Used VME Modules
354 boards in stock from Abaco and VMIC, Curtiss-Wright DY-4 and Synergy, Emerson and Motorola, Acromag and Xycom. 3U and 6U cards for keeping fielded systems running.
ABB / GE Industrial Solutions VME modules (1 board)
ACTIS Computer VME modules (2 boards)
AIM VME modules (1 board)
Abaco Systems VME modules (3 boards)
Abaco Systems / Condor Engineering VME modules (1 board)
Abaco Systems / Radstone VME modules (5 boards)
Abaco Systems / Ramix VME modules (3 boards)
Abaco Systems / SBS VME modules (12 boards)
Abaco Systems / SBS / BSI VME modules (1 board)
Abaco Systems / SBS / Bit 3 VME modules (5 boards)
Abaco Systems / SBS / Greenspring VME modules (7 boards)
Abaco Systems / SBS / Logical Design Group VME modules (1 board)
Abaco Systems / SBS / VI Computer VME modules (1 board)
Abaco Systems / VMIC VME modules (102 boards)
Acromag VME modules (10 boards)
Acromag / Xembedded / Xycom VME modules (25 boards)
Aeroflex / Tektronix / CDS VME modules (2 boards)
Agilent VME modules (1 board)
Aitech Defense Systems VME modules (1 board)
Applied Materials VME modules (1 board)
CSPI VME modules (1 board)
Chrislin Industries VME modules (1 board)
Concurrent Technologies VME modules (7 boards)
Curtiss-Wright VME modules (1 board)
Curtiss-Wright / DY-4 VME modules (12 boards)
Curtiss-Wright / DY-4 / Ixthos VME modules (1 board)
Curtiss-Wright / Synergy Microsystems VME modules (7 boards)
Curtiss-Wright / Systran VME modules (5 boards)
Curtiss-Wright / Systran / Digital Technology VME modules (1 board)
Curtiss-Wright / VMETRO VME modules (4 boards)
Curtiss-Wright / VMETRO / Micro Memory VME modules (8 boards)
Data SUD Systems VME modules (1 board)
Dawn VME VME modules (2 boards)
Densan VME modules (1 board)
Emerson / Artesyn Technologies VME modules (2 boards)
Emerson / Heurikon VME modules (4 boards)
Emerson / Mizar VME modules (3 boards)
Emerson / Motorola VME modules (66 boards)
Emerson / Motorola / Force Computers VME modules (18 boards)
Frequency Devices VME modules (1 board)
GE Fanuc / ICS VME modules (1 board)
HP VME modules (2 boards)
Interphase VME modules (3 boards)
Keysight VME modules (2 boards)
Kontron / PEP VME modules (2 boards)
Kontron / Thales / Cetia VME modules (5 boards)
Kontron/Thales VME modules (2 boards)
Kratos / Integral Systems / Avtec Systems VME modules (1 board)
L-3 / Titan / VisiCom VME modules (1 board)
L-3/Vigra VME modules (2 boards)
Rockwell / Allen-Bradley VME modules (1 board)
dataCon / Augat VME modules (1 board)
Why VME is still being bought
Nobody designs a new system around VME. That is not what this inventory is for. It exists because systems built in the 1990s and 2000s are still flying, still running substations, still sitting in test cells, and replacing the architecture means redoing the safety case, the test procedures and in some cases the certification.
Against that, a known-good spare board is cheap. The engineering economics are not close, which is why a bus that was superseded two decades ago still has a working spares market. If you are keeping something alive rather than building something new, you are in the right place.
VME is not VXI
The two get confused constantly because VXI was built on top of VME and the card sizes overlap. The difference is what VXI adds: a 10 MHz clock distributed to every slot, a trigger bus, local bus lines between neighbours, and strict rules about shielding and airflow.
Those additions exist so instruments can be synchronised. VME has none of them, because VME is a computing and I/O bus, not an instrumentation one. A VXI module will not do its job in a VME chassis. If you came here looking for instrument cards, see VXI modules and modular instrument chassis.
