Radstone PPC7A User manual

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PPC7A Product Manual
Publication No. PPC7A-0HH
1st Edition, April 2003
© Radstone Technology PLC
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Copyright Notice
© Radstone Technology PLC 2003. All rights reserved.
This publication is issued to provide outline information only which (unless agreed by the Company in
writing) may not be used, applied or reproduced for any purpose or form part of any order or contract or
be regarded as a representation relating to products or services concerned. The Company reserves the
right to alter without notice the specification, design, price or conditions of supply of any product or
service.
Trademarks
The Radstone name, Radstone and PowerXtreme logos and are trademarks of Radstone Technology
PLC.
All other company and product names are acknowledged as being the trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective companies.
Document History
EDITION DATE
1st April 2003
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PPC7A Product Manual
Contents i1st Edition
Contents
Chapter 1 - Introduction ..................................................................................................................1-1
Build Levels .............................................................................................................................................1-1
Communications.......................................................................................................................................1-1
Standards..................................................................................................................................................1-1
Objectives of this Manual ........................................................................................................................1-2
Documentation Audience.........................................................................................................................1-2
Scope of this Manual................................................................................................................................1-2
Structure of this Manual...........................................................................................................................1-3
Safety Notices ..........................................................................................................................................1-4
Safety Summary............................................................................................................................1-4
Ground the Equipment..................................................................................................................1-4
Do Not Operate in an Explosive Atmosphere...............................................................................1-4
Keep Away From Live Circuits ....................................................................................................1-4
Do Not Service or Adjust Alone...................................................................................................1-4
Do Not Substitute Parts or Modify Equipment .............................................................................1-4
Conventions Used in this Manual ............................................................................................................1-6
Associated Documents .............................................................................................................................1-7
World Wide Web Sites.............................................................................................................................1-8
Chapter 2 - General Description .....................................................................................................2-1
Introduction ..............................................................................................................................................2-1
Features ....................................................................................................................................................2-2
Functional Overview................................................................................................................................2-3
PowerPC Platform.........................................................................................................................2-3
Processor.......................................................................................................................................2-4
PCI ................................................................................................................................................2-5
Memory.........................................................................................................................................2-6
VMEbus Interface.........................................................................................................................2-7
Utility I/O and Auxiliary Function Bus ........................................................................................2-7
Input/Output..................................................................................................................................2-7
Software Support ..........................................................................................................................2-8
Boot Firmware ..............................................................................................................................2-8
Built In Test ..................................................................................................................................2-8
Background Condition Screening .................................................................................................2-8
Operating System Support ............................................................................................................2-8
Build Styles ..............................................................................................................................................2-9
Level 1 ..........................................................................................................................................2-9
Level 2 ........................................................................................................................................2-10
Level 3 ........................................................................................................................................2-10
Level 4 ........................................................................................................................................2-10
Level 5 ........................................................................................................................................2-10
Chapter 3 - Inspection .....................................................................................................................3-1
Product Identification...............................................................................................................................3-1
Inspection .................................................................................................................................................3-2
Chapter 4 - Configuration................................................................................................................4-1
Default Link Settings ...............................................................................................................................4-2
RTC Standby Supply Voltage Link (E1) .................................................................................................4-2
FLASH Write Enable Links (E3 and E9).................................................................................................4-3
VME Boot Link (E4) ...............................................................................................................................4-3
Overall FLASH Write Enable Links (E5)................................................................................................4-3
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PPC7A Product Manual
Contents
Contents ii1st Edition
ECC Enable Link (E6) .............................................................................................................................4-4
FLASH Boot Image Select Link (E7 & E8).............................................................................................4-4
On-board SCSI Terminator Enable Link (E13) .......................................................................................4-4
Enable Front Panel Reset Switch Link (E14)...........................................................................................4-5
Geographical Addressing/Board ID Links (E11, E2, E12 and E10)........................................................4-5
VME Slave Address Configuration ..............................................................................................4-6
VMEbus Interface Configuration.............................................................................................................4-6
Chapter 5 - Connectors ...................................................................................................................5-1
P1 (VMEbus) Connector Pinout ..............................................................................................................5-2
P2 Connector Standard Pinout .................................................................................................................5-3
P2 Connector Pinout (when J24 is fitted).................................................................................................5-4
Alternate P2 Pinout for GPIO Pins ..........................................................................................................5-5
