XYCOM XVME-955 Product Detailed Description

I. Product Overview

XYCOM XVME-955 is a 6U dual-high VMEbus storage module launched by Xycom (now part of Acromag/Xembedded). It is specifically designed for VME bus embedded industrial systems, integrating a 3.5-inch IDE hard drive and a 1.44MB floppy drive, providing local large-capacity storage and removable media backup capabilities. It is suitable for industrial control, data recording, embedded system booting, and data storage in harsh environments. It is a classic large-capacity storage expansion unit in early VME systems. 

II. Core Hardware Configuration

(1) Storage Unit

Hard Disk: Equipped with 3.5-inch IDE interface hard disk, available capacities are 85MB, 127MB, 240MB, 425MB or 1.6GB. It supports IDE Ultra-DMA transmission and is suitable for system booting, program storage and industrial data logging requirements.

Floppy Disk Drive: Integrated 3.5-inch high-density floppy disk drive with a standard capacity of 1.44MB. It is compatible with DOS formatted floppy disks and supports data backup, program update and offline data interaction. It is suitable for the data migration scenarios of early industrial equipment.

(2) Bus and Interfaces

VME Bus: Standard 6U dual high specification, occupying 2 VME slots. It acquires power and ground signals through the P1 backplane connector. No additional external power supply is required; the disk interface signals are converted through the front panel wiring, simplifying the internal wiring of the chassis and reducing the front panel area occupation.

Drive Interface: Onboard IDE hard disk controller and floppy disk controller directly drive the built-in hard disk and floppy disk, without the need for additional expansion cards. It is plug-and-play and compatible with standard PC/AT storage protocols, suitable for mainstream VME processor modules (such as XVME-688/690).

(3) Power Supply and Power Consumption

Using VME bus + 5V, ±12V power supply. Power is directly obtained from the P1 backplane. Typical power consumption is ≤ 20W. The power consumption is stable, suitable for industrial chassis power supply specifications, no need for additional power adapter, reducing system complexity and fault points.

(4) Physical Specifications

Form: 6U dual high VME module, occupying 2 consecutive slots of the chassis, suitable for standard 6U VME chassis P1 connector.

Size: 165mm × 50mm × 115mm (length × width × height). Dual high specification design, compatible with mainstream 6U VME chassis installation.

Weight: Approximately 270g. Lightweight industrial-grade reinforced design, facilitating installation and maintenance, suitable for various chassis layouts.

Front Panel: Equipped with floppy disk eject button and LED indicators for working status of hard disk/floppy disk, facilitating real-time monitoring of the operation status of storage devices.

III. Environmental Adaptability and Reliability

(1) Temperature Range

Operating Temperature: 0℃~55℃ (standard industrial grade), suitable for conventional industrial sites; some customized versions support **-20℃~70℃** wide temperature operation, suitable for outdoor, vehicle-mounted, etc. without air conditioning scenarios.

Storage Temperature: -40℃~+85℃. No damage risk during long-term storage and transportation, ensuring the reliability of spare parts storage.

(2) Protection and Anti-interference

Protection Grade: Front panel IP30, dust-proof design, suitable for conventional industrial site environments.

Vibration/Impact Resistance: Industrial-grade reinforced design, working state resistant to vibration 5~500Hz, 2g acceleration, resistant to impact 20g peak acceleration, suitable for machine tools, production lines, etc. vibration scenarios.

Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC): Compliant with IEC 61000-6-2 standard, with anti-electromagnetic interference capability, suitable for strong electromagnetic interference environments near frequency converters, high-voltage equipment, etc.

(3) Hardware Reliability

Industrial-grade Components: Core components use military-grade/industrial-grade devices, fully welded process, reducing the risk of false soldering and detachment, supporting long-term continuous operation (MTBF ≥ 80,000 hours).

Stable Power Supply Design: Onboard power filter circuit, suppressing voltage fluctuations and noise interference, protecting the hard disk and floppy disk to operate stably, reducing the error rate of data reading and writing.

Mechanical Reinforcement: Hard disk and floppy disk are fixed with screws + shock-absorbing pad design, reducing the damage to the magnetic head and disk due to vibration, extending the service life of storage devices.

IV. Core Functions and Features (1) Integrated Storage Integration

A single module integrates a large-capacity IDE hard drive and a standard floppy drive, meeting both the local large-capacity storage and removable medium backup requirements without the need for additional expansion of storage modules. It saves the resources of the chassis slots and is compatible with compact VME systems.

