PDSi’s VME blades pack Intel Core 2 Duo punch

COLUMBUS, USA: Pinnacle Data Systems, Inc (PDSi) Embedded Products Group announced a pair of potent new VME compute blades designed to provide pin-compatible upgrade paths for VME systems based on legacy VME-7750 and 7751 products.

Both of the new PDSi boards (VM86-N1 and VM86-N2) feature the Intel Core 2 Duo SL9400 processor, a power-efficient dual-core 1.86 GHz embedded CPU based on Intel’s low-power 45nm technology.

Architected with the server-grade Intel 5100 Micro Controller Hub for greater memory integrity and extra I/O horsepower, these new blades from PDSi offer modern, higher performing, long-lifecycle upgrade solutions for OEMs and integrators who must maintain critical legacy VME systems.

The VM86-N1 is a compact, single-slot solution, while the double-wide VM86-N2 adds additional I/O capability including on-board SCSI connectivity. Both boards feature modern SVGA video, legacy-compatible front and rear interfaces, and at least one standard PMC/XMC site for I/O expansion.

The VM86-N2 has legacy-compatible SCSI interfaces and further offers onboard SATA storage (or a second PMC site) and optional parallel port. Traditional server-class hard drives or the newest super-rugged Intel® X25-E Extreme SATA solid state drives (SSD) can be supplied for this onboard storage.

“Mission-critical VME systems can require lengthy development and validation cycles before deployment. That presents challenges when those original platforms and technologies go end-of-life; often times with little or no notice.” said Michael Darnell, VP of PDSi’s Embedded Products Group.

“One of PDSi’s strengths is developing solutions to fill these gaps. We extend the lifecycle of our customers’ systems by injecting modern computing platforms while maintaining key legacy compatibilities.“

These new Intel-based VME blades take advantage of the power-efficient Intel Core 2 Duo processors, designed from the ground up to deliver the best system level overall performance per watt. The onboard Intel Extreme SATA SSD’s offer outstanding performance and ruggedness that is well suited for harsh duty applications.

PDSi is a proud member of Intel’s Embedded and Communications Alliance. The company expects to begin shipping its new VM86 blades in the fourth quarter of 2009.