VPX/OpenVPX ecosystem extended
The focus of these additions to Kontron’s VPX/OpenVPX ecosystem surrounds the optimization of the data plane in VPX/OpenVPX multiprocessor systems and to relieve OEMs and developers from the complex, low level hardware and data management. This helps OEMs take existing or new HPEC applications to a new level of performance and bandwidth with reduced development efforts and R&D costs.
The OpenVPX backplanes are compliant to the VITA 46.4 specification and provide a high bandwidth PCI Express architecture for the data plane. They are available with a distributed or centralized configuration and enable OEMs to set up nearly all possible system topologies.
The distributed backplanes come in a 3-, 4- or 5-slot configuration. The centralized backplane features six payload slots and two switch or storage slots with Gigabit Ethernet on the Control Plane. All VPX boards can be used with these backplanes, including the powerful Kontron 6U VPX dual CPU board VX6060. This approach, allowed by the VPX mechanical standard, provides superior computing power while keeping VPX infrastructure cost as low as possible, says Kontron
The 3U VPX PCI Express and Ethernet hybrid switch VX3905 is the ideal partner for the centralized backplane to efficiently handle a high bandwidth. It provides up to 24 Ports with 32 lane PCI Express Gen 1 / Gen 2 switching and additional 9 port gigabit Ethernet switching capabilities for the control plane. By this it offers a tenfold increase in I/O bandwidth between computing boards in High Performance Embedded Computing applications compared to VME, unleashing a new kind of applications for data processing platforms used for Radar, Sonar and general image processing.
The Kontron VXFabric simplifies this task for VPX/OpenVPX system architectures by a set of ready to use libraries and kernel modules. The highest level of communication bandwidth is achieved through classic Linux and TCP or UDP sockets based on PCI Express physical layer.
Decoupling the application software from the low-level silicon management enables migration to upcoming communication standards such as 10G and 40G ETH for the backplane. Kontron’s VPX/OpenVPX ecosystem for developing high-performance and SWaP (Size, Weight and Power) optimized systems, now features all core components and software for a direct start into system development.
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