated with new profile information and corrections.
Status: New profiles based on work with the Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA) are being developed.
VITA 66.5: Optical Interconnect on VPX – Hybrid Variant
Objective: This document describes an open standard for configuration and interconnect within the structure of VITA 66.0 enabling an interface compatible with VITA 46 containing blind-mate optical connectors with fixed contacts on the plug-in module and floating displacement on the backplane.
Status: The working group is developing the draft document.
ANSI/VITA 67.3: VPX: Coaxial Interconnect on VPX, Spring-Loaded Contact on Backplane
Objective: The VITA 67.3 standard defines an open standard for configuration and interconnect within the structure of VITA 67.0, enabling an interface compatible with VITA 46 containing multiposition blind-mate analog connectors with SMPM-style contacts having fixed contacts on the plug-in module and spring action on the backplane.
Status: The standard is open for revision. The document has completed public ANSI/VITA review and is in the comment-resolution phase.
VITA 68.2: VPX: Compliance Channel
Objective: This standard defines a VPX compliance channel, including common backplane performance criteria required to support multiple fabric types across a range of defined baud rates. This standard allows backplane developers to design a backplane that supports required bit-error rates (BER) for multiple fabric types. This also allows module developers to design plug-in modules that are interoperable with other modules when used with a compliant backplane.
Status: The document is in public ANSI/VITA review and ballot.
VITA 74.4: SpaceVNX
Objective: The VITA 74.4 standard defines a mechanical format for standardization of switched serial interconnects for small-form-factor applications.
Status: The study group is gathering inputs for development of a potential standard for space platforms.
ANSI/VITA 78: SpaceVPX Systems
Objective: VITA 78 is an open standard for creating high-performance, fault-tolerant interoperable backplanes and modules to assemble electronic systems for spacecraft and other high-reliability (availability) applications. Such systems will support a wide variety of use cases across the aerospace community, including some non-spacecraft systems. This standard leverages the VPX standards family and the commercial infrastructure that supports these standards in non-space applications.
Status: The standards are open for revisions. The documents have completed public ANSI/VITA review and are in the comment-resolution phase.
VITA 78.1: SpaceVPX Lite Systems
Objective: This standard leverages the work done on ANSI/VITA 78 to create a standard with an emphasis on 3U module implementations. The most significant change from SpaceVPX is to shift the distribution of utility signals from the utility-management module to the system-controller module to allow a radial distribution of supply power to up to eight payload modules.
Status: The working group has developed a draft document of the standard that is currently in working-group ballot.
VITA 87: MT Circular Connectors
Objective: The VITA 87 MT circular-connector standard defines a standard for circular connectors with optical MT. Circular-connector shells are compliant to MIL-STD-38999. MT offer options for 12 or 24 fibers per MT and for physical contact or lensed MT.
Status: The working group is developing a draft document.
VITA 88: XMC+
Objective: The VITA 88 XMC+ standard defines an improved electrical/mechanical mezzanine connector for XMC applications. Mechanically, the proposed connector is compatible with VITA 42/61 footprints, achieving backward compatibility while offering improved mating/unmating forces. Electrically, speeds up to PCIe Gen 5 (32 Gbps) and maximum SI performance are supported.
Status: The working group is developing a draft document.
Copies of all standards reaching ANSI recognition are available from the VITA online store (www.vita.com/Purchase). For a more complete list of VITA standards and their status, go to www.vita.com/Standards.