VPX Community News

David Dix, Amphenol Backplane Systems

As standardization of high-speed interconnect systems converges with the increased demands of military and aerospace applications, the need for more advanced technology in a ruggedized package has been highlighted. To meet this technology gap, VITA 60 (Alternative Connector on VPX) was launched to define a new interconnect platform consistent with the evolving VITA 46 (VPX) form factor yet designed and tested for more ruggedized environments. VITA 60 is a footprint-compatible alternate connector to VITA 46 with increased stiffness and environmental resistance. VITA 60 offers an option for VPX applications where greater resistance to fretting corrosion, often induced by high levels of vibration, is required. This standardization effort evolved in parallel with the VIPER interconnect system from Amphenol. VIPER is a new VPX-style connector designed from the ground up to serve the mil/aero and industrial ruggedized embedded markets.

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Anne Mascarin and Greg Rocco, Mercury Computer Systems

Today in the embedded systems community, product development speed and efficiency are competitive weapons. In many of the targeted applications for OpenVPX (VITA 65), bringing reliable, high-performance technologies to market successfully can have a very significant impact. One area clearly supported by OpenVPX is the Quick Reaction Capability (QRC) obligation, where the development and deployment cycles demanded are significantly reduced to achieve critical program needs. The following defense application case study illustrates how OpenVPX meets those needs. This example is a combination of actual experiences, and what is expected to be a typical engagement. Where possible, time savings and other benefits of the OpenVPX specification are included.

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Stewart Dewar, General Dynamics Canada

With OpenVPX (VITA 65), integrators are choosing interoperable module architectures for next-generation systems. Thus, high-performance embedded processing systems engineers have more reasons than ever to choose a VPX (VITA 46)-based system design. VPX was initiated to address the challenge of enabling high-speed serial interfaces using the multi-gigabit capable RT2 connector family. (And that was the easy part.) And, like any new innovation, VPX has endured its share of growing pains.

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Chris Cuifo, OpenSystems Media

OpenVPX takes the best parts of VPX – namely the vast number of available I/O pins and high-speed serial fabrics – while limiting permutations to various system profiles. Also, incorporating the equivalent of control, data, and management planes improves system maintainability while forcing vendors to stick to preconfigured I/O routing. Together, these constraints enable interoperability between vendors within the same backplane. Boards and modules fit together in predictable ways, much like the toy building blocks shown on the cover of this Special Supplement on OpenVPX with Executive Speakouts. But OpenVPX systems are not toys; they’ll soon form the basis of next-gen high-rel systems with ample features and headroom for decades to come.

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Microware Journal Blog

One thing I noticed was a number of companies were touting the OpenVPX platform as the US Department of Defense and other users are mandating improved implementation of open standards and interoperability. The VPX Systems Specification, according to their web site, defines an architecture that manages and constrains module and backplane designs and sets interoperability points within VPX while maintaining full compliance with VPX. This specification, developed by VITA members and other companies working together outside of VITA, shall be introduced into the VITA Standards Organization (VSO) in October 2009 as VITA 65 for final comment, ballot, and ratification as a standard.