Boards/Backplanes

The need for utilities and infrastructure providers to simultaneously and accurately measure distributed power grid data can now be met with Petaluma, a subsystem reference design from Maxim Integrated Products. Utility organisations worldwide are deploying more robust applications that require highly accurate distributed grid status data to leverage distributed generation technologies such as solar and wind power.

With the conga-QA3 DATA MODUL presents a new generation of Qseven modules from congatec. The module provides twice the performance over its predecessor plus an optimised product lifespan thanks to development with ceramic condensators. It comes in five different Intel Atom processor-based versions (formerly codenamed “Bay Trail”) for high scalability.

A rugged DSP and FPGA based card in a VITA 65, 3U OpenVPX form factor has been launched by CommAgility. The VPX-D16A4, CommAgility’s first board in the rugged VPX form factor, is suited for applications such as SDR (including LTE, RRH, WiMax and Cloud RAN), imaging or radar, as well as to military or other harsh field deployment environments.

Digi-Key is collaborating with Freescale Semiconductor and ARM to launch the “Design with Freedom” Product Design Contest. It gives the European engineering community a chance to submit their hardware product innovations. Prototype entries need to be built with one of Freescale’s Freedom line of development platforms, using Digi-Key’s complimentary Scheme-it online design software

A full-size PICMG 1.3 SHB, designated the MB-80560, has been launched by WIN Enterprises. The SHB is offered with a BGA-mounted, 22nm, 4th Gen Intel Core i7/i5/i3 processors, the the BGA mounting providing greater reliability in challenging and mobile environments than socketed processors which may become dislodged.

Designed to meet the PXI Express Hardware Specification Revision 1.0 (with X1 PCIe connections), Elma Bustronic unveil a 3U 17-slot backplane. The PXIe backplane features one system slot controller and one timing controller slot as well as 15 peripheral slots, each with a PCIe Gen 1 1X lane to the controller.

The new 3U CompactPCI board F403 with 16 bidirectional digital I/O channels has been designed specifically for modern railway applications. It is suited for many different control functions, such as door-locking control and interior lighting. The board supports a total of 16 bidirectional digital I/O channels, organised into four optically isolated groups for reliable data transmission with four channels in each group.

Conrad Business Supplies is working exclusively with Berlin based start-up company relayr (iThings4U GmbH) to support the development and launch of the innovative and groundbreaking Open Source ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) starter kit known as  ‘WunderBar’ that was launched in March this year.

BittWare and Tamba Networks have entered into a Value-Added Reseller (VAR) agreement. The Tamba Networks 1 to 400 Gigabit Universal Ethernet IP Core is one of the lowest latency and gate count solutions on the market, enabling a 10 GigE "FIFO+MAC+PCS" of approximately 25ns in an Altera Stratix V FPGA.  This significantly decreases the round-trip delay wire-to-wire. 

The launch of 2 Mini-ITX motherboards, the KB160 and KB161, has been announced by DFI. The two models adopt the AMD Embedded G-Series SoC platform, providing an exceptionally high-definition visual experience and delivering up to 70% overall improvement over AMD G-Series APU.