XYCOM XVME-957 Product Detailed Description

I. Product Overview

XYCOM XVME-957 (now belonging to Acromag/Xembedded) is a 6U dual-height VMEbus high-capacity storage subsystem module, specifically designed for Xycom XVME-655, XVME-675, XVME-688, XVME-690 and other PC/AT architecture VME processor modules. It integrates a large-capacity IDE hard drive and standard floppy drive within a single dual-height slot, providing industrial-grade local storage and offline backup capabilities. It is suitable for industrial automation, data recording, embedded measurement and control, and systems in harsh environments for system booting and data storage. It is the core unit for high-performance storage expansion in VME systems. 

II. Core Hardware Configuration

(1) Storage Unit

Hard Disk: Equipped with 2.5-inch IDE interface hard disk. Standard capacities available are 500MB, 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, or 6GB. Supports IDE PIO/DMA transmission mode. Suitable for system booting, application storage, and large-scale industrial data logging. Also, a 1.3-inch IDE flash drive (without mechanical structure) can be configured to meet the requirements of high-vibration and high-reliability scenarios.

Floppy Drive: Integrated 3.5-inch high-density floppy drive with a standard capacity of 1.44MB. Compatible with DOS format floppy disks. Supports data backup, program updates, and offline data interaction. Suitable for industrial equipment data migration and maintenance scenarios.

(2) Bus and Interfaces

VME Bus: Standard 6U dual high specification, occupying 2 consecutive VME slots. Obtains power and grounding through P1 connector. P2 connector transmits IDE hard disk and floppy drive signals. No additional conversion is required, simplifying the cabinet wiring.

Storage Interface: Board-mounted IDE controller and floppy drive controller directly drive the built-in storage devices. Compatible with PC/AT IDE protocol. No additional drivers are needed. Plug-and-play. Suitable for mainstream VME processor modules.

(3) Power Supply and Power Consumption

Uses VME backplane + 5V, ±12V power supply. Obtains power directly from P1 connector without external power adapter. Typical power consumption ≤ 18W. Full-load power consumption ≤ 22W. Adapts to industrial cabinet power supply specifications, reducing heat dissipation pressure and system complexity.

(4) Physical Specifications

Form: 6U dual-high VME module, occupying 2 consecutive slots. Compatible with standard 6U VME cabinet P1/P2 connectors.

Size: 165mm × 50mm × 115mm (length × width × height). Compatible with mainstream 6U VME cabinets.

Weight: Approximately 320g (including hard disk/floppy drive). Industrial-grade reinforced design, facilitating installation and maintenance.

Front Panel: Equipped with floppy drive release button, hard disk/floppy drive status LED indicators (power, read/write, fault), supporting real-time monitoring of device operation status.

III. Environmental Adaptability and Reliability

(1) Temperature Range

Operating Temperature: Standard industrial grade 0℃~55℃; Wide temperature version -20℃~70℃, suitable for outdoor, vehicle-mounted, military-grade, etc., harsh scenarios without air conditioning.

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, splash-proof water-resistant, suitable for dusty, oily industrial sites; Interfaces with shielding design to reduce electromagnetic interference.

Vibration/Impact Resistance: Industrial-grade reinforced, working state resistant to vibration 5~500Hz, 2g acceleration, impact resistant 20g peak; Non-working state resistant to impact 50g, suitable for strong vibration scenarios such as machine tools, production lines.

Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC): Complies with IEC 61000-6-2 standard. Board-mounted EMI filter circuit to suppress static electricity, surges, and electromagnetic interference, suitable for strong electromagnetic environments near frequency converters, high-voltage equipment.

(3) Hardware Reliability

Industrial-grade Components: Core components use military-grade/industrial-grade devices. Fully welded process reduces the risk of short circuits, soldering failures. MTBF ≥ 100,000 hours, supporting long-term continuous operation.

Mechanical Reinforcement: Hard disk and floppy drive are fixed with screws + shock-absorbing pad design, reducing damage to the magnetic head/recorded media caused by vibration; Flash drive version has no mechanical moving parts, providing stronger shock resistance. Stable power supply: Built-in power filter and overvoltage protection circuit to suppress voltage fluctuations and protect the storage devices from operating abnormally, reducing the error rate of data reading and writing.

