Description
At-A-Glance Executive Brief
- Model: MVME3100
- Brand: Motorola / Emerson Network Power
- Part Type: 6U VMEbus single-board computer (SBC)
- Lifecycle status: EOL legacy industrial real-time control spare; stocked for brownfield VME chassis, defense, test equipment, and industrial turbine/process control systems
- System compatibility: Standard 6U VME chassis and backplane; acts as VME system controller, runs real-time OS, controls VME I/O boards, PMC-X expansion modules, and communicates over Ethernet/serial to host systems
- Weight: ~0.78 kg
Technical Introduction
Failure of MVME3100 will halt the entire VME-based real-time control system. The board is the main CPU for the rack; all VME I/O scanning, application logic, network communication and data logging stop. This causes loss of process control, measurement acquisition, and system supervision, triggering equipment shutdown and unplanned downtime for test stands, defense platforms and legacy industrial control systems.
MVME3100 is a 6U VME single-board computer built on Freescale MPC8540 PowerQUICC III SoC (PowerPC e500 core), available in 667 MHz or 833 MHz versions. It supports up to 512MB ECC DDR333 memory, up to 128MB Flash, plus battery-backed SRAM for non-volatile data storage. The VME interface supports 2eSST high-speed VME64 protocol, capable of acting as VME system controller. Network interfaces include two Gigabit Ethernet ports plus one 10/100BaseTX port. On-board peripherals: five serial ports, USB2.0, SATA and GPIO. It features dual PMC-X expansion slots for custom I/O modules, and can pair with MVME721 rear transition module (RTM) to route I/O signals out the back of the chassis. Supported operating systems: VxWorks, LynxOS and Linux. Widely used in military/aerospace, industrial test benches, radar systems and legacy VME process control racks. Control system reliability teams stock MVME3100 to restore VME rack master CPU functionality.
- Best Suited For
- 6U VMEbus real-time control chassis, VME master controller
- Industrial test systems, defense and aerospace embedded computing
- Direct drop-in replacement for existing Motorola/Emerson MVME3100 VME single-board computer hardware
Core Technical Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Part Number | MVME3100 |
| Manufacturer | Motorola / Emerson Network Power |
| Product Type | 6U VMEbus Single Board Computer (SBC) |
| Processor | MPC8540 PowerQUICC III, PowerPC e500, 667 / 833 MHz |
| Cache | 32KB I / 32KB D L1; 256KB L2 |
| Memory | Up to 512MB ECC DDR333 SDRAM; up to 128MB Flash; 512KB battery-backed SRAM |
| VME Bus | VME64, 2eSST, A32/A64/D64, VME system controller capable |
| Ethernet | 2 × Gigabit Ethernet, 1 × 10/100BaseTX |
| Serial | 5 × EIA-232/422/485 serial ports |
| Expansion | Dual 33/66/100 MHz PMC-X sites |
| Other I/O | USB2.0, SATA, GPIO, watchdog timer |
| OS Support | VxWorks, LynxOS, Linux |
| Mechanical | 6U, 4HP VME card |
| Operating Temperature | 0℃ ~ +60℃ |
| Humidity | 5–95% RH non-condensing |
| Weight | ~0.78 kg |
| Environmental Details | Please refer to OEM datasheet for complete shock, vibration and EMC specifications. |
Field Engineer’s Tech Notes
- Confirm board revision, boot firmware, memory configuration, VME backplane and OS image before replacement; revision mismatch or incompatible boot image will prevent system boot.
- Perform lockout/tagout on VME chassis power before removing the board. Backplane remains energized until chassis power is fully isolated.
- Inspect VME edge connector, PMC modules, RTM cabling and chassis cooling; dust buildup and insufficient airflow are common causes of SBC overheating and intermittent crashes.
- After installation, verify VME power, boot sequence, memory test, network and serial port communication, PMC module detection and watchdog function. Load application firmware, validate VME I/O access, clear faults and return system online.
- ESD protection required while handling the SBC and PMC modules.
- Schedule periodic chassis air filter cleaning and board thermal inspection as part of system PM.
Adaptive QA & Testing Protocol
Each MVME3100 board is bench tested on VME 6U test chassis. We verify power-up boot, memory integrity test, Flash checksum, VME bus master/slave operation, all Ethernet ports, serial channels and PMC-X slot detection. Watchdog timer and battery-backed SRAM function are validated. PCB, VME edge connector, front panel indicators and solder joints are visually inspected for burn marks, corrosion or thermal damage. Full test reports are available upon request.
Buyer’s FAQ
Q: What is MVME3100 used for? A: It is a 6U VME single-board computer using MPC8540 PowerQUICC III processor, acting as the main real-time CPU for VME racks in embedded control, test equipment and defense systems.
Q: What warranty applies for refurbished and NSFP MVME3100? A: Refurbished and NSFP units carry a 12-month hardware warranty. Coverage excludes ESD damage, battery failure, firmware/OS image mismatch, inadequate chassis cooling and improper lockout/tagout.
Q: What lead time should I expect? A: Stocked units ship 3–7 business days. If inventory depleted, we source surplus MVME3100 VME SBC boards.
Q: Can MVME3100 be hot swapped? A: No. Standard VME chassis does not support hot swap; chassis power must be shut down before board removal.
Q: Is MVME3100 still in production? A: No, MVME3100 series is end-of-life legacy VME single-board computer.
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