Help with VME, VPX, and VXI Controllers and Processors specifications:
Controller Type
Controllers are special computers that are used to control the VME / VXI network. They are used to control the data transfer between devices in the network, the status of interrupts, IRQs, registers, triggers, etc. Also they are used to control instruments in the network for testing and analysis. Controllers are the most important single element in a VME / VXI system.
Back to Top
![]() |
![]() | ||
Controller Type: |
The most important type of controllers are:
| ||
Your choices are... | |||
PC Controller (Remote) | PC Controllers (or Remote Controllers) make use of a personal computer connected through a link to control, and manage the system. | ||
Embedded Controller | Embedded controllers are computer boards integrated with the VME / VXI system. The controller is packaged to fit in a VME / VXI chassis. Embedding the controller in the VME / VXI chassis allows the controller easy access to system devices and resources (memory, triggers, DMAs, IRQs, etc.) without the need of an external command module. | ||
Real-time Controller (Embedded) | These controllers are embedded controllers using a preinstalled real-time operating system, rather than general-purpose, not real-time operating systems like DOS or Windows®. | ||
Other | Other, not listed, controller types. | ||
Search Logic: | All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches. | ||
![]() |
System / Form Factor
Back to Top
![]() |
![]() | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Technology: | (Please, see table at the end of this help module.) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Your choices are... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
VMEbus |
The original VMEbus specification (IEEE-1014-1987). Some features:
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
VME64 |
VME64 is a mechanical and electrical superset of the original VMEbus specification (IEEE-1014-1987). Some new features:
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
VME64x |
The VME64 Extensions (VME64x) specifications were adopted in 1997 by the VITA (VMEbus International Trade Association) Standards Organization (VSO). This new standard adds new capabilities to the VME64 bus:
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
VME160 | VME160 is a version of the VME320 standard. The VME320 can transfer data from 320 MBps to over 500 MBps. The VME160 is the 160 MBps version. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
VME320 |
VME320, a new modified VMEbus architecture, was developed in 1997 by Arizona Digital, Inc. Some features:
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
VPX | VPX (aka VITA 46) is an ANSI standard based on the VME bus with support for switched fabric using a high speed connector. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
VXITM Compliant | VXITM (VMEbus eXtensions for Instrumentation) is a platform trademarked by National Instruments and a Consortium of other companies in order to define a multivendor instrument-on-a-card standard for industrial applications. The VXIbus specifications combine the VMEbus with the popular GPIB to create a modular instrumentation platform to meet the needs of instrumentation applications. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other | Other unlisted technology types. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Search Logic: | All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Form Factor: |
Card format is given in terms of (height x length). The height is expressed in units of 'U', and the length in mm (millimeters). The most popular heights are:
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Your choices are... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3U x 160 mm (Size A) | Size A cards have a height of 100 mm (3U) and a length of 160 mm. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6U x 160 mm (Size B) | Size B cards have a height of 233 mm (6U) and a length of 160 mm. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6U x 340 mm (Size C) | Size C cards have a height of 233 mm (6U) and a length of 340 mm. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9U x 340 mm (Size D) | Size D cards have a height of 360 mm (9U) and a length of 340 mm. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9U x 400 mm | Cards have a height of 360 mm and a length of 400 mm. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other | Other unlisted form factor. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Search Logic: | All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tables: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
VMEbus Data transfer Speeds |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Card Form Factors (Sizes): |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() |
Processor
Back to Top
![]() |
![]() | ||
Processor Type (CPU): | |||
Your choices are... | |||
Intel386TM Family |
General Specs of the Intel386TM family:
| ||
Intel486TM Family |
General Specs of the Intel486TM family:
| ||
Intel® Pentium® |
General Specs of the Intel® Pentium® family:
| ||
Intel® Pentium® II |
General Specs of the Intel® Pentium® II family:
| ||
Intel® Pentium® III |
General Specs of the Intel® Pentium® III family:
| ||
Intel® Pentium® 4 |
The Intel® Pentium® 4 processor is based on the Intel NetBurst![]() | ||
Intel® Celeron® |
General Specs of the Intel® Celeron® family:
| ||
DSP | Digital signal processor (DSP). | ||
Other | Other unlisted processor type. | ||
Search Logic: | All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches. | ||
![]() | |||
Clock Speed: | Clock speed or clock rate is the speed at which the microprocessor executes instructions. | ||
Search Logic: | All matching products will have a value greater than or equal to the specified value. | ||
![]() |
Operating System Support
Back to Top
![]() |
![]() | ||
Operating System Support: | |||
Your choices are... | |||
DOS | Disk operating system (DOS®) is a command-line operating system developed by Microsoft Corporation. | ||
Windows® 95/98 | Operating system developed by Microsoft Corporation. | ||
Windows® NT | Operating system developed by Microsoft Corporation. | ||
Windows® 2000 | Operating system developed by Microsoft Corporation. | ||
Windows® XP | Operating system developed by Microsoft Corporation. | ||
Linux® | An open-source implementation of UNIX used on many platforms, including Intel-based PCs, Macintosh, SPARCTM workstations, etc. Linux® is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. | ||
SolarisTM | SolarisTM is a Unix-based operating environment that includes the SunOSTM operating system. Solaris and SunOS are trademarks of Sun Microsystems. | ||
QNX® | QNX® is a microcomputer operating system which is especially useful for controlling real-time operations. This includes things like assembly lines, position monitors, chemical plants, and industrial robots. | ||
