Abaco Systems / VMIC VMIVME-5576-010 Fiber-Optic Reflective Memory with Interrupts

The Abaco Systems VMIVME-5576-010 is a single-slot 6U VMEbus fiber-optic reflective memory card engineered for deterministic, low-latency data exchange across distributed computing networks. It implements hardware-based data mirroring, automatically replicating writes from any node to all others on the network - up to 256 independent systems - without CPU polling overhead or I/O intervention.

Technical Specifications

• Single-slot, 6U VMEbus module


• A32:A24:D32/D16/D08 (EO) slave access


• Configurable on-board SDRAM: 256 Kbyte, 512 Kbyte, or 1 Mbyte Fiber-Optic Network


• Multimode fiber-optic communication (62.5 μm core)


• Transmitter wavelength: 1,300 nm


• Serial baud rate: 170 Mbaud


• Maximum inter-node distance: 2,000 m (6,560 ft)


• Attenuation range: 0.5 dB to 9 dB between nodes


• Network topology: Daisy chain ring or multidrop configuration Data Transfer Performance


• Up to 6.2 Mbyte/s (standard mode)


• Up to 3.2 Mbyte/s (redundant transfer mode)


• Transmit and Receive FIFOs: 512-transfer or 4 k-transfer options


• Memory access time: 200 ns to 400 ns worst-case arbitration


• Error detection: Integrated capabilities

Key Features

• Software-transparent data transfer eliminates I/O overhead


• Network supports up to 256 nodes with unique identification (0–255) via jumpers


• Inter-node interrupt generation: any node can trigger interrupts across the entire network or individual nodes following data receipt


• Interrupts masked at power-up; enabled under program control


• Redundant transmission mode for enhanced error suppression


• Hardware-based mirroring ensures predictable, deterministic performance

Typical Applications Real-time simulation environments, high-speed data acquisition systems, distributed process control, and systems requiring synchronized data distribution across multiple computing platforms with minimal latency.

Compatibility & Integration Operates as a node within reflective memory networks adhering to VMEbus architecture. Designed for integration into systems requiring reliable, deterministic inter-system communication without conventional network protocol overhead.