Multi-gigabit per second interconnection solutions compatible with the existing VME infrastructure were once considered impossible without an expensive disruptive upgrade or system re-design. Furthermore, some mission-critical systems cannot be taken offline to increase speeds. The new 3M B19 connector solution enables the extension of the life of – and preserves the investment in – existing VME and CPCI systems.
Highly flexible and modular, 3M believes the new product is the only high speed connector designed to meet the industry standard 2mm hard metric format in accordance with the IEC-61076-4 101 connector standard. The 3M HSHM connectors use virtual coaxial shielding technology to provide maximum performance with minimal cross-talk and skew, allowing them to plug into existing 2mm hard metric connectors and support PCI Express and Rapid IO protocols.
Fully compatible designs can be built with fast serial links running up to 5.0 Gbps per differential pair. Full compatibility on the backplane with VME64x, PO VITA 31 and P3 PICMG (PCI Industrial Computers Manufacturers Group) 2.16 connectors is maintained.