ADLINK cPCI-6860A Dual Xeon Single Board Computer Deployment Guide

ADLINK cPCI-6860A Dual Xeon CompactPCI Single Board Computer Hardware Deployment and System Optimization Guide

In the fields of telecommunications infrastructure, data center servers, and high reliability industrial computing, the 6U CompactPCI platform has always held a key position due to its robust modular design, hot swappable capability, and long lifecycle support. The cPCI-6860A series single board computer (SBC) launched by ADLINK is equipped with single/dual Intel ®  Xeon ™  Processor, paired with Intel ®  The E7501 chipset and up to 4GB of registered ECC DDR memory provide powerful computing throughput. The corresponding rear wiring module cPCI-R6860A further expands storage (Ultra 320 SCSI, dual ATA 100) and network (additional dual Gigabit Ethernet) capabilities, and can be optionally equipped with IPMI v1.0 substrate management controller (BMC) for remote monitoring and out of band management. This article will provide a complete practical reference for system integration engineers from multiple dimensions, including hardware architecture, installation steps, interface definition, jumper configuration, driver deployment, and common troubleshooting.

Product positioning and technical specifications overview

CPCI-6860A complies with the PICMG 2.0 R3.0 core specification and is compatible with hot swappable (PICMG 2.1), packet switched backplane (PICMG 2.16), and optional system management (PICMG 2.9). The board size is 6U dual slot width (8HP), supporting Xeon processors in FC-MPGA2-604 and INT-MPGA-603 packages. A single channel can support up to 3.06GHz (533MHz FSB), while dual channels recommend low-voltage Xeon 1.6/2.0GHz to ensure controllable heat dissipation and power consumption.

Core computing and chipset:

The processor integrates 512KB L2 cache and a front-end bus of 400/533MHz;

Intel ®  E7501 Memory Control Hub (MCH) is equipped with ICH3-S Southbridge and P64H2 PCI/PCI-X bridge to provide high bandwidth internal interconnection;

Two DDR DIMM slots (144 bits wide, supporting ECC), registered with PC-1600 memory, with a maximum capacity of 4GB (OEM version can be expanded to four slots of 8GB, but requires additional slots).

Network and Storage:

Onboard Intel ®  82546EB Dual Port Gigabit Ethernet Controller (133MHz/64 bit PCI-X), capable of selecting front out or back out via jumper (supports PICMG 2.16);

An additional 10/100Mbps Fast Ethernet (ICH3 integrated MAC+82562EM PHY) is located on the front panel;

Two additional gigabit ports, one Ultra 320 SCSI interface (LSI 53C1020), and two ATA 100 IDE channels (supporting 2.5-inch HDD and CompactFlash) can be expanded through RTM.

Display and I/O:

ATI Rage XL graphics chip (8MB SDRAM), providing front and rear VGA outputs (up to 1280 × 1024);

Two USB 1.1 ports (front panel), the other two are rear output;

Two RS-232 serial ports (COM1 front panel, COM2 rear output), PS/2 keyboard/mouse (both front and rear);

Hardware monitoring and watchdog timer (Winbond W83627HF).

Optional BMC: Supports IPMI v1.0, enabling remote power control, sensor reading, and event logging through a dedicated management serial port (MGMT).

Hardware installation steps and key precautions

1. CPU installation

The board supports single or dual configuration. Must strictly adhere to:

Single channel: The CPU can only be installed in CPU1 slot (refer to Figure 7 in the manual), and it is strictly prohibited to install it in CPU0, otherwise the system cannot start.

Dual channel: It is necessary to use low-voltage Xeon processors of the exact same model and frequency (such as dual 1.6GHz or dual 2.0GHz), and do not mix CPUs of different specifications, otherwise it may damage the chip or board.

When installing, align the golden triangle of the CPU with the triangular mark on the socket, gently place it in, and press down the locking rod.

2. Installation of thermal module (radiator and fan)

Due to the high power consumption of Xeon processors (forced air cooling is required for single 2.4GHz or dual low-voltage channels), a dedicated thermal module must be installed. Steps:

Fix two fans onto the heat sink with long screws;

Install insulating O-rings on the six pillars at the bottom of the heat sink (to avoid contact with onboard components and secure the BMC card);

Align the thermal module with the fixed hole of the board and lock it with six screws from the back;

Connect the fan power cable to the corresponding interface (FAN1/FAN2) on the board and secure the cable with zip ties to prevent it from hooking during insertion and removal.