VMEbus Signal Descriptions ...................................................................................................................5-6
P2 I/O Signal Descriptions.......................................................................................................................5-7
P0 Connector Pinout ................................................................................................................................5-9
Type B (95-way) ...........................................................................................................................5-9
Type A (80-way).........................................................................................................................5-10
P0 I/O Signal Descriptions..........................................................................................................5-11
PMC Connector Pinouts.........................................................................................................................5-12
J11 and J21..................................................................................................................................5-12
J12 and J22..................................................................................................................................5-13
J13 and J23..................................................................................................................................5-14
PMC Signal Descriptions............................................................................................................5-15
J14 PMC I/O ...............................................................................................................................5-16
J24 PMC I/O and Partial P2 Option............................................................................................5-17
P10 PLD Connector Pinout....................................................................................................................5-18
P8 RISCWatch Connector Pinout ..........................................................................................................5-18
P8 Signal Descriptions................................................................................................................5-19
EST Emulator Connection ..........................................................................................................5-19
Chapter 6 - Front Panel ...................................................................................................................6-1
Air-cooled Versions .................................................................................................................................6-1
PMC Slots .....................................................................................................................................6-1
LEDs .............................................................................................................................................6-1
Switches ........................................................................................................................................6-1
Conduction-cooled Versions....................................................................................................................6-1
PMC Slots .....................................................................................................................................6-1
LEDs .............................................................................................................................................6-1
Switches ........................................................................................................................................6-1
Chapter 7 - Installation and Power-up ...........................................................................................7-1
PMC Installation ......................................................................................................................................7-1
PMCPCI Expansion Card Installation ..........................................................................................7-1
Board Installation .....................................................................................................................................7-2
System Configuration Suggestions ...............................................................................................7-3
Power-up ..................................................................................................................................................7-4
Power-up Routine .........................................................................................................................7-5
Chapter 8 - Functional Description ................................................................................................8-1
PowerPC Processor ..................................................................................................................................8-2
MPC7455 ......................................................................................................................................8-2
L3 Cache .......................................................................................................................................8-2
MPC7410 ......................................................................................................................................8-3
L2 Cache .......................................................................................................................................8-3
Resetting the PPC7A................................................................................................................................8-4
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PPC7A Product Manual
Contents
Contents iii1st Edition
Hard Reset.....................................................................................................................................8-4
Soft Reset ......................................................................................................................................8-5
VMEbus Remote Reset.................................................................................................................8-5
Watchdog Reset ............................................................................................................................8-5
Memory ....................................................................................................................................................8-6
Controller ......................................................................................................................................8-6
Maps..............................................................................................................................................8-6
SDRAM ........................................................................................................................................8-6
FLASH..........................................................................................................................................8-7
VME Programming Option...........................................................................................................8-8
JTAG........................................................................................................................................................8-9
JTAG Clock Frequencies............................................................................................................8-10
JTAG and PMC...........................................................................................................................8-10
PCI Buses ...............................................................................................................................................8-11
Memory/PCI Bridge....................................................................................................................8-11
Ethernet Controller...................................................................................................................... 8-12
SCSI Scripts Processor ...............................................................................................................8-12
VGA graphics Processor.............................................................................................................8-12
Universe II ..................................................................................................................................8-12
South Bridge ...............................................................................................................................8-13
PMC Sites ...................................................................................................................................8-13
South Bridge Peripheral Components ....................................................................................................8-13
Floppy Disk Controller ...............................................................................................................8-13
Serial I/O.....................................................................................................................................8-13
Parallel I/O ..................................................................................................................................8-13
Keyboard and Mouse Controller.................................................................................................8-14
VMEbus Interface ..................................................................................................................................8-14
VMEbus Master Access..............................................................................................................8-14