IV. Core Functions and Features

(1) Large-capacity storage integration

Single module integrates up to 6GB IDE hard drive + 1.44MB floppy drive, balancing local large-capacity storage and removable medium backup, without the need for additional expansion modules, saving chassis slot resources, and suitable for compact VME systems.

(2) Standard protocol compatibility

Fully compatible with PC/AT IDE and floppy drive protocols, seamlessly compatible with XVME-655/675/688/690 and other Xycom processor modules, supporting MS-DOS, VxWorks, embedded Linux, QNX, etc., no additional drivers required, plug-and-play, reducing the difficulty of secondary development.

(3) Flexible storage configuration

Supports various storage combinations: only hard drive, hard drive + floppy drive, flash drive + floppy drive, suitable for different scenario requirements (such as choosing flash drive for high vibration, choosing floppy drive for backup), improving the flexibility of system adaptation.

(4) Simplified system architecture

Directly powered and communicated through the VME backplane, no need for external power supply, complex wiring or bridge, reducing system failure points, improving stability, suitable for simplified deployment and maintenance requirements in industrial sites.

(5) Long lifecycle support

As a classic VME storage module, Acromag/Xycom provides long-term spare parts supply and technical support, suitable for industrial equipment with a 10-15 year service life, avoiding system upgrade costs due to module discontinuation, widely used in the maintenance and upgrade of existing VME systems.

V. Typical Application Scenarios

Industrial Automation: Local storage for production line control systems, DCS data recording units, PLC alternative system program storage modules, equipment operation log recording devices.

Embedded Measurement and Control: Storage units for high-speed data acquisition systems, instrument control modules, laboratory automation device system booting and data storage devices.

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

Transportation / Energy: Storage modules for rail transit vehicle control units, data recording units for wind power / photovoltaic on-site control equipment, local storage devices for smart grid monitoring devices.

Maintenance of existing equipment: Replacement and upgrade of storage modules for old VME industrial equipment (such as CNC machines, industrial robots), ensuring continuous operation of equipment, extending service life.

VI. Selection and Adaptation Instructions

(1) Model Configuration Rules

Basic model: XVME-957 (dual high storage module, no hard drive).

Hard drive configuration: XVME-957/500 (500MB), XVME-957/1G (1GB), XVME-957/2G (2GB), XVME-957/4G (4GB), XVME-957/6G (6GB).

Flash memory version: XVME-957/FL (1.3-inch IDE flash drive, no floppy drive).

Temperature version: Standard temperature (0℃~55℃), wide temperature (-20℃~70℃).

(2) Compatible Processor Modules

Only compatible with Xycom PC/AT architecture VME processor modules:

XVME-655, XVME-675, XVME-677;

XVME-686, XVME-688, XVME-690.

(3) Compatible Enclosures Compatible standard 6U VME chassis (VME64/VME64x), requires 2 consecutive double-height slots, and supports P1 (power) and P2 (storage signal) connectors.

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 storage device and onboard circuits due to instantaneous current shock; during installation, gently insert and push to ensure that the P1/P2 connectors are fully engaged, tighten the fixing screws to prevent vibration from causing loosening.

Regularly check the LED indicators on the front panel: a constantly lit power indicator indicates normal power supply, a flashing hard drive indicator indicates data reading and writing, and a soft drive indicator is on when the soft drive is working; if the fault indicator is constantly lit, the power must be cut off to troubleshoot storage device contact or hardware faults to avoid data loss.

The magnetic head of the floppy drive should be cleaned once every 6 months. Use a dedicated cleaning floppy disk to prevent magnetic head dirt from causing read/write errors; avoid frequent power off and restart of the hard drive to reduce magnetic head wear; flash drive versions do not require mechanical maintenance.

During long-term operation, keep the chassis well-ventilated, regularly clean the dust on the module surface and the chassis cooling channels to avoid overheating of the hard drive or performance degradation of the flash drive.

Avoid using in strong corrosive and strong magnetic environments. Strong magnetic fields may cause data loss of the hard drive; during transportation, avoid violent impact to prevent damage to connectors, storage devices, and onboard components.