Readers of the Samtec blog are familiar with the benefits of FMC and FMC+. These popular interfaces define a compact electro-mechanical expansion interface for a daughter card to an FPGA baseboard or other device with re-configurable I/O capability. VITA 57.1 has been around for some time. It supports 10 full-duplex transceivers running at 10 Gbps. The new VITA 57.4 standard defines two new connectors. Combined, they offer 32 full-duplex transceivers running at 28 Gbps. New … [Read more...]
Characterization and Development Kits Viewable Across Samtec.com
Over the past few years, Samtec has expanded its portfolio of Characterization and Development Kits. Engineers and designers demand the best tools for system prototyping. From concept and prototype to development and production, Samtec-designed Characterization and Development Kits featuring high-speed interconnect solutions to help simplify design. Helpfully, they reduce time to market for hobbyists, tinkerers, start-ups and OEMs alike. Easy Access via Landing Page Engineers … [Read more...]
Samtec Unveils New Standards Home Page
In the Standards world, specifications are categorized to three ascending levels: Corporate, De Facto, and Industry Standard. Corporate Standards are achieved when design elements are adopted company-wide. De Facto Standards often grow out of a Corporate Standard to act as a solution in a common industry (like using micro-USB in Android phones). Industry Standards are formal specifications produced by a body of participants assembled to narrow variations on a precise application. The purpose … [Read more...]
Samtec Releases New VITA Standards Webpages
As a connector company, Samtec is involved with a wide variety of different Industry Standards and Protocols that are constantly growing. From USB to PCI Express, Standards allow for our compliant interconnect solutions to be deployed in a diverse number of configurations and settings. One of the largest Standards families Samtec participates with is VSO, VITA Standards Organization, better known as just VITA. VITA members have worked together to define and develop key computer bus, board, … [Read more...]
Samtec Rewrites the VITA 42 Story
Everyone loves a good book. From Shakespearean classics to more modern-day masterpieces, a solid story can leave a lasting impression. While the VITA family of standards isn't necessarily a book, it does have a rich history with a large impact. As we learned in a previous blog, standards are always progressing, and, in this case, so is VITA 42. What does that mean to the connector industry, and how has VITA 42 changed with Samtec? To get a solid grasp on these questions and more, let's dive … [Read more...]
Industry Standards and Samtec – What They Are and Why We Are Involved (Part 2)
As was discussed briefly in Part 1, Industry Standards play a big role at Samtec. In addition to offering technical credibility and innovation, many of the standards we work with drive our current and future product designs forward. Take, for example, the three aforementioned standards… PC/104™ As members of both the Technical Work Group & Marketing Group, Samtec has taken a large role in PC/104 over the years. As one of the oldest and most recognized Embedded Computing Standards, … [Read more...]
Industry Standards and Samtec – What They Are and Why We Are Involved (Part 1)
Cadillac vs. Ford. Fast food vs. fine dining. 24k gold vs. 25₵ plastic. The difference between all of these things: standards. Standards are what define the choices we make each and every day as to what we will invest our time and money in. But what do standards, in this case, Industry Standards, have to do with a connector company, and why are they so important to us? What is a Standard? To understand why, we first need to define what a standard is. In the business world, there are … [Read more...]
VME (VITA) Expansion: Moving the Connector Industry Forward
In order to better understand the massive impact the VME (VITA) standard family has had in the electronics industry, it is helpful to review its past successes, its present values, and its plans for the future. A Brief History Lesson Since its conception in 1982, VITA has continued to focus on marketing, expansion, and integration within the connector world. Its primary focus was creating open standards for an open world. What’s an open standard you ask? An open standard is defined … [Read more...]
VITA 42 XMC Keeps on Truckin’
Data. Data. Data. It seems like we can’t get enough. 28 Gbps, 56 Gbps, and 112 Gbps serial channel data rates are standard or roadmap options for semiconductor, connector and optical module manufacturers. It’s almost like you need a Bugatti Veyron or Lamborghini Murcielago to get to the drug store in under 3.0 seconds for some cold medicine. Unless you are some rich Italian playboy, you probably have a sedan, a SUV, or a regular pick-up truck to run your errands. Likewise, typical … [Read more...]
BBC R+D Leverages FMC for Audio Codec Replacement
Our friends at Xilinx recently blogged about how the BBC R+D department replaced a 32-year old small rack-mount audio codec with low-cost off-the-shelf solutions customized to fit the BBC's needs. According to Justin Mitchell, principal engineer at BBC R+D, this project occurred since the original audio codec could no longer be supported due to component aging and a lack of parts. The heart of the new system is the Xilinx Zynq SoC found on the low-cost ZedBoard development kit available from … [Read more...]