VPX3-1703

High Performance 3U OpenVPX, DO-254 / DO-178C safety-certifiable SBC built around NXP Layerscape LS1043A ARM quad-core A53 processor with advanced I/O capabilities

Overview

VPX3-1703 from Curtiss-Wright is the latest OpenVPX-compliant 3U processor that combines the high performance of the NXP Layerscape LS1043A ARM quad-core A53 processor with advanced I/O capabilities in a DO-254 safety-certifiable single board computer (SBC). Designed for space-constrained applications, the VPX3-1703 (Arm-based 3U VPX Single Board Computer) represents the latest step in the evolution of rugged ARM-based commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) SBCs designed specifically for safety-certifiable and non-certifiable applications.

Designed specifically to address DO-254 avionics applications, the VPX3-1703 is available with re-usable DAL C design artifacts that help speed and ease the system certification process while greatly reducing program risks and costs. The VPX3-1703’s LS1043A processor, supported by NXP with a 10+ year life cycle, features four low-power Arm A53 cores that provide a superior balance between performance, power, and cost for deployed defense and aerospace systems. What’s more, because A53 cores are well known and field-proven, they provide an ideal, high-confidence pedigree for demanding and critical safety-certifiable applications, such as avionics and motor/engine control. The fully rugged VPX3-1703 is ideal for use in mission computers, as well as general purpose SBC applications, both safety-certifiable and non-safety-certifiable.

The challenge of high-density computing is to pack the greatest functionality into the smallest standard form factor, with the lowest power possible while retaining maximum flexibility. In conjunction with its processing power, the VPX3-1703 meets this challenge by offering an impressive complement of I/O capability in order to satisfy the most demanding application needs with a low power footprint. For applications requiring information assurance, the VPX3-1703 supports NXP’s Secure Boot and trust capabilities.

The VPX3-1703’s integral high speed backplane and XMC connectivity allow for multi-GB/s data flows from board to board through the backplane interface and from the backplane to XMC site supporting the acquisition, processing, and distribution of sensor data (such as video, radar, and sonar data). The VPX3-1703 is supported by Curtiss-Wright’s U-Boot, VxWorks, and Linux Board Support Package (BSP) and Driver Suite.

Specifications

  • NXP LS1043A up to 1.6 GHz, 4 x A53 Arm processor cores
  • 1 x 32-bit DDR4 memory controllers with ECC
  • 2 x GbE controllers, 2 x DUART controller, 3 x I2C channels, 3 x PCI Express® (PCIe) interfaces, Integrated DMA controllers
  • Single independent high speed 32-bit DDR4 SDRAM controller
  • Up to 8 GB of DDR4 SDRAM with ECC
  • Up to 64 GB of eMMC Flash (optional)
  • 256 MB of contiguous direct-mapped Flash memory
  • PCIe fabric ports on the VPX P1 connector mapped as per VITA 65
  • Conduction-cooling of XMC site optimized with primary and secondary thermal interfaces
  • Two 1000BASE-T GbE interfaces on P1 connector mapped per VITA 65
  • One SATA 2.0 port
  • 2 x asynchronous EIA-232 serial ports, 2 x asynchronous capable EIA-422 serial channels
  • 2 x USB 2.0 or 1 x USB 3.0 ports
  • General purpose DMA controllers provided by the LS1043A
  • Status LEDs
  • +5V operation
  • Air-cooled / Conduction-cooled
  • Available software packages - 64-bit Linux BSP based on NXP SDK, 64-bit VxWorks 7 SMP BSP, DO-178C Safety Certifiable BSPs available from software partners