Abaco VMIVME-5565-11000 Reflective Memory Board – VMEbus

The Abaco Systems VMIVME-5565-11000 is a high-performance reflective memory board designed for VMEbus systems, identified by part number 332-015565-110000. This board enables high-speed, deterministic data sharing between multiple distributed nodes, with automatic memory replication across all connected nodes. Its high-speed interface and low latency make it ideal for simulation, distributed control, and data acquisition applications.

Reflective memory technology allows any write to the local memory to be automatically propagated to all other nodes in the network with extremely low latency, eliminating the need for complex software communication protocols and offloading the host CPU.

Key Features

• Reflective Memory Architecture: Automatic data replication across all network nodes.

• High Speed: Supports data rates up to 170 MB/s.

• Low Latency: Typical propagation delays of less than 1 microsecond.

• VMEbus Compatibility: Standard VME form factor with A32/D32 addressing.

• Scalable Network: Supports up to 256 nodes.

• Fiber-optic or Copper Options: Flexibility for distance and noise immunity requirements.

• Diagnostic Features: Built-in error detection and network status monitoring.

Technical Specifications

The VMIVME-5565-11000 features onboard reflective memory with large capacity, mapped into the VMEbus address space. Data transfers are performed using hardware DMA engines that offload the host CPU. Interconnect options include multi-mode or single-mode fiber-optic cables for distances up to several kilometers.

Applications

• Distributed Control: Real-time synchronization of multiple controllers.

• Simulation Systems: Sharing state data between multiple simulation nodes.

• Data Acquisition: Merging data from multiple acquisition systems.

• Test and Measurement: Coordinating distributed test instruments.

• Radar and Sonar Processing: Sharing processed data across multiple boards.

Integration and Configuration

Integration is straightforward with standard VMEbus connectors. Each node is assigned a unique ID, and the network topology is configured via software. Once initialized, memory writes are automatically replicated to all nodes. Drivers for VxWorks, Linux, and Windows are available.

Benefits

• Real-Time Performance: Deterministic, low-latency data sharing.

• Reduced CPU Load: Automatic data replication offloads the host processor.

• Scalability: Easily expand the network to include more nodes.

• Noise Immunity: Fiber optic transmission ensures data integrity.

Conclusion

The Abaco VMIVME-5565-11000 reflective memory board provides a powerful, efficient solution for high-speed data sharing in VMEbus-based distributed systems.