VPX computing blade for parallel processing

Paul Boughton
In the wake of the Intel Core i7 processor announcement at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Kontron has unveiled the Kontron VX6060, an innovative VPX computing blade for parallel data and signal processing applications.
 
With two independently implemented Intel Core i7 processing nodes linked to a powerful Ethernet and PCIe infrastructure, the Kontron VPX blade VX6060 is suitable for intensive parallel computing workloads where a cluster of Kontron VX6060s can be used in full mesh VPX or switched OpenVPX environments.
 
Each processing node implements Intel's next-generation, high-performance embedded processor with integrated memory controller and Intel HD graphics - the Intel Core i7 processor - coupled with the highly integrated Intel Platform Controller Hub (PCH) QM57 with numerous Gigabit Ethernet, SATA, USB 2.0 and PCIe channels.
 
Dirk Finstel, CTO of Kontron AG, describes the VX6060 as "the ultimate computing tool MAG HPEC users have been waiting for, allowing them to walk away from 10 years of PowerPC Altivec dominance in radar, sonar and imaging applications." Combined with the power of a 6U VPX backplane infrastructure, new outstanding HPEC applications are now becoming possible using only standard technology (Linux or RTOS on x86 and TCP/IP) for which the future is already laid out. With two dual-core high-performance embedded processors, the Kontron VX6060 is suitable for rugged embedded computing where the power envelope and dissipation constraints at extreme temperatures of computers designed for harsh environments still prohibit the use of quad-core silicon.
 
Target applications include radar, sonar, imaging systems, airborne fighters and UAV radar, which will use clusters of the Kontron VPX blade VX6060 devices. On the other hand, thanks to the rich collection of I/O included for each node, rugged multi-display consoles and many other types of embedded applications will find the Kontron VX6060 very attractive thanks to the format of two independent single-board computers in a single 6U VPX slot, with the potential to run a different OS on each processor.
 
Available in forced-air-cooled and conduction-cooled versions, the Kontron VX6060 comes with PowerMP, a collection of off-the-shelf software featuring complex computer cluster health management and a stress test tool, allowing computer qualification prior to the final application availability. PowerMP software is already in use today in UAVs, radars and sonars throughout the world, where it is utilised in previous generations of Kontron VME and CompactPCI computing nodes.
 
Kontron's new 6U VPX board comes with EFI BIOS and supports Linux and VxWorks 6. It is covered by Kontron's long-term supply program, which guarantees customers multi-year supply of the product beyond its active life.
 
For more information, visit www.kontron.com

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