Abaco Systems / SBS / Greenspring PMC-Octal Pro-232 Serial Communication PMC

The Abaco Systems PMC-Octal Pro-232 is a PCI Mezzanine Card (PMC) that delivers eight asynchronous RS-232 serial communication channels in a compact, high-density form factor. Built around dual Quad UART architecture, this module supports software-configurable baud rates from 50 bps to 460.8 kbps and includes 128 bytes of transmit and receive FIFO buffering per channel. Standard asynchronous baud rates are generated by an on-board 7.3728 MHz oscillator, with an unpopulated oscillator site available for custom frequency implementation. The PMC-Octal Pro-232 routes serial signals—TxD, RxD, CTS, RTS, DSR, and DTR per channel—to both a front-panel 68-pin connector and the PMC back panel (P4) I/O connector, enabling flexible integration into embedded systems and data communications platforms.

– Technical Specifications

• Eight asynchronous RS-232 serial channels via dual Quad UARTs
• Programmable baud rate: 50 bps to 460.8 kbps
• Oscillator: 7.3728 MHz on-board standard; custom oscillator site available
• FIFO buffers: 128 bytes transmit, 128 bytes receive per channel
• Four programmable transmit/receive FIFO interrupt trigger levels
• Programmable bit length, parity, and stop bits
• IEEE P1386.1 PMC standard compliant

– Key Features

• Dual 68-pin and PMC back panel connectors for signal routing
• Breakout cables and 68-pin terminal blocks support rapid prototyping
• Full modem control signal support (CTS, RTS, DSR, DTR) per channel
• Independent FIFO interrupt configuration for each transmit/receive pair

– Typical Applications

• Embedded systems requiring dense serial port integration
• Data acquisition and telemetry systems
• Industrial control and SCADA networks
• Laboratory instrumentation interfaces

– Compatibility & Integration

Asynchronous serial drivers are available for Windows NT, VxWorks, and Linux (kernel 2.6.0). The module integrates into any PMC-compatible carrier board supporting the PCI Mezzanine specification.