Emerson MVME6100 VMEbus Single Board Compute

Description

The MVME6100 is a high-end VMEbus Single Board Computer (SBC) powered by the MPC7457 PowerPC processor. It holds a significant place in industrial computing history as the first VME board to implement the 2eSST (Two-Edge Source Synchronous Transfer) protocol, which broke the long-standing bandwidth bottlenecks of the VME backplane.

Originally developed by Motorola Computer Group, the product line transitioned to Emerson Network Power (now Artesyn/Advanced Energy). It remains a critical component for high-bandwidth data acquisition, medical imaging, and military signal processing.

Availability and Procurement

• Condition: Refurbished (Certified & Stress-Tested) or New Surplus
• Status: Legacy/Mature. This board is primarily maintained for MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Operations) and long-term program sustainment.
• Warranty: 12-month standard technical warranty.
• Pricing: Costs vary based on the specific memory (512 MB or 1 GB) and hardware revision. Contact us for a formal, dated quote.

Technical Specifications

The MVME6100 architecture is designed for deterministic, high-speed performance in rugged environments.

Key Technical Breakthrough: 2eSST Protocol

The defining feature of the MVME6100 is the Tsi148 VME-to-PCI-X bridge. Before this module, VME transfers were typically limited to 40–80 MB/s.

By using the 2eSST protocol, the MVME6100 allows data to be transferred on both the rising and falling edges of the strobe signal, achieving a theoretical backplane throughput of 320 MB/s. This is vital for applications like real-time radar processing or high-speed telemetry where the backplane cannot be a point of latency.

Engineering Insights: Maintenance and Integration

As a senior architect who has supported these boards in 20+ year lifecycle programs, I suggest focusing on these critical areas:

1. MOTLoad Firmware

The MVME6100 uses MOTLoad, a robust self-test and initialization firmware. Unlike consumer BIOS, MOTLoad provides extensive diagnostics.

• Tip: Always run the test -all command via the serial console on a “new-to-you” board to verify the integrity of the L3 cache and DDR ECC memory before deployment.

2. The “Snap-Hat” Battery

The NVRAM and real-time clock (RTC) are powered by a STMicroelectronics M48T37V Snap-Hat battery. These batteries typically fail after 7–10 years.

• Constraint: If your board loses its boot parameters or time settings after a power cycle, the Snap-Hat is likely dead. These are user-replaceable but essential for system stability.

3. Airflow Requirements

At 1.25 GHz, the MPC7457 is a “hot” processor for VME standards.

• Requirement: You must ensure at least 200 LFM (linear feet per minute) of forced-air cooling across the card cage. Inadequately cooled boards will exhibit intermittent “Machine Check” exceptions or spontaneous reboots.

4. OS Compatibility

This board is a “workhorse” for VxWorks (5.5.1 and 6.x) and LynxOS. While modern PowerPC Linux kernels can be ported, the most stable drivers for the Tsi148 VME bridge are found in the older RTOS Board Support Packages (BSPs).

FAQ

Q: Can I replace an older MVME5100 with an MVME6100?

A: Generally, yes. It is designed to be backward compatible. However, since the VME bridge chip changed from the Universe II (in the 5100) to the Tsi148 (in the 6100), any software that writes directly to VME registers (bypassing the API) will need to be updated.

Q: Does it support Rear Transition Modules (RTMs)?

A: Yes, it is compatible with the MVME712M or MVME761 transition modules, allowing you to move I/O cabling to the back of the chassis for cleaner cable management.

Q: What is the purpose of the AltiVec technology in this CPU?

A: AltiVec is a SIMD (Single Instruction, Multiple Data) unit. It allows the processor to perform complex floating-point math on large data sets simultaneously, making it ideal for FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) calculations used in medical and defense imaging.