VxWorks® | A real time operating system (RTOS) from Wind River Systems. | ||
LynxOS® | LynxOS® is a real-time operating system (RTOS) based on the open source Linux OS. Developed by LynuxWorks, it is used extensively in embedded systems. | ||
None | The device comes without any operating system support. | ||
Other | Other unlisted operating system such as MAC OS, RTX, Embedded NT, Embedded Linux, pSOS+, etc. | ||
Search Logic: | All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches. | ||
![]() |
Ports and Interfaces
Back to Top
![]() |
![]() | ||
Ports and Interfaces | Ports and interfaces are used to link to devices within the system, to other systems, or to PCs that are used to control the system or instruments. | ||
Your choices are... | |||
Serial Interface (RS232, RS422, RS485) | Serial interfaces transmit data one bit at a time. Common standards include RS232, RS422, and RS485. The RS232 standard is approved by the Electronic Industries Association (EIA) for connecting serial devices. The device that connects to the interface is called data communication equipment (DCE). The device to which the interface is connected (the computer) is called data terminal equipment (DTE). The RS422 standard is a balanced serial interface for the transmission of digital data that is designed to replace the older RS232 standard. RS422 supports greater distances, higher baud rates, and greater immunity to electrical interference than RS232. Like RS232, however, RS422 is intended for point-to-point communications. The RS485 standard is similar to RS422, but used for multipoint communications. | ||
Parallel Port | A channel capable of transferring more than one bit simultaneously. | ||
SCSI | Small computer systems interface (SCSI) is an intelligent I/O parallel peripheral bus with a standard, device-independent protocol that allows many peripheral devices to be connected to the SCSI port. A single SCSI bus can drive up to eight devices or units: the host adapter or controller, and seven other devices. Each device is assigned a different SCSI ID, ranging from 0 to 7. SCSI formats include SCSI-1, SCSI-2, SCSI-3, Wide SCSI, Fast SCSI, Wide Fast SCSI, Ultra SCSI, Ultra2 SCSI, Ultra3 SCI (Ultra160), Ultra 320 SCSI, and Ultra640 SCSI. | ||
PCMCIA | PCMCIA devices or PC cards are credit card-sized peripherals used mainly in laptop and notebook computers. They plug into a 68-pin host socket that is connected either to the motherboard or an expansion bus. An adapter takes the place of a COM port and translates the PCMCIA signals into a format that is usable by the computer’s bus. PC cards adhere to standards developed by the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA). Originally, these standards were designed for adding memory to portable computers; however, standards now apply to many types of devices. There are three types of PC cards: Type I, Type II, and Type III. All types have the same width (54 mm) and length (85.6 mm), but vary in thickness. | ||
USB | Universal serial bus (USB) is a 4-wire, 12-Mbps serial bus for low-to-medium speed peripheral device connections to personal computers (PC), including keyboards, mice, modems, printers, joysticks, audio functions, monitor controls, etc. The USB design is standardized by the USB Implementers Forum (USBIF), an organization that includes leading companies from the computer and electronics industries. The current USB specification is USB 2.0, which supports data transfer rates of up to 480 Mbps. | ||
GPIB Interface | The general-purpose interface bus (GPIB) is designed to connect computers, peripherals and laboratory instruments so that data and control information can pass between them. It was originally developed by Hewlett Packard (HP) and called the HPIB bus. GPIB is also know as the IEEE 488 bus, and is electrically equivalent to the IEC 625 bus. | ||
Ethernet | Ethernet is a local-area network (LAN) protocol developed by Xerox Corporation in cooperation with DEC and Intel in 1976. It uses a bus or star topology and supports data transfer rates of 10 Mbps. The Ethernet specification served as the basis for the IEEE 802.3 standard, which specifies the physical and lower software layers. Ethernet uses the CSMA/CD access method to handle simultaneous demands. It is one of the most widely implemented LAN standards. | ||
Other | Unlisted, specialized, or proprietary configuration. | ||
Search Logic: | All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches. | ||
![]() |
Memory and Storage
Back to Top
![]() |
![]() | ||
Main Memory (RAM) | Random access memory (RAM) can be read from or written to in a nonlinear manner. RAM derives its name from the fact that any byte of memory can be accessed randomly instead of sequentially. RAM does not retain data in memory when power is removed. | ||
Search Logic: | All matching products will have a value greater than or equal to the specified value. | ||
![]() | |||
Hard Drive Capacity: | Storage capacity of the hard drive, if the card is a hard drive. | ||
Search Logic: | All matching products will have a value greater than or equal to the specified value. | ||
![]() | |||
Other Storage: | |||
Your choices are... | |||
Floppy Drive | Floppy drive support. | ||
CD ROM | CD-ROM support. | ||
Other | Other type of storage. | ||
Search Logic: | All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches. | ||
![]() |
Additional Specs
Back to Top
![]() |
![]() | ||
On-board Flash Memory? | Memory chip that can be erased and reprogrammed directly in the circuit board in which it is installed. It is also known by the name EEPROM (Electrically Erasable PROM). | ||
Search Logic: | "Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice. | ||
![]() | |||
Hot swappable? | The board can be inserted into a running system without disturbing the performance of the system. | ||
Search Logic: | "Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice. | ||
![]() | |||
Watchdog Timer? | A Watchdog Timer is a device that will restart an out of control processor by providing a reset signal to the processor | ||
Search Logic: | "Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice. | ||
![]() | |||
Mouse Connector? | A connector to connect a mouse. | ||
Search Logic: | "Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice. | ||
![]() | |||
Keyboard Connector? | A connector to connect a keyboard. | ||
Search Logic: | "Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice. | ||
![]() | |||
Support for Video? | Support for video adapter or port. | ||
Search Logic: | "Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice. | ||
![]() | |||
Card is CE / FCC Certified? | The card conforms with the U.S. requirements of the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) and with the European CE Marking (Conformite Europeene or European Conformity) system, which is helpful for exports to the countries of the European Economic Area (EEA). | ||
Search Logic: | "Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice. | ||
![]() |