Abaco Systems / VMIC VMIVME-9081/S-001001 Intelligent I/O Controller

The Abaco Systems VMIVME-9081/S-001001 is a third-generation Intelligent I/O Controller (IIOC) for VMEbus systems, delivering high-density, high-throughput I/O processing on a single board computer platform. It offloads I/O scanning, scaling computation, and engineering unit conversion from the host, reducing CPU overhead while maintaining deterministic performance. The IIOC communicates via Reflective Memory, 10/100 Mbit Ethernet, or VMEbus backplane, and includes offline and real-time loopback diagnostics for fault detection and isolation to the channel level.

Technical Specifications

• Host Interface: Abaco Systems Reflective Memory (5550, 5576, 5565, 5588), 10/100 Mbit Ethernet, VMEbus backplane, or embedded slave CPU configuration


• Communication Protocols: Reflective Memory (RFM), TCP/IP via stream sockets (note: TCP/IP guarantees delivery but not deterministic timing; latency may exceed hundreds of milliseconds)


• Single Board Computer: V7768 Intel Ultra Low Voltage Celeron SBC or VMIVME-7700/VME-7700RC


• CPU Frequency: 1.07 GHz


• RAM: 512 MByte SODIMM


• I/O Capacity: Up to 12 I/O chassis with maximum 228 I/O boards


• I/O Board Support: Digital input/output, analog input/output, and synchro/resolver modules from Abaco Systems' General Purpose I/O Board line

Key Features

• Parallel operation with customer-furnished SBCs and external hardware


• Star network topology with IIOC as central node


• Input scanning and output update processing in firmware


• Engineering Unit (EU) and data-type conversion on-board


• Fault detection, fault isolation, and error reporting


• Command list processing to minimize host interaction during real-time I/O operations

Typical Applications

• Industrial automation and process control


• High-determinism data acquisition systems


• Applications requiring offloaded I/O subsystem management

Compatibility & Integration Operates across mixed VMEbus architectures. Peer-to-peer Reflective Memory connections recommended for deterministic I/O timing; TCP/IP suitable for non-time-critical applications.