Wixom, MI – July 8, 2019 – Acromag’s newest PCIe carrier card for their family of AcroPack rugged I/O modules is ideal for use in smaller mission computers and servers with reduced-depth expansion slots. The APCe7043 ¾-length PCIe card lets system developers install a mix of up to four I/O function modules in expansion slots that can’t fit a full-size card over 10 inches long. AcroPack I/O modules are based on the PCI Express mini card (mPCIe) standard and available for a wide variety of analog I/O, digital I/O, serial communication, FPGA, MIL-STD-1553, CAN bus, and other functions.

Designed for rugged applications, the AcroPack carrier and I/O modules are well-suited for use in military, aerospace, oilfield and industrial applications where size, weight, and power (SWaP) optimization is required. Common applications include data acquisition & control, test & measurement, simulation, and communication operations.

The APCe7043 expansion board is only ten inches long (3/4-length PCIe) but can interface four plug-in AcroPack mezzanine I/O modules to the computer’s PCI Express bus. Two of the four mezzanine slots have sockets for optional isolated power supplies to support the use of isolated I/O modules. Field I/O signals are routed directly to the AcroPack modules through four 68-pin VHDCI connectors on the faceplate without any loose internal wires.

“This ¾-length PCIe expansion board offers great I/O versatility when using short-depth mission computers or rugged servers,” explained Robert Greenfield, Acromag’s Business Development Manager. “Now when size and weight restrictions impede the ability to use a full-length card, there is a 10-inch alternative to the limited capabilities of a half-length card that still fits in many smaller computer chassis.”

AcroPack mezzanine modules improve on the mini PCI Express architecture by adding a down-facing 100-pin connector that securely routes the I/O through a carrier card to its integrated external connectors thus eliminating internal cables and metalwork modifications. Carrier cards for rack-mount, field-deployable, industrial chassis, desktop, and small mezzanine computing platforms let you combine up to four I/O function modules on a single computer board. More than 25 models are available for data acquisition, signal processing, test & measurement, command/control, and network communication applications. Software tools support embedded applications running on Linux®, Windows®, or VxWorks® operating systems.