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VIM: A POWERFUL NEW MEZZANINE

by Rodger Hosking

Start ý Design Rationale ý VIM Streaming Parallel Bus ý Serial Ports ý Power Supply ý Single-Slot VIM-Based Systems ý Sources and PDF

SINGLE SLOT VIM-BASED SYSTEMS

Currently available VIM module functions include: FPDP, RACEway, digital receivers, parallel TTL I/O, serial I/O, multi-channel A/D, and high-speed A/D converters. Each module takes advantage of the high-speed parallel or serial interfaces provided by VIM, whichever is most appropriate for the module circuitry.

The example system in Figure 5 shows the Model 4290 Quad ýC6201 DSP processor VIM baseboard equipped with two VIM-2 modules. The first is the Model 6216 dual-channel wideband digital receiver, which digitizes two HF or IF band analog signals, performs a digital frequency translation, and finally delivers a baseband signal with Nyquist bandwidths from 1ý32.5 MHz. Two 32-bit complex digital wideband signals are fed directly across the VIM interface into the synchronous bi-FIFOs on the processor baseboard, and subsequently, into two ýC6201s (A and B) for processing. The combined data rate for both channels is 260 Mbps.

(Click here for figure)

Figure 5ýThis single-slot VIM system shows the connections of two VIM modules to the processor board: a Model 6216 dual-channel wideband digital receiver and a Model 6226 dual FPDP module which supports 160-Mbps data transfers to other high-speed system components using an industry-standard interface.

Interprocessor bi-FIFOs (identical to the VIM bi-FIFOs) allow processors A and B to transfer data at a combined rate of up to 800 Mbps to processors C and D for more signal processing. Processors C and D finally deliver output data to a Model 6226 dual FPDP (front panel data port) VIM-2 module. Dual FPDP ports on the front panel support two 160 Mbps channels to other high-speed system components using an industry standard interface. It is important to realize that the entire system shown occupies only a single 6U VMEbus slot!

VIM SPECIFICATION

The VIM specification has been evolving for slightly more than a year now, and has been used to design custom, high-performance interfaces for complex or proprietary functions not available as standard COTS products. The benefit of being able to take advantage of the quad ýC6x processor architecture and all the supporting hardware and software tools available for it offers a significant reduction in development effort and time to market for unique or unusual applications.

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