3. BMC card installation (optional)

If a BMC sub card is purchased, it must be inserted before installing the thermal module. Align the BMC card with the socket on the board, paying attention to the foolproof notch, and press it down vertically until it is fully inserted. The BMC card will be compressed by the O-ring of the thermal module to ensure reliable contact.

4. Memory installation

The memory must be installed in pairs, with two identical capacities, densities, and bit widths. Supports 64/128/256/512Mbit pellets, with a maximum single capacity of 2GB (double-sided), and a maximum total capacity of 4GB for two slots. If only one or a combination of plugs are inserted, the system will not start. When installing, first open the slot buckle, align it with the foolproof groove and insert it vertically. If you hear a crisp buckle sound, it will be locked.

5. HDD and CF installation (RTM side)

2.5-inch HDD: First, remove the four screws that secure the bottom bracket of the RTM, fix the hard drive to the bracket with the accompanying screws, connect the 44 pin IDE data cable, and then reinstall the bracket into the RTM. Pay attention to folding the cables neatly to avoid hindering the insertion and removal of the board.

CompactFlash: The rear of the RTM provides a CF slot (Type I/II), which defaults to being a primary IDE slave device. If the main device is needed, it can be adjusted through jumper CN3 (see the subsequent jumper section). CF cards support hot insertion (but power off operation is recommended).

6. Special Reminder for RTM Installation/Removal

When there is no movable cover on the top of the chassis (such as ADLINK 6400 series chassis), inserting RTM can easily press the IDE/floppy drive cable, and when unplugging, the cable may also get stuck in the chassis structure. Be careful, first straighten out the cables, then slowly push in or pull out to avoid damaging the connectors.

Detailed explanation of jumper and switch configuration

There are multiple jumpers and micro switches on the board and RTM for clearing CMOS, routing networks, selecting display outputs, etc.

1. Clear CMOS (JPX1)

Located next to the DIMM0 slot (near the back of the board). Default short circuiting 1-2 is in normal mode; To restore BIOS default settings, after power off, move the jumper cap to position 2-3, hold for a few seconds, and then move it back to position 1-2.

2. IDE master-slave settings on RTM (CN3)

The CF slot and 44 pin IDE belong to the Primary IDE channel. CN3 is located on the left side of the CF socket, and short circuiting specific pins can set CF as master or slave. Factory default Slave. If you need to boot from CF, you should set it as Master and ensure that there are no device conflicts on the 44 pin IDE.

3. GbE routing selection (SW1-SW4)

The two gigabit ports on the board can be selected to output to the Rear Panel or Back Panel (PICMG 2.16) through the four DIP switches at the bottom of the RTM. It cannot be used simultaneously before and after.

LAN1: Controlled by SW2 and SW4, default to all ON for Rear Panel and all OFF for Backpanel;

LAN2: Controlled by SW1 and SW3, also default to ON for back out and OFF for backplane.

If the backplane supports PICMG 2.16 switching, all corresponding switches can be turned off to connect network signals to the backplane Ethernet channel.

4. VGA output selection (SWXI)

There is also a micro switch SWXI on RTM for enabling or disabling the rear VGA. If all are turned on, the rear VGA will be effective, and if all are turned off, the rear VGA will be turned off. At this time, only the front panel VGA is available.

Definition of connectors and important signal prompts

1. Front panel interface

COM1: Standard DB-9 (DCD, RXD, TXD, DTR, GND, DSR, RTS, CTS, RI);

VGA：DB‑15， Support CRT;

Keyboard/Mouse: 6-pin Mini DIN (shared), can be connected to both keyboard and mouse simultaneously using a Y-shaped cable;

Dual USB: Two Type A sockets;

10/100 Ethernet: RJ-45, with link/activity LED;

Dual GbE: RJ-45, with speed (green) and link/activity (amber) LED.

2. Key interfaces for Rear Routing (RTM)

SCSI: 68 pin high-density, supports LVD/SE, Ultra 320 up to 320MB/s;

40 pin IDE (Secondary): Can connect two devices;

44 pin IDE (Primary): Used for 2.5-inch hard drives or DOM;

FDD: 34 pin floppy drive interface;

COM2/MGMT: Two DB-9 serial ports, with MGMT used for BMC management (remote CLI control via modem).

3. Signal output after CompactPCI (J3/J4)

J3 provides signals such as IDE, FDD, USB, keyboard/mouse, COM2, etc; J4 provides extended PCI bus (Hub Link), gigabit indicator LED, power supply, etc. The specific pin definitions can be found in the manual table. If customizing the backplane or troubleshooting, measurements can be compared.