(2) Standard Protocol Compatibility

Fully compatible with PC/AT IDE and floppy drive protocols. It can directly adapt to Xycom series VME processor modules such as XVME-688 and XVME-690, supporting operating systems like MS-DOS, VxWorks, and embedded Linux. No additional drivers are required, and it is plug-and-play, reducing the difficulty of secondary development.

(3) Simplified System Architecture

Directly powered and interacted through the VME backplane, without the need for external power supply or complex wiring. It reduces external cables and fault points, enhancing system stability and meeting the requirements of simplified deployment in industrial sites.

(4) Flexible Data Management

Supports hard drive booting for the system, storage applications, and historical data. The floppy drive is used for data backup, program upgrade, and offline data exchange. It is compatible with the classic management mode of local storage + offline backup for industrial system data, meeting the data security needs of early industrial equipment.

(5) Long Lifecycle Adaptation

As a classic VME storage module, Xycom (Acromag) provides long-term spare parts supply and technical support. It is compatible with industrial equipment with a service life of 10-15 years, avoiding the cost of system upgrade and replacement due to the discontinuation of storage modules. It is widely used in the maintenance and upgrade of existing VME systems.

Five, Typical Application Scenarios

Industrial Automation: Production line control systems, PLC replacement systems, local storage units for distributed control systems (DCS), device data log recording modules.

Embedded VME System: Embedded measurement and control systems, instrument control units, system booting and data storage devices for laboratory automation devices.

Military / Aviation: Vehicle measurement and control systems, onboard auxiliary control units, local program and data storage modules for radar data preprocessing equipment.

Transportation / Energy: Rail transit onboard control units, wind power / solar energy on-site control equipment, local storage units for smart grid monitoring devices.

Maintenance of Existing Equipment: Replacement and upgrade of storage modules for old VME industrial equipment (such as early CNC machines, industrial robots), ensuring the continuous operation of the equipment.

Six, Selection and Adaptation Instructions

(1) Model Distinction

XVME-955/85: Basic version, 85MB IDE hard drive + 1.44MB floppy drive, standard industrial temperature (0℃~55℃).

XVME-955/127: Mainstream version, 127MB IDE hard drive + 1.44MB floppy drive, suitable for regular storage requirements.

XVME-955/240: Large-capacity version, 240MB IDE hard drive + 1.44MB floppy drive, suitable for large data storage scenarios.

XVME-955/W: Wide-temperature version, 127MB hard drive + wide-temperature components, supports - 20℃~70℃ working temperature.

(2) Compatible Enclosure and Processor

Enclosure: Compatible with standard 6U VME enclosure (VME64), requires 2 consecutive double-height slots, supports P1 connector power supply and signal transmission.

Processor module: Compatible with Xycom XVME-688, XVME-690, XVME-540 and other series VME processor modules, compatible with standard VME bus protocol.

(3) Operating System Adaptation

Classic Desktop Systems: MS-DOS, Windows 3.x, Windows 95 (reduced version). Embedded Real-time Systems: VxWorks 5.x/6.x, Embedded Linux 2.0/2.4, QNX 4.x/6.x.

VII. Maintenance and Precautions

Before installation, the power supply of the chassis must be cut off. Hot swapping is prohibited to avoid damage to the hard disk, floppy drive and onboard circuits due to sudden current shock. During installation, gently insert and push to ensure that the P1 connector is fully engaged. Tighten the fixing screws to prevent loosening due to vibration.

Regularly check the status of the front panel LED indicators. The flashing of the hard disk indicator indicates that data is being read or written. The soft drive indicator being on indicates that the soft drive is in operation. If the indicator flickers abnormally or remains constantly on, the power must be cut off to troubleshoot storage device failures to prevent data loss.

The magnetic head of the floppy drive is recommended to be cleaned once every 6 months. Use a dedicated cleaning floppy disk to prevent dirt from causing read/write errors. Hard disks should avoid frequent power off and restarts to reduce magnetic head wear and extend their service life.

During long-term operation, keep the chassis well-ventilated. Regularly clean the dust on the module surface and the cooling channels of the chassis to avoid poor heat dissipation caused by dust accumulation and trigger overheating failures of the hard disk.

Avoid using in environments with strong corrosion and strong magnetic fields. Strong magnetic fields may cause data loss or damage to the hard disk. During transportation, avoid violent impacts to prevent the disk platters from deforming and the mechanical structure of the floppy drive from being damaged.