Press Release

ESMexpress Module XM50 with MPC8548

System-On-Module Standard for Extreme Environmental Conditions

• MPC8548 (MPC8543) up to 1.5 GHz
• Up to 2 GB (ECC) DDR2 SDRAM
• Gb Ethernet, USB, SATA, PCI Express x8
• -40 °C to +85 °C screened
• Conductive cooling

Nuremberg/Munich, Germany – April 24, 2008 MEN Mikro Elektronik presents the first ESMexpress modules, which comply with the new, proposed ANSI-VITA 59 standard (in preparation). The XM50 is the first PowerPC-based member of this System-On-Module family for harsh environments and safety-critical applications in the embedded market. With a powerful PowerQUICC III processor and a multitude of integrated interfaces the XM50 is an ideal choice for communication intensive applications for the railway, avionics, medical engineering and industrial automation markets.

XM50 – Safety for Your Application Due to PowerPC

The first PowerPC based ESMexpress module, XM50, uses Freescale’s MPC8548 or MPC8543 from the PowerQUICC III family with clock frequencies between 800 MHz and 1.5 GHz. The powerful and yet power-saving processor with an e500 core, MMU, FPU and 512 KB L2 cache comes with a number of high-performance communication interfaces that are all integrated into a single chip.

The tried and tested PowerPC technology, application in the extended temperature range and a long-term availability of at least 10 years make the MPC8548 together with the XM50 especially suited for use on board a plane, train or bus, or in medical appliances.

The XM50 accommodates up to 2 GB of soldered DDR2 SDRAM memory with error-correcting code (ECC), in addition to non-volatile SRAM and FRAM. Further memory elements such as USB Flash are supported on the carrier board.

The interfaces implemented on the XM50 are comprised of three Gigabit Ethernet channels, six USBs with host function and one USB with client function as well as three SATA connections. The PCI Express link supported by the processor can be flexibly configured with 1, 2, 4 or 8 lanes. Legacy I/O interfaces like COM or PATA can be used alternatively on a standard carrier board.

A watchdog for temperature and voltage and a real-time clock complete the functionality of the ESMexpress module.

For testing of all functions of the XM50 and for developing the application the XC1 universal carrier board in ATX format can be used. The XM50 can also be plugged onto COM Express carrier boards (basic form factor type 2) via the adapter board AE12.

Robust Mechanics for Harsh Environments

Having a total power dissipation of 12 Watts maximum, the XM50 is specified for an operating temperature of -40 °C to +85 °C with conduction or convection cooling. Like all ESMexpress modules it is installed in a closed housing which also guarantees 100% EMC protection. To ensure shock and vibration resistance MIL- and railway-compliant connectors are used and all components are soldered. In addition the board is coated against humidity and dust.

About ESMexpress

ESMexpress modules are complete computers on a plug-on module. By configuring the I/O on an individual carrier board the functionality can be tailored to the application, thus saving costs and time-to-market. The ESMexpress standard has been developed for applications requiring highly robust electronics which ensure safe and reliable operation even in harsh environmental conditions. This applies in particular to the fields of railway and avionics, partially to industrial automation and medical engineering as well as mobile applications in general. ESMexpress is currently in the process of ANSI-VITA standardization. The official designation will be ANSI-VITA 59, RSE Rugged System-On-Module Express.

MEN Mikro Elektronik – Profile and Mission

Since its foundation in 1982 our company designs and manufactures failure-safe computer boards and systems for extreme environmental conditions in industrial and safety-critical embedded applications. Our mission is to provide innovative solutions while maximizing reliability and flexibility.

With nearly 200 employees and subsidiaries in France and the USA we have an annual revenue of 28 million Euros with an export share of about 50%. Customized solutions make for more than half of our revenue. In addition the standard product range includes far more than 100 different computer boards with Intel Pentium and multi-core processors and PowerPC with the corresponding BIOS, BSP and driver software, manifold I/O boards and completely configured systems based on:

• ESMexpress and ESM Embedded System Modules
• 3U and 6U CompactPCI, CompactPCI Express and VMEbus
• PMC, XMC and M-Modules as system-independent mezzanine I/O standards

The consistent use of FPGA technology gives us high flexibility when configuring customized and standard products.

Our products are used worldwide as control, measuring, test or simulation computers in all kinds of embedded applications. These comprise extremely safety-critical markets such as railways, including buses and commercial vehicles, aerospace technology or the medical industry, but also mechanical engineering, shipbuilding, telecommunications and the automotive industry. Computer systems in such applications are in operation up to 24 hours every day and often need to be available for 10 years and longer. Ideally no failures must occur to avoid costly downtimes of machines or danger to human life.

We are certified to ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001 in order to offer our customers the highest quality in products and services while considering environmental protection and occupational safety on the basis of a recognized quality management system. To meet the severe quality requirements in critical applications we are working on certification to AS 9100 (aerospace) and IRIS (railways).

Our aim is to constantly improve and to provide the highest technology and innovation level. Our business ethics is determined by the principles of the United Nations' Global Compact Initiative (human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption).

MEN press documents are archived on this web site for historical purposes. Information in the documents is accurate at the time of release. However, product specifications and other specific information may change over time. Some information about product pricing and availability may be limited to specific geographic areas and may differ in other areas. Information as stated in the document may or may not be in effect after the date of the release.
In addition, press documents may contain statements that are forward-looking. These statements are based on current expectations as of the date of a particular release. Actual results may differ materially from those projected because of a number of risks and uncertainties.