4. Meaning of LED indicator lights

Four LEDs on the front panel:

Red (IDE access): Bright indicates storage device activity;

Green (power): On indicates that the system is powered on normally;

Yellow (watchdog): disabled - not enabled; Blinking - enabled; Always on - timeout occurs;

Blue (hot swappable): The light indicates that the system has been powered off and the card can be safely unplugged (in conjunction with PICMG 2.1).

Driver installation process (Windows 2000/XP)

Suggest installing in the order of "chipset → display → network → SCSI".

1. Chipset driver (Intel E7501)

Run  cPCI  cPCI-6860A  Chipset  Setup. exe from the CD, agree to the license agreement, install according to the default options, and restart after completion.

2. VGA driver (ATI Rage XL)

Windows 2000/XP comes with basic drivers, but it is recommended to update to the customized version on the CD.

For Win2000: Run w2k ragexl 5-0 2195-5012.exe;

For WinXP: Run wxp-ragexl-5-10-2600-6009.exe;

After decompression, perform the installation and restart as prompted.

3. Network drivers (Intel 82546EB and 82562EM)

Run pro2kppm.exe (Win2000) or pro2kxp.m.exe (WinXP), unzip and click "Install Now" to automatically update all Intel network card drivers. After completion, restart.

4. SCSI driver (LSI 53C1020)

Win2000: After installing the OS, manually update it through the Device Manager, point to  CSI-53C1020-U320  Win2000  on the CD, and select oemsetup.nf;

WinXP: The system comes with its own driver, but for optimal performance, you can manually update it using the WinXP version (32-bit) in the same directory.

After updating, restart to recognize SCSI hard drives.

Special reminder: If RAID is enabled or you need to boot from SCSI, you need to load the driver using F6 when installing the OS (applicable to Win2000/XP floppy disk installation method).

IPMI and BMC management functions

The board can be optionally equipped with BMC to achieve remote management compatible with IPMI v1.0. Support the following key operations:

Device ID query, cold/hot reset;

Watchdog timer (can be set and reset through IPMI commands);

Chassis status control (power on, power off, reset);

Sensor Data Recorder (SDR) and Event Log (SEL) (but SEL does not support random access, please note);

FRU information reading to obtain production data;

Out of band message communication, sending IPMI commands through MGMT serial port (compatible with modem) to achieve remote power management and debugging.

It is recommended to test various functions through BMC Command Line Interface (CLI) before deployment and record sensor thresholds for subsequent fault diagnosis.

Common troubleshooting and engineering recommendations

Possible causes and solutions for the fault phenomenon

Power on, no display. Single CPU plugged into the wrong position (CPU0). Move the CPU to CPU1 slot

Unable to recognize paired installation of memory or two mismatched memories using the same model and capacity

The rear network port is not connected, and the GbE routing switch is set incorrectly. Check SW1-SW4 to ensure that ON is the rear output and OFF is the backplane

Rear VGA with no output SWXI switch not all turned on. Turn all SWXI switches to ON

IDE devices do not recognize CF or HDD master-slave conflicts. Adjust master-slave settings through CN3 jumper to ensure uniqueness

System overheating, automatic shutdown, poor heat dissipation, or fan not connected. Check if the fan interface is properly plugged in, if the thermal module is securely installed, and if the chassis air duct is unobstructed (forced air cooling of 50CFM is required)

BMC is unable to communicate. MGMT port is not connected or modem settings are incorrect. Confirm serial port cable and parameters (9600,8, N, 1) and check BMC firmware version

The blue light for hot plugging does not light up and does not meet the PICMG 2.1 hot plugging conditions. It is necessary to cooperate with a backplane that supports ENOM # and enable the ENOM # function in the BIOS

When inserting RTM, the cable is compressed and the internal space of the chassis is insufficient. First, organize the wiring and fix it on the inside of the chassis with zip ties to avoid stacking on the RTM insertion path

Environmental requirements:

The working temperature is between 0 and 50 ℃, and forced ventilation (50 CFM or higher) must be ensured;

If using a mechanical hard drive (2.5-inch) with limited vibration resistance (0.5gRMS operation), it is recommended to replace it with a flash drive (CF or solid-state DOM) for harsh vibration environments.

Power consumption reference:

Single channel 2.0GHz Xeon+2GB RAM+quad port full load of approximately 107W; dual channel low-voltage 2.0GHz approximately 124W; dual channel 1.6GHz approximately 99.6W. Actual power supply design needs to reserve margin, and the CompactPCI backplane should be able to meet current requirements of+5V,+3.3V,+12V, and -12V.