Abaco Systems / Radstone PME 68-42 VME Single Board Computer

The Abaco Systems / Radstone PME 68-42 is a VME Single Board Computer (SBC) designed for high-performance real-time applications. It features a dual-processor architecture, leveraging the processing power of the Motorola 68040 for primary computation and a Motorola 68020 as a dedicated I/O processor to manage intensive tasks and reduce overhead on the main CPU. This architecture is intended to maximize real-time performance within VMEbus systems. The PME 68-42 offers a software-compatible platform, utilizing the P2 user-defined pins for I/O connections, and is compatible with a range of operating systems.

### Technical Specifications

**Processors:**
* **Primary Processor:** Motorola 68040 (specific clock speed not explicitly detailed for this model but 68040 variants range from 25 MHz to 40 MHz)
* **I/O Processor:** Motorola 68020 @ 20 MHz

**Memory:**
* **RAM:** Up to 36 Mbytes of distributed multi-port RAM
* **EEPROM:** 512 bytes for board configuration details

**Interfaces:**
* **SCSI:** On-board SCSI interface with full SCSI Common Command Set (CCS) support and SCSI-2 features like command tagging and queuing. The interface supports synchronous transfers up to 6.25 Mbytes/sec or asynchronous transfers up to 5 Mbytes/sec, with an on-chip 32-byte FIFO and DMA controller for burst transfers.
* **Ethernet:** On-board Ethernet interface with built-in DMA.
* **Serial Ports:** Four serial ports.
* Driven by two Z85C30 Enhanced Serial Communications Controllers.
* Two ports support RS232C or asynchronous operation with data rates up to 2.048 Mbits/sec. These can also support HDLC, SDLC, X.25, or BISYNC operations with appropriate software.
* The other two ports support RS232C asynchronous mode only.
* Optional RS422/RS485 configurations are available for the serial ports.
* **APEX Interface:** Included on-board.
* **VMEbus Interface:** Standard VMEbus compliance, supporting A32/24 and D64/32/16/08 master/slave operations. The PME 68-42 uses the P2 user-defined pins for I/O connections.

**Architecture:**
* **Dual Processor Architecture:** Maximizes real-time performance by offloading I/O and interrupt handling to a dedicated 68020 I/O processor, reducing the load on the 68040.
* **”Freeflow” Architecture:** Utilizes multiple internal and external data paths under independent processor control to minimize I/O and bus transfer conflicts.

**Firmware:**
* **CIOS (Concurrent I/O Server):** On-board firmware providing full SCSI support and I/O management functions.
* **BIOS PROM:** Contains hardware drivers and I/O management functions.

**Physical:**
* **Form Factor:** VMEbus Single Board Computer (SBC). The PME 68-41, a similar model, is described as a B-size 6U VME module.

**Compatibility:**
* **Software:** Compatible with a range of operating systems including UNIX System V, VRTX32, Velocity, VxWorks, OS-9, and other leading real-time operating systems and kernels.
* **68000 Family:** Maintains code compatibility throughout the 68000 processor family.
* **P2 User Pins:** For I/O connections on the 68-42 model.
* **Transition Modules:** A range of transition modules is available to convert P2 I/O to industry-standard connectors.

### Why Choose Aumictech for Abaco Systems / Radstone PME 68-42?

At Aumictech, we specialize in supplying high-performance VMEbus computing equipment. Whether you need robust processing power for complex real-time data acquisition, reliable I/O management for demanding industrial automation, or seamless integration into existing VME systems, our team ensures the Abaco Systems / Radstone PME 68-42 delivers maximum performance and dependability for your application.