Overview

The VPXI-ePC is a 4U VPX embedded computer system that provides a performance architecture for instrumentation, signal processing and embedded computing applications. Four expansion slots, plus an IO/HDD drive are in a compact half rack, 4U enclosure. The VPX-COMEX CPU combines an Intel-architecture COM Express CPU module with timing and communications features. Real-time, data-intensive operation is built on multiple, high performance data planes employing both centralized and mesh topologies interconnections between the cards.

VPXI integrates timing features into the VPX architecture providing synchronized high performance clock and trigger features to each slot. Peripheral slots receive a dedicated clock and trigger input, as well as several shared coordination signals. These signals are used by VPX-COP, X6 and X3 IO card families and support simultaneous and coordinated sampling. An optional high-precision GPS can be used with the VPX-COMEX as a timing reference.

The backbone of the system in the VPXI-ePC are the PCIe and SRIO planes in the VPXI system. Each plane can sustain data rates over 500 MB/s concurrently on PCIe and SRIO planes. The SRIO data plane also has a x4 optical link on the front panel supporting 12 Gbps connection.

The VPXI may host one VPX-COMEX CPU card to create a Windows/Linux/VxWorks compatible PC. The VPXI-ePC can run the same applications as desktop system. Performance OS such as Linux Xeonmai and VxWorks are available for real-time applications.