Curtiss-Wright Launches New Rugged T2080 Quad-Core Power Architecture® 3U OpenVPX™ Single Board Computer

By Caroline Rees / 04 Oct 2013

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VPX3-133

VPX3-133 3U VPX Freescale T2080 Single Board Computer

Curtiss-Wright Controls Defense Solutions, a business unit of Curtiss-Wright Controls, has introduced the new VPX3-133, a rugged 3U OpenVPX™ single board computer (SBC) featuring Freescale™’s quad-core QorIQ™ T2080 Power Architecture® processor. The VPX3-133 combines the performance and the advanced I/O capabilities of Freescale’s QorIQ™ Quad core AltiVec™-equipped 64-bit processor with an extensive set of I/O that provides an extremely powerful processing solution for SWaP-constrained environments. It delivers a high level of computing functionality in the small 3U standard form factor with low power (37 Watts) while providing industry leading I/O flexibility.

The VPX3-133 rugged computer is available in either air-cooled or conduction-cooled variants. Its integral high-speed backplane fabrics and XMC mezzanine module connectivity support multi-GB/s data flows from board-to-board, both through the VPX3-133’s backplane interface and from the backplane to its XMC site. The board is designed to deliver the high bandwidth processing needed to handle the acquisition, processing, and distribution of sensor data required by demanding defense and aerospace applications such as video, radar, and sonar. The VPX3-133 is equally well suited for use as a mission computer, display computer, or in SIGINT and motor control applications.

“Freescale’s new QorIQ T2080 processor’s IO capabilities combined with its MIPS per watt performance make it the ideal processor for use in a next generation SBC where SWaP performance is key”, said Lynn Bamford, senior vice president and general manager of Curtiss-Wright Controls Defense Solutions. “The T2080 enables our VPX3-133, with its simple and clean design, to provide a significant amount of processing power in a low power footprint. Combined with Freescale’s Trusted Boot™ Architecture and our Trusted COTS™ technology, the VPX3-133 provides a powerful solution for customers seeking an SBC for use in domestic and foreign military sales applications where performance and information assurance are required.”

Ideal for System Upgrades and SWaP Sensitive Solutions

The VPX3-133 is an ideal SBC for applications in which maximum amounts of compute processing is key. With its T2080 running at 1.5GHz, along with up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, the VPX3-133 provides an ideal platform for consolidating multiple applications onto a single processor. When combined with Curtiss-Wright’s graphics solutions, such as our XMC-715 graphics mezzanine card, system designers get a very powerful processor and graphics capability ideal for use in any high performance mission and display computer. The VPX3-133 is backward pin-compatible with earlier Curtiss-Wright 3U Power Architecture SBCs (such as the VPX3-127) as well as pin-compatible in specific configurations with Curtiss-Wright’s Intel® Core™i7-based VPX3-1257 SBC, and our newly announced Freescale P4080 QorIQ Octal Power Architecture processor-based VPX3-131 SBC.

Advanced Applications

Ideal for use in SWaP-constrained applications, the VPX3-133 provides an impressive amount of processing power with industry leading MIPS/Watt performance. It also has been designed to support programs that require a path to safety certification. For applications that demand the highest levels of hardware and software protection, the VPX3-133 provides advanced anti-tamper and information

Assurance (IA) features with Curtiss-Wright’s Trusted COTS™ and Freescale’s Trusted BOOT™ technologies and capabilities.

VPX3-133 Features Include:

  • 3U VPX (VITA 46/VITA 65) format
  • Supports eight (8) different OpenVPX slot profiles
  • VPX REDI (VITA 48) LRM Support
  • Powerful general-purpose SBC targeted at SWaP sensitive applications configured with Freescale T2080 processor which has:
  • Four (4) 64-bit dual threaded cores running at 1.5GHz
  • Each core configured with a AltiVec vector processing engine
  • Security and pattern acceleration units
  • Embedded hardware Hypervisor
  • Single 64-bit DDR3 SDRAM controller supports up to 8 GB/s of DDR3 SDRAM with ECC to correct single-bit errors and detect double-bit errors on single memory controller
  • 256 MB of contiguous direct-mapped Flash memory
  • 8 GB NAND support with build in NISPOM compliant erase
  • Two (2) x4 lane PCIe fabric ports on the VPX P1 connector (capable of being used as single x8 lane)
  • XMC site (VITA 42.3 or VITA 61)
  • Curtiss-Wright Trusted COTS™ security features
  • Two (2) GbE interfaces on P1 connector mapped per VITA 46.9 or 2 1000Bx as per OpenVPX
  • Two (2) asynchronous RS-232 serial ports
  • Two (2) asynchronous RS-422 ports
  • Four (4) LVTTL discretes; each is software configurable as input or output, with interrupt capability as input
  • Two (2) USB 2.0 ports
  • Single SATA 2.0 port
  • Designed for harsh environment applications, both air- and conduction-cooled
  • Software Support

Software support for the VPX3-133 includes Curtiss-Wright’s UBoot firmware which provides a comprehensive suite of system debug, exerciser and update functions, built-in-test (BIT), and non-volatile memory sanitization functions. The VPX3-133 also supports the industry’s popular operating systems, such as Wind River® VxWorks®, and Linux.

The VPX3-133 complements Curtiss-Wright’s wide range of SBCs, Digital Signal Processors, Graphics, Communications and I/O products. It is pinout compatible with other Curtiss-Wright SBCs, providing customers with the ability to seamlessly upgrade existing systems as well as change technology. As with our other SBCs, the VPX3-133 is fully compatible with a variety of Curtiss-Wright products with which it can be combined to provide a fully integrated solution. These include Curtiss-Wright’s quad-port 1553 XMC-603, XMC-651 Ethernet switch, XMC-715 Graphics Controller, and the VPX3-215 3U mezzanine carrier.

For more information about Curtiss-Wright’s embedded computing solutions please visit www.cwcdefense.com.

Posted by Caroline Rees Caroline co-founded Unmanned Systems Technology and has been at the forefront of the business ever since. With a Masters Degree in marketing Caroline has her finger on the pulse of all things unmanned and is committed to showcasing the very latest in unmanned technical innovation. Connect & Contact

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