The Mil-CPCI-3838/3910 is a Compact PCI card implementation of a full function EFABus Interface. The card contains two identical processor sections, each of which may drive either a Mil-Std-1553B / Stanag 3838 or a Stanag3910 / PrEN 3910 bus (using external FOFE’s). It is therefore possible to supply the card is several configurations, including a dual low speed only (1553/3838) card, a dual high speed only (3910) card, or a single low speed and a single high speed card.

The two identical processor sections each use a Texas Instruments TMS320C62xx processor. This family of processors can run at speeds of up to 300Mhz, providing a peak performance of 2400MIPS. The following processor options are planned.

Connection between the processors and the host is performed over a PCI 2.1 compatible bus. The PCI interface is implemented in an FPGA which supports universal mode 5V or 3V3 signalling at either 33 or 66Mhz and 32 or 64 bits wide. PCI Target mode access are made via the processors expansion bus, which enables the host to access all the data memory of either processor. Either processor can also arbitrate to become the PCI bus master, which allows it to take control of the PCI bus, and transfer data at the maximum PCI rate of 524 MB/sec (on 66MHz 64 Bit capable busses).

The PCI interface and all the circuitry required to generate and receive the desired bus protocols is contained within a single Xilinx FPGA device. Xilinx are an accredited QML supplier of military specification components. The device is infinitely reprogrammable, and reads its configuration information from the onboard FLASH EPROM at power up. This means that both the onboard software and the onboard Xilinx ‘hardware’ can be upgraded to a users requirements without any actual hardware modifications.

For many applications, the processors internal data memory provides sufficient storage to hold the required structures for control of the 3838 or 3910 bus. If additional memory is required, each processor may have an additional 32M Bytes of high speed SDRAM fitted. This memory is fully visible to the host processor via the PCI bus, providing a maximum of 64M Bytes of on card storage. Additionally, up to 1Meg bytes of FLASH EPROM is available to each processor. This contains the boot code and application firmware for the processors, and also holds the configuration information for the FPGA.

To support the current trend towards Commercial Of The Shelf (COTS) solutions in military designs, the card is constructed using components that are available in commercial, industrial and military grade versions. This includes a military specification temperature range of –55 to +125 degrees C, full Mil-Spec-883C screening, and ‘Space’ grade radiation specifications of 60K Rad(Si). Therefore development of systems using inexpensive commercial cards in a workshop environment is possible, followed by a risk free switch to the full Mil-Spec, but functionally identical card for production systems.

Factory programmed to users specifications. Supported protocols include Mil-Std-1553A & B, MacAir, Stanag 3838 & 3910, High Speed DDL, EFABus and EFABus Express. Upgradeable firmware available by EMAIL or Internet download. Standard firmware supports concurrent Bus Controller, 31 Remote Terminals and Bus Monitor on both channels simultaneously.

Onboard are Texas DSP Processors fully support TI Code Composer Studio, C and ADA development system via JTAG debugging ports. Compatible with TI XDS510 type emulators. ATT Avionics developed Mil-Std-1553 and Stanag 3838/3910 firmware licence available for users wishing to develop fully embedded solutions.

Windows NT kernel mode device driver. Windows NT user API supplied as source code and as a 32 bit DLL.

Supported by ATT-DAS Windows user software for advanced setup and bus analysis.