3U and 6U
Card height decides compatibility before anything else does. 3U cards carry the P1 connector only. 6U cards are twice the height and use P1 and P2, which is where the extended addressing and extra I/O live.
A 6U card will not physically go into a 3U chassis. A 3U card will sit in a 6U slot if the guides suit it, but it only ever reaches P1. Measure the slot before you order, because this is the mistake that costs a return shipment.
Slot 1 and the system controller
Every VME crate needs one system controller and it has to be in slot 1, because that slot carries bus arbitration and the system clock. Most single-board computers can take the role, set by jumper or switch.
When a freshly assembled rack does nothing at all, this is the first thing to check. Either no card is configured as controller, or two are and they are fighting. It is a five-minute check that routinely saves a day.
VME64 and VME64x
VME64 widened address and data to 64 bits using multiplexed transfers, and introduced geographical addressing so a board can work out which slot it occupies instead of depending on jumpers. VME64x added the P0 connector for more signals, support for live insertion, and better power distribution.
Backward compatibility is generally good, with the obvious caveat that a newer board in an older backplane only gets what the backplane can give it. Plugging a VME64x card into a plain VME crate does not grant it VME64x features.
What to check before buying
Confirm card height and connector set. Confirm the firmware or revision level if your system cares, because some hosts are particular. Ask whether jumpers and mezzanine cards are present, since a PMC or IP module site that arrives empty may be the thing you actually needed. Look at the connector pins and the board edges for handling damage.
Tell us the host system and what the board has to do in it, and we will tell you whether what we have is right before it ships rather than after.
Repair and sustainment
Board-level repair is practical on most of this hardware, and often the only route when a part is long out of production. If you have a failed card and no source for a replacement, send it to us and we will tell you honestly whether it is economic to fix. See repair services →
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between VME and VXI? +
VXI is built on the VME bus but adds instrument-specific features VME does not have: a 10 MHz system clock distributed to every slot, a trigger bus, local bus lines between adjacent modules, and strict rules about shielding and cooling. VME is a general-purpose computing and I/O bus. If your system needs synchronised measurement across cards, that is VXI. If it needs processors, memory and I/O on a shared backplane, that is VME. The card sizes overlap, which is why people mix them up, but the modules are not interchangeable.
Will a 6U card work in a 3U chassis? +
No. 3U cards use the P1 connector alone; 6U cards use P1 and P2 and are physically twice the height. A 6U card will not fit a 3U chassis at all. A 3U card will sit in a 6U slot mechanically, but only if the chassis has the right card guides, and it only reaches the P1 signals. Check the slot height before ordering.
Do I need a system controller in slot 1? +
Yes. VME requires a system controller, and it has to sit in slot 1 because that slot carries the bus arbitration and system clock duties. Most single-board computers can be configured as system controller via a jumper or switch, and a common fault on a newly assembled rack is either no card configured for the role or two cards both claiming it. Check that setting first when a backplane looks dead.
Why is anyone still buying VME in 2026? +
Because requalifying a fielded system costs far more than the hardware does. Defence, aerospace, rail and industrial control systems built around VME in the 1990s and 2000s are still in service, and swapping the architecture means redoing safety cases, test procedures and certification. Buying a known-good spare board is almost always cheaper than redesigning around something modern. That is the entire market for this inventory.
What does VME64 or VME64x add over plain VME? +
VME64 widened the data and address paths to 64 bits using multiplexed transfers and added geographical addressing, so a board can tell which slot it is in rather than relying on jumpers. VME64x went further with a P0 connector for extra signals, live insertion support and better power distribution. Backward compatibility is generally good, but a VME64x board in an older backplane only gets what that backplane provides.
Can you test a VME board before it ships? +
We power and check what the board allows us to check, and we tell you what we did rather than implying more. Some I/O and interface cards can only be meaningfully exercised inside the host system they were built for. Everything ships with a 30-day return window, which matters in this category because a board can look perfect and still be wrong for your backplane.
Keeping a legacy rack alive?
Send us the chassis, the host and the part numbers you are chasing. We hold stock that never reaches the site, and we will tell you if a board will actually drop into your system.
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