As the processing power of SBCs continues to increase, expanding system functionality by means of PCI Mezzanine Cards (PMCs) is frequently the method of choice for maximizing performance while minimizing system size, power consumption, and cost.
To facilitate expandability beyond the PMC sites on CompactPCI SBCs, Aitech has developed the CM900 PMC Carrier. The CM900 provides an additional active interface between the CompactPCI backplane and a PMC, for each available CompactPCI slot. Up to 6 CM900 boards with various PMCs may be employed in a single system.
Two versions of the CM900 are available: Transparent and PrPMC. The Transparent CM900 is designed for PMCs without processors, and which host resources controlled and handled by the System Controller SBC. The PrPMC CM900 hosts PMCs with processors, as well as other PMCs.
The architecture of the Transparent CM900 version is based on a PCI-PCI bridge operating in Transparent mode, connecting the primary 32-bit 66MHz CompactPCI bus to a secondary 32-bit 66MHz PCI bus on which the PMC site resides. A total of 64 PMC I/O lines are routed to the J2 CompactPCI connector. Aircooled versions of the CM900 also provide front panel access to PMCs equipped with front panel features.
The PrPMC version of the CM900 is based on a PCI-PCI bridge operating in Universal mode. This card hosts a PrPMC that can serve as either the CompactPCI system controller or as a peripheral board. The PCI-PCI bridge automatically configures itself as a transparent or non-transparent bridge, depending on the slot populated by the CM900.
Designed for harsh environment applications, the 3U form factor CM900 is available in commercial and rugged, air-cooled or conduction-cooled configurations.
With its extremely low power consumption (1.65 W maximum), the CM900 expands capabilities while consuming minimum resources.