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cPCI compatibility questions

I'm a software person that is in over my head. I have to select a 1553 interface card for a 6U cPCI chassis that has a PowerPC board running vxWorks. Unfortunately, I don't know anything about cPCI, except for some reading I've done today.

My problem is that I don't know what I need to check so I can be reasonably certain that a cPCI interface card will be compatible with our chassis & processor board.

First the size question: The cards I've found that meet our requirements are all 3U. AIUI, I can plug a 3U cPCI board into a 6U cPCI chassis. It will use the bottom 110 pin connector and there will be a couple of inches between the top of the board and the top of the chassis. Is this correct?

Do I need to worry about any of the following issues:

3.3V vs. 5V? 32-bit vs. 64-bit? 33 Mhz vs. 66 Mhz?

Anything else I should check?

Thanks! Kevin

Reply to
Kevin J. Phillips
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It is true that you can plug a 3U card into a 6U slot, but I believe an additional card guide might be required. Frequently 6U chassis have 3U slots allowing two 3U cards on the top of each other with a guide in between...

Yes, these are all valid concerns. cPCI has a system of color keys installed in the backplane connectors as well as a system of front panel keys to code all possible combinations. I don't know though how well manufacturers follow these, especially the front panel keying system.

Hot swap capability if you care.

You might want to check out the cpci reflector:

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/Mikhail

Reply to
MM

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