Description
Product Introduction
The Motorola VME172PA652SE (MVME172 series) is an industrial 6U VMEbus Single Board Computer (SBC) designed for deterministic real-time computing in military, aerospace, and industrial automation control environments. Powered by the 32-bit Motorola MC68LC060 microprocessor, it executes high-speed control loops, real-time data acquisition, and complex mathematical algorithms across VMEbus backplanes.
Featuring integrated IndustryPack (IP) expansion mezzanine slots, Ethernet, SCSI, and serial I/O capabilities, the V8172 architecture eliminates the need for separate peripheral cards. Its ruggedized layout and onboard NVRAM make it a critical replacement component for legacy radar processing systems, flight simulators, power plant controls, and heavy industrial machinery.
Key Technical Specifications
| Parameter | Value / Feature |
| Manufacturer | Motorola Computer Group (MCG) |
| Product Family | MVME172 Series |
| Model Code | VME172PA652SE / VME172PA-652SE |
| Processor | Motorola MC68LC060 32-Bit Microprocessor |
| Bus Interface | VME64 (VMEchip2 ASIC controller) |
| Expansion Capabilities | Onboard IndustryPack (IP) Mezzanine Slots |
| Networking & I/O | Ethernet (82596CA), SCSI-2, Serial Ports (85230 SCC) |
| Memory Configuration | Onboard ECC/Parity DRAM + Battery-Backed NVRAM/SRAM |
| Form Factor | 6U Single-Slot VMEbus Card |
| Operating Temp | 0°C to 55°C (Standard Commercial/Industrial Grade) |
Application Scenarios & The “Trench” Experience
A critical defense radar installation or legacy paper mill DCS system experiences a sudden CPU halt on an aging VMEbus rack. The backplane drops communication, throwing the entire processing node offline. Because the system relies on legacy VxWorks code compiled specifically for Motorola 68k architecture, upgrading to modern hardware requires millions in software re-engineering. Dropping a drop-in replacement Motorola VME172PA652SE board into the rack restores full system boot and real-time execution in minutes.
- Military & Defense Systems: Controls legacy radar processing racks, naval sonar array nodes, and flight simulator visual generators.
- Industrial Process Control: Serves as the primary real-time processing engine in high-speed paper, steel, and chemical plants.
- Power Generation & Distribution: Manages turbine governor logic and substation supervisory control data acquisition (SCADA) backbones.
- Medical & Scientific Equipment: Processes real-time image data for specialized medical imaging and particle accelerator control racks.
Transparency SOP: Quality Assurance & Testing
- Inbound Mechanical Audit: Inspect the front panel ejector handles, check backplane P1/P2 DIN pins for alignment or oxidation, and inspect surface components for thermal stress.
- Backplane Boot & POST Check: Install unit into a VME chassis; power on to monitor 172Bug ROM monitor boot, memory POST execution, and front panel LED status.
- Loopback & Peripheral Testing: Test all onboard serial channels, Ethernet transceivers, and SCSI interfaces using diagnostic loopback tools.
- VMEbus Master/Slave Data Stress: Run continuous VMEbus block transfer diagnostics across P1/P2 backplanes to verify VMEchip2 bus controller stability.
- ESD & Protective Packaging: Vacuum-seal inside anti-static shielding bags, surround with thick shock-mitigating foam, and ship in a heavy-duty export carton.
VME172PA-652SE
VME172PA-652SE
The Veteran’s Tech Trap Guide (Crucial Value-Add)
- ⚠️ Verify Board Jumpers Before Installation: The VME172 series features dozens of hardware header jumpers (J-series) controlling flash enable, VME system controller selection, and serial port modes. Always mirror the jumper configuration from your original card before inserting the replacement.
- ❗ Check 172Bug / VxWorks Firmware Revisions: Ensure the onboard EPROM/Flash firmware version matches your host software requirements. Bootloader mismatches can prevent automatic OS loading (e.g., VxWorks or OS-9) from remote network drives or SCSI targets.
- ⚠️ Onboard Battery Maintenance: The battery-backed NVRAM chip retains system clock and network boot configurations. If the board repeatedly loses network boot parameters after a power drop, the internal NVRAM battery is depleted and requires replacement.
- ❗ Never Seat Under Power: VMEbus cards are not hot-swappable unless explicitly designed for hot-swap chassis. Always power down the VME subrack completely before pulling or inserting the VME172 module to prevent damaging backplane driver ICs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Is the Motorola VME172PA652SE backward compatible with MVME162 or MVME147 boards?
A: Form factor and bus interface match, but processor architecture differs (68060 vs 68040/68030). Software compiled for older boards may require recompilation or code adjustments to run cleanly on the 68LC060 CPU.
Q: What is the main difference between MC68060 and MC68LC060 processors on these boards?
A: The “LC” variant (MC68LC060) omits the hardware Floating Point Unit (FPU). If your application requires intensive math calculations, confirm whether your software uses software FPU emulation or requires the full 68060 CPU.
Q: Can I mount IndustryPack (IP) modules onto this card?
A: Yes. The board features onboard IP mezzanine slots, allowing modular expansion for specialized analog, digital, or serial field I/O.
Q: How do I access the onboard boot diagnostics?
A: Connect an RS-232 serial terminal (9600-8-N-1) to Serial Port 1 (Debug Port) on the front panel and power cycle the VME rack to interact with the 172Bug firmware prompt.
Q: What warranty applies to this surplus module?
A: Every clean surplus and bench-tested Motorola VME172PA652SE Single Board Computer includes a full 12-month replacement warranty from the shipment date.
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