Emerson / Motorola MVME177-003 Single Board Computer

The Emerson/Motorola MVME177-003 is a single-height 6U VME single board computer built around the Motorola MC68060 microprocessor running at 50 MHz. This industrial-grade SBC combines a 32-bit VMEbus interface with integrated SCSI and Ethernet connectivity, delivering computing for embedded systems, process control, and automation environments. The board features configurable memory capacity up to 256 MB, on-board DMA controllers, and four serial ports, enabling complex real-time applications with minimal external hardware.

Technical Specifications Processor & Cache

MC68060 microprocessor at 50 MHz

8 KB on-chip L1 I/D cache

Integrated Memory Management Unit (MMU) and Floating-Point Unit (FPU) Memory

16 MB ECC DRAM standard; configurable to 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, or 256 MB via daughterboards

Four-way interleaved with Error Checking and Correction

128 KB SRAM with battery backup

4 MB Flash ROM (mapped at $0–$3FFFFF)

Two 44-pin sockets for up to 2 MB on-board ROM/EPROM VMEbus Interface

IEEE 1014 VMEbus standard with full 32-bit master/slave operation

VMEchip2 ASIC controller with VME D64 support

DMA supporting D64 and local bus memory burst cycles I/O & Connectivity

Four EIA-232-D serial ports; baud rates to 38.4 kbaud (async)

8-bit bidirectional parallel port (Centronics compatible)

NCR 53C710 Fast-narrow SE SCSI controller with 32-bit local bus burst DMA; 10 Mbytes/s synchronous transfers

Intel i82596CA 10 Mb Ethernet controller with 32-bit local bus DMA

8 KB NVRAM with real-time clock/calendar and battery backup Timers & Control

Four 32-bit timers and one watchdog timer

Remote Reset/Abort/Status control functions

Eight status LEDs (FAIL, STAT, RUN, SCON, LAN, +12V, SCSI, VME) Physical & Environmental

Single-height 6U form factor: 233.4 mm H × 160.0 mm D

Operating temperature: 0°C to +55°C with forced air cooling (typically 100 CFM)

Power consumption: less than 20 watts typical

Key Features

Configurable DRAM up to 256 MB for memory-intensive applications

Dual communication interfaces (SCSI and Ethernet) for network and storage connectivity

Four serial channels for multi-device control and monitoring

Battery-backed NVRAM and SRAM for data retention

VMEchip2-based architecture for efficient local-to-VMEbus DMA operations

Typical Applications Industrial process control, data acquisition systems, real-time automation, embedded test equipment, and distributed control networks leveraging VMEbus architecture.

Compatibility & Integration Full compatibility with the M68000 family hardware and software ecosystem. VMEbus master/slave operation integrates into existing VME crates and controller systems. Supports standard VME peripheral modules and memory expansion via mezzanine modules.