AirMax VS Connector Systems from FCI  Enables CompactPCI Serial Specification

Sept. 19, 2011 - PRLog -- FCI, a leading developer of connectors and interconnect systems, announces that AirMax VS® high speed signal connectors meet the dimensional and electrical requirements described in the CompactPCI® Serial (PICMG CPCI-S.0) Specification. Connections between a front system or peripheral board and the backplane are accomplished using right-angle headers and vertical receptacles. The interface to a rear I/O board uses right-angle receptacles and vertical headers. The open pin field design of AirMax VS signal connectors provides flexibility to use pins for differential or single-ended signals, ground or power.

"The 72 and 96 position signal modules from the AirMax VS high-speed connector system are a perfect fit to CompactPCI Serial requirements," said James Lim, FCI global product marketing manager. With four differential pairs per column wafer and 2 mm column spacing, the connectors provide up to 184 pin pairs in a 3U form factor for exceptional signal density in a 20.32 mm (0.8 inch) card slot. The opposed dual-beam receptacle contact structure provides high reliability for electronic equipment, instruments, or systems that may see use in more demanding industrial environments.

The CompactPCI Serial Specification moves CompactPCI architecture to high-speed serial interconnects to add greater support for serial point to point fabrics like PCI Express®, SATA, Ethernet and USB in the classic CompactPCI form factor with mechanics fully compliant to IEC 1101. The specification contains definitions for both system and peripheral slots in 3U and 6U board sizes. The specification allows hybrid systems integrating legacy CompactPCI boards and newer CompactPCI Serial boards to simplify the migration to serial interconnect technologies.

The AirMax VS system uses FCI technologies for shield-less design with no metallic plates and closely coupled differential pairs deliver low loss and crosstalk. The capability to scale differential signals to 12.5 Gb/s with the AirMax VS system also provides headroom to support future increases in data rates without requiring changes to the connector interface.

AirMax VS connectors are lead-free, RoHS compliant, and halogen-free to aid efforts to minimize the use of environmentally sensitive materials in the electronics industry.

The AirMax VS connectors for CompactPCI Serial systems provide 12 individual contacts per column, which supports four differential signal pairs. Pricing typically starts at $0.10-$0.12 per mated signal line with a lead time of 4-6 weeks.

For more information about AirMax VS® high-speed connectors for CompactPCI Serial modular computer systems, contact FCI at 825 Old Trail Road, Etters, PA 17319-7883; call 800-237-2374, email at airmax@fci.com or visit FCI on the web at www.fciconnect.com/cpciserial