Ethernet hybrid switch provides large bandwidth

With up to 4 x 6 Gen1/Gen2 PCIe backplane ports for the data plane, it is claimed to provide ten times the I/O bandwidth found in systems deploying today and to pave the way for a new generation of high-performance embedded computing (HPEC) applications.

OEMs will benefit from flexible OpenVPX system designs, which enable application-specific configurations through centralised COTS backplanes.

Owing to the open configurability of the Kontron VX3905, system developers can minimise development time and cost for specific system designs while enabling the reuse of these designs for other applications.

The Kontron 3U OpenVPX PCI Express and Ethernet hybrid switch VX3905 is compliant with the OpenVPX VITA65 switch slot profile SLT3-SWH-6F6U-14.4.

It provides up to 24 PCI Express Gen 1/Gen 2 ports for up to 32 lanes, which can be configured (x8, x4, x2 and x1) depending on the required bandwidth.

This offers OEMs a maximum data transfer rate of up to 3Gb/s per port for serial interboard communication; an extended lifecycle of OpenVPX applications; and enough headroom for future high-bandwidth designs.

The switch can also be partitioned into multiple PCIe subsystems in order for the centralised backplane to host multiple root complexes, each being able to control their own peripherals.

This enables densely packed system designs in a single housing, to reduce space, weight and total cost of ownership.

Up to nine Gigabit Ethernet ports are available on the Kontron VX3905 for the control plane, enabling dedicated system management for high availability.

An optional SATA disk carrier, in accordance with the OpenVPX VITA65 SLT3-STO-2U-14.5.1 profile, facilitates central data storage for OpenVPX systems without valuable payload slots having to be used, further simplifying the system design.

In addition, the Kontron VX3905 can also be deployed in 6U systems, as stipulated in the mechanical OpenVPX specifications.

In combination with the Kontron 6U VPX dual-processor board VX6060, OEMs can develop new computing platforms for data-intensive applications such as radar, sonar and imaging with an optimised design based on standard COTS components.

For customers to capitalise on the Kontron VX3905's high bandwidth, while enjoying optimised time-to-market in centralised VPX/OpenVPX architectures, Kontron offers VXFabric, an efficient software solution for interboard communication.

With Kontron VXFabric on Kontron 3U and 6U VPX processor boards, OEMs can use common Linux and TCP or UDP sockets.

It decouples the application software from the low-level hardware management to simplify and accelerate application development.

An additional benefit includes longer application life cycles, as the software ensures migration to future standards such as 10G and 40G Ethernet on the backplane.

Complementing the Kontron 3U OpenVPX PCI Express and Ethernet hybrid switch VX3905 is a complete Kontron VPX ecosystem.

With corresponding CPU boards, backplanes, XMC/PMC carrier boards and pre-configured evaluation systems, it provides OEMs with immediate access to begin developing and deploying VPX/OpenVPX boards and systems.

The Kontron 3U OpenVPX PCI Express and Ethernet hybrid switch VX3905 is available now in an air-cooled (0C to +55C) and conduction-cooled version (-40C to +85C).