VMEbus Slave Access ................................................................................................................8-15
Indivisible Cycles on VME.........................................................................................................8-15
VMEbus Arbitration ...................................................................................................................8-15
VMEbus Master Block Transfers ...............................................................................................8-15
VMEbus Slave Block Transfers..................................................................................................8-15
Mailboxes....................................................................................................................................8-15
Semaphore Register ....................................................................................................................8-16
VMEbus Location Monitor.........................................................................................................8-16
VMEbus Interrupts......................................................................................................................8-16
VME Bus Errors .........................................................................................................................8-16
VMEbus Retries..........................................................................................................................8-17
VMEbus Reset Options...............................................................................................................8-17
Watchdog Timers ...................................................................................................................................8-17
Software Programmable LEDs...............................................................................................................8-18
Control and Status Registers ..................................................................................................................8-19
Memory Configuration Register (Port 0x0804)..........................................................................8-20
Memory Configuration Extend Register (Port 0x0806)..............................................................8-21
SCSI Activity LED Register (Port 0x0808)................................................................................8-22
Equipment Present Register 1 (Port 0x080C) .............................................................................8-22
Equipment Present Register 2 (Port 0x080E) .............................................................................8-23
Equipment Present Register 3 (Port 0x0810)..............................................................................8-24
Key Lock Register (Port 0x0818) ...............................................................................................8-24
LED Register (Port 0x0820) .......................................................................................................8-25
COMs Register (Port 0x0824) ....................................................................................................8-26
RTS Register (Port 0x0826)........................................................................................................8-27
Watchdog Register (Port 0x0828) ..............................................................................................8-27
Watchdog Trig (Port 0x082C) ....................................................................................................8-28
Board Revision Register (Port 0x0854) ......................................................................................8-28
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PPC7A Product Manual
Contents
Contents iv1st Edition
Extended ID Register (Port 0x0858)...........................................................................................8-28
ID Link Register (Port 0x0864) ..................................................................................................8-29
Motherboard Type Register (Port 0x0866).................................................................................8-30
FLASH Write Protection (Port 0x0868) .....................................................................................8-31
FLASH Control Register (Port 0x086E).....................................................................................8-32
Control and Status Registers on CS0 .....................................................................................................8-33
Board ID (Port 0x0) ....................................................................................................................8-33
Last Reset Source (Port 0x2) ......................................................................................................8-33
Reset Register (Port 0x3) ............................................................................................................8-34
Board ID String (Port 0x4 to 0x7) ..............................................................................................8-34
Status Registers on CS1 .........................................................................................................................8-34
Checker Board 1 (Port 0x0 to 0x3) ............................................................................................. 8-34
Checker Board 2 (Port 0x4 to 0x7) ............................................................................................. 8-34
Interrupts and Error Reporting ...............................................................................................................8-35
System Resets .............................................................................................................................8-35
Machine Check Exception ..........................................................................................................8-35
System Management Interrupt (SMI~) .......................................................................................8-35
External Interrupt (INT~)............................................................................................................8-36
PCI Interrupts..............................................................................................................................8-36
PCI Configuration ..................................................................................................................................8-37
Keylock ..................................................................................................................................................8-37
Chapter 9 - Technical Assistance...................................................................................................9-1
Radstone Contact Information..................................................................................................................9-1
Troubleshooting .......................................................................................................................................9-2
Appendix A - Specifications .......................................................................................................... A-1
VMEbus Compliance .............................................................................................................................. A-2
Local Resources ...................................................................................................................................... A-3
EMC Regulatory Compliance and Safety ............................................................................................... A-4
Power Requirements ............................................................................................................................... A-4
Reliability (MTBF) ................................................................................................................................. A-5
Environmental Specifications.................................................................................................................. A-5
Mechanical Construction......................................................................................................................... A-6
Weight.......................................................................................................................................... A-6
Dimensions .................................................................................................................................. A-6
Ordering Information .............................................................................................................................. A-7
PMCs............................................................................................................................................ A-8
Operating Systems ....................................................................................................................... A-9
P2 I/O Module.............................................................................................................................. A-9
Glossary
Index
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PPC7A Product Manual
1-11st Edition
Chapter 1 - Introduction
Radstone’s PPC7A, with associated peripherals and software, is the latest addition to Radstone’s PPC
family of VME-based PowerX boards. Designed for users who require scaleable, high performance
processors, sophisticated I/O subsystems and high levels of on-board integration, the PPC7A offers a
cost-effective solution to a wide range of application requirements. The PPC7A is designed to be as
much as possible a plug-in upgrade/replacement for the Radstone PPC range of boards, embracing those
features that have made the PPC range of cards such a popular VME card.
