Abaco Systems / SBS P32F-3 PCI Bus to VMEbus Adapter with DMA (PCI Card Only)

The Abaco Systems P32F-3 is a PCI Bus to VMEbus Adapter with integrated DMA controller, enabling bidirectional communication and unified operation between PCI and VMEbus architectures. This PCI card component creates a virtual bus that allows two distinct systems to function as a single entity, delivering connectivity with minimal processor overhead. The adapter supports transparent memory mapping, where destination bus address space appears as additional address space to the host, and includes optional dual port RAM up to 8 MBytes for shared memory operations without cross-bus access overhead.

Technical Specifications

• PCI Bus to VMEbus adapter with bidirectional bus mastership


• IEEE 1014C (VMEbus) and PCI Local Bus Specification 2.0 compliant


• Supports 3.3V and 5.0V signaling


• Four-level priority, four-level roundrobin, or single-level arbitration modes


• Operates as VMEbus System Controller, providing system clock, reset, and bus error global timeout


• Independent bus operation with timing linked only during cross-system memory or I/O references DMA Transfer Performance


• Controller Mode: Up to 35 MB/s transfer rates


• Slave Mode: Up to 13 MB/s transfer rates (618-3/620-3)


• Block size range: 4 to 16 MBytes


• Supports D32 and D16 data widths


• DMA engine operates with processor interrupt upon completion Memory and Address Mapping


• Transparent address space mapping from host to destination bus


• Supports discontiguous remote addresses mapped to contiguous local addresses


• Random access (PIO) transfers between PCI and VMEbus


• Optional Dual Port RAM: Up to 8 MBytes


• Dual Port RAM latency (VME to Dual Port): 4 μsec


• Accessible via standard C language pointers

Key Features

• High-speed DMA with minimal processor intervention


• Virtual bus architecture for unified system operation


• Optional shared memory eliminates cross-bus access delays


• Flexible arbitration and bus mastery control


• Independent bus isolation preserving bandwidth efficiency

Typical Applications Data acquisition systems, real-time signal processing, legacy VMEbus integration with modern PCI platforms, industrial control and instrumentation requiring deterministic cross-bus communication.

Compatibility & Integration The P32F-3 is the PCI card component of the SBS 618-3 bus adapter system, integrating with existing VMEbus and PCI infrastructures while supporting optional fiber-optic features for extended-distance applications.