Acromag's new ACEX-4600 COM Express carrier cards greatly reduce system design time by providing a rugged host for Type 6 CPU and PMC/XMC modules that is ready for use in extreme conditions.

WIXOM, Mich. -- Acromag's ACEX-4600 COM Express Type 6 carrier cards feature a rugged design for use in small form factor computing systems that require wide temperature operation and shock/vibration immunity. Three models are available to host a basic size COM Express module and optionally one or two PMC/XMC modules for FPGA or I/O processing tasks. All models include two mini-PCIe slots. The carrier's mezzanine module slots are located on the opposite side of the CPU module to maintain a small footprint. For easier development and testing, Acromag offers an engineering design kit with a break-out board that routes all the I/O signals from the carrier's high-density connector to standard peripheral connectors. Production front panels with MIL-DTL-38999 cylindrical connectors and a conduction cooling kit prepare the carrier card for field deployment. The base carrier card starts at $795.

"With these carrier cards, the companion break-out board, and our ruggedized Intel 4(th) generation Core i7 CPU module, system engineers can quickly go from development in the lab to deployment," explains Joseph Primeau, Acromag's sales and marketing director. Engineers can save a lot of design time by prototyping and testing on an off-the-shelf carrier card they can later employ in the field.

The ACEX-4605 model interfaces a basic Type 6 COM Express module and two mini-PCIe slots in a compact 125 x 165mm footprint. The ACEX-4610 is the same size but adds a PMC/XMC slot. Adding a second PMC/XMC slot, the ACEX-4620 is slightly larger with 200 x 165mm Mini-ITX dimensions.

Designed for use in defense, aerospace, and heavy industrial applications, Acromag's ACEX-4600 carrier cards employ a variety of rugged features to ensure dependable operation in harsh environments. Thicker circuit boards resist flex while industrial-grade components enable operation from -40 to 85 degrees C. Adding conduction cooling rails to mate with heat spreader plates on Acromag's XCOM-6400 CPU module helps wick away heat generated by the Core i7 processor and any FPGA expansion modules. Front panels with military connectors and a power filter conveniently plug into the carrier card facilitating enclosure design.

Despite their small size, ACEX-4600 carrier cards offer support for a wide variety of I/O signals and peripheral interfaces accessible through a high-density SEARAY connector (400 lines). Two gigabit LAN ports, a PCIe port, four USB ports, and two RS232/485 ports provide flexible network and serial communication options. The carriers also support up to three DVI-I video ports and an audio in/out interface. Three SATA ports and a CFast port enable access to high volume data storage. Other CPU-supported functions include eight GPIO, a temperature sensor, two fan control lines, on-board system battery, and a power monitoring LED. A fused, on-board DC/DC converter accepts 10-32V DC input power. A reset button is also included.