Build Levels
Like all Radstone’s VME products, the PPC7A is available in a range of build styles, form Level 1
(Standard), suitable for a benign office-like environment, right through to Level 5 (Rugged Conduction-
cooled), capable of withstanding the harshest of environments. All products are COTS/NDI and make
maximum use of low cost plastic packaged integrated circuits to ensure the most cost effective solution,
whatever the market.
Communications
Local connection of Ultra-SCSI, Video graphics and VME64 uses PCI, as do the two IEEE P1386.1
PMC sites. PMCs available directly from Radstone include high performance graphics, MIL-STD-1553,
serial, ATM, FLASH memory, Solid State Hard Disk, fast Ethernet and other communications. The
PPC7A is the latest of Radstone’s VME products to use 5-row connectors for P1 (VME), P2 (I/O) and
P0 (PMC I/O).
Standards
Radstone is a key member of the VITA standards committee. In line with their recommendations, one of
the two PMC sites has the PMC I/O connected to P0, allowing direct backplane connection to all I/O.
The other site has its PMC I/O connected to P2, allowing direct backplane connection to I/O. The
PPC7A can also use the PMCPCI bridge product, which can be used to extend the board’s PCIbus out
via the P0 connector.
This flexibility, together with operating system support including VxWorks/Tornado, LynxOS and
RTEMS are factors in making the PPC7A an ideal vehicle for applications such as communications,
simulation, multi-media, real-time acquisition, terrain mapping, C4, image processing and high
performance graphics.
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PPC7A Product Manual
Introduction
1-2
1st Edition
Objectives of this Manual
• To guide the reader through configuration, installation and power-up
• To provide the user with sufficient information to understand the operation of the PPC7A
hardware
$Note: The on-board firmware and other firmware (e.g. drivers, BSPs, ESPs etc.) are described in separate
manuals.
Documentation Audience
This manual is written to cover, as far as possible, the range of people who will handle or use the PPC7A
including (but not limited to):
• Inspectors
• Installation technicians
• Hardware and software engineers
• System managers
While every effort has been made to keep the description of configuration, installation and power-up as
simple and user-friendly as possible, a certain amount of background knowledge on these subjects is
assumed.
In the Functional Description chapter, a higher degree of background knowledge is assumed on subjects
including:
• Single board computer architecture
• Peripherals
• The VMEbus
• Communications
There is a glossary provided at the back of this manual that explains some of the terms used and expands
abbreviations.
Scope of this Manual
This manual describes:
• All build standards of the PPC7A
• All variants of the PPC7A
This manual mentions, but does not describe in detail:
• PMCs, including the PMCPCI bridge product
• Carrier cards
• PPC7A on-board firmware
• Other firmware such as drivers, BSPs, ESPs etc.
• Application software
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PPC7A Product Manual
Introduction
1-3
1st Edition
Structure of this Manual
This manual is structured in a way that will reflect the sequence of operations from receipt of the PPC7A
up to getting it working in your system. Each topic is covered in a separate chapter and each chapter
begins with a brief introduction that tells you what the chapter contains. In this way, you can skip any
chapters that are not applicable or with which you are already familiar.
The chapters are:
Chapter 1 (this chapter) - gives a brief introduction, this manual’s objectives, audience, scope,
structure and conventions, safety notices and associated documentation.
Chapter 2 - is a slightly more detailed, but still general product description.
Chapter 3 - contains inspection instructions and describes product identification.
Chapter 4 - describes board configuration.
Chapter 5 - describes the PPC7A’s connectors and signals used.
Chapter 6 - describes the PPC7A’s front panel.
Chapter 7 - describes installation of the PPC7A in a system and power-up.
