ADLINK cPCI-6965 6U CompactPCI Core Dual Core Single Board Computer

ADLINK cPCI-6965: Analysis of High Performance 6U CompactPCI Single Board Computer Technology Based on Core Dual Core

In the fields of military, aerospace, rail transportation, power automation, and high reliability industrial control, the CompactPCI (cPCI) bus platform has always been regarded by engineers as an ideal choice for building critical mission systems due to its robust Eurocard mechanical structure, excellent heat dissipation performance, high reliability connector design, and redundant power support on the backplane. However, with the increasing demand for data processing capability, graphics display performance, and communication bandwidth in applications, traditional low-power embedded processor platforms are gradually unable to meet the computing needs of the new generation of systems.

ADLINK (Linghua Technology) cPCI-6965 series 6U CompactPCI single board computer (SBC) was born in this context. It successfully integrated Intel ®  Core ™ The powerful computing power of the 2 Duo (Core Dual Core) processor is integrated with the robustness and reliability of the CompactPCI industrial platform, providing a highly competitive core computing platform for application scenarios that require both high-performance computing and high reliability operation.

Overview of Product Positioning and Hardware Architecture

The cPCI-6965 series is a highly integrated 6U CompactPCI single board computer, available in two specifications: single slot (4HP, 20.32mm wide) and dual slot (8HP, 40.64mm wide) to accommodate different chassis backplane slot resources and expansion capabilities. Its core hardware architecture revolves around Intel ®  The GME965 Express chipset is built specifically for embedded mobile platforms, achieving a good balance between performance and power consumption.

1. Processor options and performance metrics

CPCI-6965 supports Intel processors packaged in 478 pin Micro FCPGA, allowing users to flexibly choose based on their application's computing density and power budget

Intel ®  Core ™ 2 Duo T7500: With a clock frequency of 2.2GHz, it has 4MB of shared L2 cache, an 800MHz front end bus (FSB), and a maximum heat dissipation design power consumption (TDP) of 35W. The dual core architecture gives it significant advantages in multitasking parallel processing and complex algorithm computation.

Intel ®  Celeron ®  550: With a main frequency of 2.0GHz, 1MB L2 cache, 533MHz FSB, and a TDP of 27W. As a cost-effective option, it is suitable for control applications that are cost sensitive and have relatively moderate computing requirements.

Both processors support Intel ®  64 bit technology (EM64T) and Execute Disable Bit hardware security features provide a hardware foundation for running modern 64 bit operating systems and enhancing system security.

2. Chipset Core - GME965 and ICH8M

North Bridge (MCH) - Intel ®  GME965: Responsible for connecting processors, memory, and integrated graphics cores. Its dual channel DDR2 memory controller supports 667MHz/533MHz non ECC SO-DIMM memory and can support up to 4GB of system memory through two stacked SO-DIMM slots onboard. Integrated graphics core for Intel ®  Graphics Media Accelerator X3100（GMA X3100）， Supports DirectX 9 and OpenGL 1.5, and can dynamically share up to 384MB of system video memory.

South Bridge (ICH) - Intel ®  ICH8M: Responsible for providing rich I/O interfaces and bus expansion capabilities, including 6 PCI Express x1 channels (two for onboard dual gigabit network cards, two routed to backplane J2/J3 connectors for RTM expansion), IDE controller (for CompactFlash interface), SATA controller, USB 2.0 host controller, and LPC bus (for connecting Super I/O chips).

Deep analysis of key characteristics

1. Flexible and powerful graphic display solution

CPCI-6965 utilizes the GMA X3100 graphics core integrated with the GME965 chipset, combined with the Silicon Image Sil1362 SDVO (Serial Digital Video Output) PanelLink transmitter, to convert SDVO signals into DVI interface outputs. This board provides:

A DVI-I interface: supports both digital (DVI) and analog (VGA) signal output, and can be connected to a traditional VGA monitor through the included DVI to VGA adapter.

A DVI-D interface: only supports pure digital signal output.

This provides system integrators with the capability of Dual Independent Display, supporting two combinations of DVI+VGA or DVI+DVI. In human-machine interaction (HMI) scenarios where both the operating interface and monitoring screen need to be displayed simultaneously, this feature greatly improves operational efficiency and system visualization capabilities. Its maximum resolution can support up to 2048 × 1536 @ 75Hz (analog) and 2048 × 1536 @ 60Hz (digital), which is sufficient to meet the requirements of high-resolution industrial image display.

2. Configurability of high-precision serial interfaces

The two DB-9 serial ports (COM1 and COM2) on the board are provided by the ITE IT8712F Super I/O chip, and their functionality is far beyond that of ordinary PC serial ports. Each serial port can be independently configured into one of the following four modes through onboard DIP switches (SW1-SW4 for COM1, SW5-SW8 for COM2):