Motorola MVME5500 6U Single-Slot VME64 SBC (PowerPC G4 MPC7455 7457, High-End Successor of MVME162 Series)

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    • Product Code: MVME5500
    • Availability: In Stock
    Motorola MVME5500 6U Single-Slot VME64 SBC (PowerPC G4 MPC7455/7457, High-End Successor of MVME162 Series)
    Manufacturer: Motorola Computer Group → Later acquired by Artesyn Embedded / Emerson
    Model: MVME5500 (multiple variants: standard commercial, TM wide-temperature rugged industrial grade)
    Series Position: Top-tier VME SBC, successor to MVME162 68K series, used for modernized Honeywell DCS upgrade racks
    Type: Single-slot 6U VME64 master CPU board, PowerPC G4 RISC architecture with AltiVec vector floating-point engine
    Core Function: High-performance real-time master node for DCS process stations, operator stations, aerospace, railway signal, military rugged computing; dual PCI buses, dual PMC expansion, gigabit Ethernet, ECC memory, multi-stage watchdog, battery-backed NVRAM/RTC; fully compatible with VxWorks, MontaVista Linux, QNX RTOS
    1. Product Overview
    MVME5500 is Motorola’s flagship single-slot VME64 single-board computer, designed to replace the aging MC68040-based MVME162 series for high-throughput real-time embedded control systems. It adopts PowerPC G4 architecture with dedicated AltiVec SIMD coprocessor for heavy floating-point trend/control algorithm calculation, critical for modern Honeywell DCS process monitoring and historical data processing. The board fits one standard 6U VME slot, carries two independent 64-bit PCI buses and dual PMC mezzanine expansion slots (front/rear I/O routing via P2 VME connector). It supports ECC error-correcting SDRAM to eliminate EMI-induced data corruption in industrial cabinet environments, dual redundant network ports for fault-tolerant control networks, dual-bank soldered Flash for safe firmware field upgrades, and removable battery-backed NVRAM + TOD real-time clock for persistent system configuration storage. TM suffix variants deliver extended -40℃ ~ +85℃ wide industrial temperature operation, reinforced industrial semiconductors, vibration/shock compliance per NEBS and MIL-STD-810, for offshore, desert, military and outdoor unmanned control racks. Standard commercial versions operate 0℃ ~ +55℃ with forced air cooling.
    2. Full Technical Specifications
    • CPU: MPC7455 / MPC7457 PowerPC G4 RISC, 1GHz core frequency; 32KB L1 I / 32KB L1 D cache, 256KB on-die L2 cache, 2MB external L3 cache; integrated AltiVec vector floating-point coprocessor
    • System Memory: Onboard 512MB PC133 ECC SDRAM; expandable to max 1GB via optional memory mezzanine card
    • Firmware Storage: Dual soldered Flash banks: 32MB write-protectable primary OS Flash + 8MB secondary boot Flash (total 40MB non-volatile storage)
    • Non-Volatile Memory: 32KB M48T37V battery-backed NVRAM/RTC, user-accessible 4KB partition; replaceable lithium battery, 5-year retention life at 25℃
    • Network Interfaces: Port1: Intel 82544EI 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (front RJ45); Port2: 10/100BASE-TX Fast Ethernet (front RJ45 or rear P2 routed)
    • Serial Ports: 2× TL16C550 UART RS232/422 async console/field communication ports, max baud rate 38400
    • Expansion Buses: Dual independent 64-bit 66MHz PCI buses; two IEEE 1386.1 PMC mezzanine slots (support PrPMC processor mezzanines); auxiliary PCI expansion connector for up to 4 additional PMC modules
    • VME Bus Interface: Tundra Universe II VME64 bridge; full A16/A24/A32 master/slave, D08/D16/D32/D64 BLT/SCT block transfer, built-in VME system controller (jumper auto-select)
    • Timers & Watchdog: Eight 32-bit programmable interval timers; multi-level hardware watchdog timer with full system reset timeout
    • Front Panel I/O: Run/Fail status LEDs, manual RESET / ABORT pushbuttons, CompactFlash type-II socket, USB 1.1 port
    • Power Draw: Input +5V / +12V / -12V VME backplane; typical consumption 15–20W, maximum 30W
    • Temperature Grades: Standard commercial: 0℃ ~ +55℃ forced air; TM industrial rugged: -40℃ ~ +85℃ wide range
    • Mechanical Form Factor: Single-height 6U VME Eurocard, 233mm (H) × 160mm (W) × 46mm (D), ~500g weight
    • Supported Real-Time OS: VxWorks 5.x/6.x, MontaVista Linux, QNX Neutrino, LynxOS
    3. Key Differences vs Legacy MVME162 Series
    1. Processor Architecture: MVME5500 = PowerPC G4 1GHz AltiVec; MVME162 = MC68040/LC040 25/32MHz 68K, limited floating-point performance
    2. Network: MVME5500 carries native Gigabit Ethernet; MVME162 only 10Mbps 10/100 Fast Ethernet max
    3. Memory: MVME5500 up to 1GB ECC SDRAM; MVME162 max 8MB non-ECC DRAM
    4. Expansion: MVME5500 dual 64-bit PCI/PMC slots; MVME162 uses 32-bit IndustryPack IP expansion
    5. Application Positioning: MVME5500 for new DCS upgrade heavy-load operator/process stations; MVME162 legacy original TDC3000 LCN nodes
    4. Core Competitive Features
    • High-speed AltiVec floating-point coprocessor for large-scale DCS historical trend and complex interlock calculation
    • ECC memory error correction to eliminate data corruption from industrial cabinet EMI/electrical noise
    • Dual redundant gigabit + fast Ethernet ports for fault-tolerant process control network redundancy
    • Dual independent PCI bus architecture isolates peripheral I/O traffic to guarantee hard real-time determinism
    • Dual-bank split Flash storage enables safe online firmware upgrades without bricking the board
    • Rugged TM wide-temperature variant supports extreme cold/hot field deployment (offshore, mining, desert, military)
    • Full VME64 master capability with high-speed D64 BLT block DMA transfers for multi-card rack data sharing
    • Multi-stage hardware watchdog auto-reset prevents permanent system deadlock in unattended unmanned control rooms
    5. Industrial & DCS Applications
    • Modernized Honeywell TDC3000 DCS upgraded operator station / LCN network heavy-duty host controller
    • Petrochemical & thermal power plant VME rack high-performance real-time process monitoring core
    • Offshore oil & gas platform wide-temperature rugged embedded master computing node
    • Railway central signal cabinet high-speed real-time signal processing SBC
    • Military radar, flight simulation, avionics rugged VME computing module
    • Large-scale industrial ATE automated test equipment high-speed data acquisition host
    Motorola / Artesyn © MVME5500 VME64 Single Board Computer


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