Chapter 8 - is a functional description.
Chapter 9 - gives troubleshooting guidelines.
Appendix A - is a board specification.
There is also a glossary and an index provided.
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PPC7A Product Manual
Introduction
1-4
1st Edition
Safety Notices
Safety Summary
Observe the following general safety precautions during operation, service and repair of this equipment.
Failure to comply with these precautions or with specific Warnings and/or Cautions elsewhere in this
manual violates safety standards of design, manufacture and intended use of the equipment. Radstone
Limited trading as Radstone Technology assumes no liability for the user’s failure to comply with these
requirements.
The safety precautions listed below represent warnings of certain dangers of which Radstone is aware.
Take note of these warnings and take all other safety precautions necessary for the safe operation of the
equipment in your operating environment.
Ground the Equipment
To minimise shock hazard, connect the equipment chassis and rack/enclosure to an electrical ground. If
AC power is supplied to the rack/enclosure, the power jack and mating plug of the power cable must
meet International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) safety standards.
Do Not Operate in an Explosive Atmosphere
Do not operate the equipment in the presence of flammable gases or fumes. Operation of any electrical
equipment in such an environment constitutes a definite safety hazard.
Keep Away From Live Circuits
If lethal voltages are present in the equipment, do not remove equipment covers. In these circumstances,
only Factory Authorised Service Personnel or other qualified maintenance personnel may remove
equipment covers for internal subassembly or component replacement, or any internal adjustment. Do
not replace components with the power cable connected. Under certain conditions, dangerous voltages
may exist even with the power cable removed. To avoid injuries, always disconnect power and discharge
circuits before touching them
Do Not Service or Adjust Alone
Do not attempt internal service or adjustment unless another person capable of rendering first aid and
resuscitation is present.
Do Not Substitute Parts or Modify Equipment
Due to the danger of introducing additional hazards, do not install substitute parts or carry out any
unauthorised modification of the equipment. Contact your local Radstone representative for service and
repair to ensure that safety features are maintained.
!WARNING
Do not exceed the maximum rated input voltages or apply reversed bias to the
assembly.
If such conditions occur, toxic fumes may be produced due to the destruction of
components.
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PPC7A Product Manual
1st Edition
Introduction
1-5
!WARNING
Power supply problems to be dealt with only by qualified personnel.
All Radstone circuit boards are manufactured by UL-recognised manufacturers and have a flammability
rating of 94V-0.
"CAUTION
This equipment generates, uses and can radiate electromagnetic energy. It may
cause or be susceptible to electromagnetic interference (EMI) if not installed and
used in a cabinet with adequate EMI protection.
European Notice: Board products with the CE marking comply with the EMC Directive (89/336/EEC).
Compliance with this directive implies conformity to the following European Norms:
EN55022 (CISPR 22) Radio Frequency Interference.
EN50082-1 (IEC80-2, IEC801-3, IEC801-4) Electromagnetic Immunity.
The product also fulfils EN60950 (product safety), which is essentially the requirement for the Low
Voltage Directive (73/23/EEC).
The board product was tested in a representative system to show compliance with the above mentioned
requirements. A proper installation in a CE-marked system will maintain the required EMC/safety
performance.
"CAUTION
Only use the PPC7A in backplanes that supply power on both the J1 and J2
connectors.
Do not remove the heatsink(s).
There are no PROMs or other user-alterable components underneath the heatsink, so users should have
no reason to remove it.
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PPC7A Product Manual
1st Edition
Introduction
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Users should not attempt reattachment of the heatsink, as this requires precise torque on the screws
attaching the heatsink to the PCB. Over-tightening the screws may cause the heatsink to damage
components beneath it (e.g. the main PowerPC processor). Radstone should only carry out removal
and re-attachment of the heatsink.
"CAUTION
When using a conduction-cooled board in a commercial backplane, ensure that the
wedgelocks do not interfere with any backplane connection points, such as the
ground or Vcc points near the P1 and P2 connectors.
Conventions Used in this Manual
All numbers are expressed in decimal, except addresses and memory or register data, which are
expressed in hexadecimal. Where confusion may occur, decimal numbers have a ‘D’ subscript and
binary numbers have a ‘b’ subscript. The prefix ‘0x’ shows a hexadecimal number, following the ‘C’
programming language convention. Thus:
One dozen = 12D= 0x0C = 1100b
The multipliers ‘k’, ‘M’ and ‘G’ have their conventional scientific and engineering meanings of *103,
*106and *109respectively. The only exception to this is in the description of the size of memory areas,
when ‘K’, ‘M’ and ‘G’ mean *210, *220 and *230 respectively.
$Note: When describing transfer rates, ‘k’ ‘M’ and ‘G’ mean *103, *106and *109not *210, *220 and *230.
In PowerX terminology, multiple bit fields are numbered from 0 to n, where 0 is the MSB and n is the
LSB. PCI and VMEbus terminology follows the more familiar convention that bit 0 is the LSB and bit n
is the MSB.
Signal names ending in with a tilde (~) denote active low signals; all other signals are active high.
This manual uses three types of notice: notes, cautions and warnings. Shown as follows:
Notes, which take the form ‘$Note:’, call attention to important features or instructions.
Cautions, which take the following form, alert you to system danger or loss of data.
"CAUTION
This is the form a caution takes.
Warnings, which take the following form, alert you to the risk of sever personal injury.
!WARNING
This is the form a warning takes
Les avertissements vous préviennent qu’il existe un risque de blessure grave.
Warnhinweise sollen Sie auf mögliche schwere Körperverletzungen aufmerksam machen.
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PPC7A Product Manual
Introduction
1-7
1st Edition
Associated Documents
Due to the complexity of some of the parts used on the PPC7A, it is not possible to include all the
detailed data on all such devices in this manual. The following is a list of the specifications and data
sheets that provide any additional information required:
VME64 Specification ANSI/VITA 1-1994 April 1995. VMEbus International Trade Association AZ
85253 USA.
VME64 Extensions Specification. Not Yet Published. VMEbus International Trade Association AZ
85253 USA.
PCI Local Bus Specification, Revision 2.1, June 1 1995. PCI Special Interest Group OR 98214 USA.
PCI System Design Guide.
IEEE P1386 Draft Standard for a Common Mezzanine Card Family.
IEEE P1386.1 Draft Standard Physical and Environmental Layers for PCI Mezzanine Cards.
IEEE Std 802.3 Local Area Networks: Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection
(CSMA/CD) - (ETHERNET) (1985) The Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers Inc., NY
10017 USA.
ANSI X3.131-1986 - Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), American National Standards Institute
NY10036, USA.
ANSI X3.131-1994 : Information Systems - Small Computer Systems Interface-2 (SCSI-2) American
National Standards Institute NY10036, USA.
ANSI/EIA/TIA-232-E - Interface Between Data Terminal Equipment and Data Communications
Equipment Employing Serial Binary Data Interchange (December 1991) Electronic Industries
Association, DC20006 USA.
ANSI/EIA/TIA-422-B, Electrical Characteristics of Balanced Voltage Digital Interface Circuits
(December 1978). Electronic Industries Association, DC20006 USA.
PowerPC Microprocessor Family: The Programming Environments, 1994. IBM VT 05452-4299 or
Motorola AZ 85036 USA.
The PowerPC Architecture: A Specification for a New Family of RISC Processors, Second Edition.
Morgan Kaufmann publishers Inc. San Francisco, California USA.
PowerPC 745x RISC Microprocessor User’s Manual. Motorola AZ 85036 USA.
GT64260 System Controller for PowerPC Processors Galileo Technology, CA 95131 USA.
NCR53C875 PCI-SCSI I/O Processor Data Manual. NCR Microelectronic Products Division. CO
80916. USA.
M1535 South Bridge with integrated Super IO controller. Acer Labs, Taiwan.
69000 PCI to VGA device. Asiliant Technologies, CA95112.
Universe II User Manual. Tundra Microsystems ON K2K 2M5 Canada.
FLASH Memory, Volume 1 1995. Intel corporation IL 60056-7641 USA.
Radstone PPC Boot Firmware Manual, publication number RT5078.
Radstone PMC9100 Manual, publication number RT5062.
Radstone PMC2-9100 Manual, publication number RT30144.
Radstone BIT on PPCx User Guide, publication number RT5107.
Radstone PMCPCI Manual, publication number PMCPCI-0HH.
Radstone P0CC1 Manual, publication number P0CC1-0HH.
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PPC7A Product Manual
Introduction
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1st Edition
Radstone PMC Installation Note, publication number HN4/3-99.
Radstone PPC BIT Release Notes, publication number RT5111.
VxWorks BSP for PPCx Release Notes, publication number RT5080.
World Wide Web Sites
Manufacturers of many of the devices used on the PPC7A maintain FTP or world-wide-web sites. Some
useful sites are:
Motorola PowerX data is available through this site.
http://e-www.motorola.com/
IBM PowerX data is available through this site.
http://www.chips.ibm.com
Universe II chip information, including the user manuals as Adobe Acrobat .PDF files, is available
through this site.
http://www.tundra.com
Graphics adapter information.
http://www.asiliant.com
Radstone on the world-wide-web is available at:
http://www.radstone.co.uk or http://www.radstone.com
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PPC7A Product Manual
1st Edition 2-1
Chapter 2 - General Description
This chapter contains a general description of the PPC7A. Chapter 8 describes the board in more detail.
Introduction
The PPC7A is a highly integrated, VMEbus processor using the PowerPC 745x RISC CPU with
integrated L2 cache and a private L3 cache bus or the PowerPC 7410/755 RISC CPU with a private L2
cache bus. The product offers an extensive range of standard functions including processors clocked at
933 MHz and above, 2 Mbytes of L2 (or L3 if 745x fitted) cache, user SDRAM up to 512 Mbytes on-
board with ECC, on-board serial, parallel, and two channels of 10/100 base Ethernet, up to 256 Mbytes
of FLASH memory, an Ultra-SCSI peripheral interface controller, a 64-bit VMEbus interface, and direct
connection for a keyboard and mouse.
Expansion capabilities are provided by two 64-bit/66 MHz PCI interface slots. PCI (IEEE P1386.1)
provides an industry-standard, high-speed (528 Mbytes/second) local expansion bus, designed for
graphics, high-speed communications (e.g. ATM, FDDI, ISDN, etc.), multi-media and user-defined
custom functions. PCI has established itself as the leading local interconnect standard, and the wide
availability of compatible devices, coupled with its adoption on an array of platforms, ensures that PCI-
based modules are both high-performance and low cost.
The highly integrated nature of the PPC7A makes it a true single board computer. In many ways, the
PPC7A resembles a high performance PC motherboard, although in a more rugged, lower profile and
more compact form factor.
The PPC7A has been designed to be a plug in upgrade/replacement of the PPC range of PowerX boards.
To enhance the connection capabilities, the PPC7A uses 5-row P1 and P2 connectors, but still retains the
PPC basic pinout.
Figure 2.1 - PPC7A General View
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PPC7A Product Manual
1st Edition
General Description
2-2
Figure 2.2 - PPC7A Block Diagram
Features
• Various PowerPC processor options including the PowerPC 7455 CPU at 933 MHz and above
(contact your nearest Sales office for details of speed grades) gives low power, low cost,
high performance PowerPC RISC CPU and system interfaces all on one device as main system
resource
• Up to 512 Mbytes of SDRAM with optional ECC for memory intensive applications
• Two 64-bit/66 MHz PCI expansion slots on-board give system expansion using IEEE P1386.1
standard single or double width PMCs
• Optional PCI expansion bridge (on a short PMC card) and PMC carrier cards future proof your
system design by enabling PCI sub-system expansion to add new, low cost interface capability
as required
• Two on-board Ethernet controllers giving 10/100BaseT
• Radstone COTS software support includes BIT, Boot firmware, BSPs and ESPs (with BCS) for
LynxOS/LynxOS HA, VxWorks/Tornado and RTEMS
• Wide range of shrink-wrapped application software available
• 2 Mbytes of cache memory on a private cache bus
• 256 Mbytes of FLASH ROM
• 32 Kbytes of NOVRAM
• Real Time Clock (TOD/calendar) with battery backup using VME standby supply
• Temperature Sensor
• Ultra-SCSI I/O processor
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PPC7A Product Manual
General Description
2-3
1st Edition
• 4 off RS232 serial I/O channels up to 115.2 kbaud
• 2 off RS485/422/232 software selectable serial I/O channels up to 1 Mbaud
• Parallel printer port
• 16 bit wide IO interface
• Keyboard/mouse interface
• Floppy disk controller
• VME64 interface using Tundra Universe II VMEbus interface chip
• High-resolution VGA graphics
• Single slot 6U VME form factor for reduced system cost and slot count
• Range of 3U rear-mounting I/O modules
• ANSI/VITA 1-1994 VME64 and VME64 extensions (5 row P1 and P2) compatible
• Five build standards
• Optional software maintenance giving automatic software revision updates and technical
support
• Optional hardware and on-board firmware configuration management service giving a unique
part number requiring customer authorisation for changes in product revision status
Functional Overview
PowerPC Platform
The PowerPC Platform is an example implementation of a philosophy designed to allow software
compatibility across different platforms based on the PowerPC processor. Aiming to achieve an open
standard, the PowerPC Platform encourages the use of industry standard components and buses, and a
wide range of operating systems.
As well as providing a detailed hardware design specification, the PowerPC Platform also embodies a
software mechanism that allows the hardware to be isolated from the application by abstraction layers. It
is these abstraction layers (in effect very low-level system drivers) that are the key to differentiation,
scalability and future-proofing. Operating systems, applications and drivers can ‘sit’ on these layers
without needing to be aware of the underlying hardware (other than general functionality). This is
fundamentally different from PCs, which use a BIOS that ultimately constrains operating systems and
applications alike.
The major purpose of the PowerPC Platform architecture “... is to give direction to system designers,
while still enabling differentiation in areas where real value can be added, thus allowing the PowerPC
microprocessor industry to build a reusable body of OS and application software...”. The knowledge that
both OS and application programs will run on any host that complies with the PowerPC Platform
architecture provides security for today’s valuable software investments, as well as expansion
capabilities for the future.
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PPC7A Product Manual
General Description
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Processor
The PowerPC has become the most widely used of the new generation of RISC processors. Its pedigree
is unequalled - jointly developed by world-leading computer companies and backed by long-term
commitments from major OEMs.
PowerPC 7455
The PowerPC 7455 is a 32-bit superscalar RISC processor, clocked at 933 MHz and above, with the
following features:
• 64-bit external data bus
• On-chip 32 Kbyte instruction and data caches
• On-chip 256 Kbyte of L2 Cache
• Enhanced branch prediction capabilities
• MMU and integral FPU
• On-chip L3 cache controller that connects to a private L3 cache bus operating at up to 200 MHz
The PowerPC 7455 implements a fully static architecture and offers sophisticated power management
capabilities. As a result, its maximum power consumption is less than 20 Watts at 933 MHz.
POWERPC CPU CPU FREQUENCY (MHZ) SPECINT95 SPECFP95
7455 733 32.1 23.9
PowerPC 7410
The PowerPC 7410 is a 32-bit superscalar RISC processor, clocked at 500 MHz and above, with the
following features:
• 64-bit external data bus
• On-chip 32 Kbyte instruction and data caches
• Enhanced branch prediction capabilities
• MMU and integral FPU
• On-chip L2 cache controller that connects to a private L2 cache bus operating at up to 200 MHz
The PowerPC 7410 implements a fully static architecture and offers sophisticated power management
capabilities. As a result, its maximum power consumption is less than 12 Watts at 500 MHz.
POWERPC CPU CPU FREQUENCY (MHZ) SPECINT95 SPECFP95
7410 500 22.8 17
$Note: The above estimated values are supplied by Motorola Semiconductor, and illustrate the performance and
power dissipation of the CPU. Radstone PowerX SBCs are designed to take the processor, providing a
balanced general-purpose platform. The actual performance and power dissipation may vary depending
on the application being run and resource usage of the configured system.
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PPC7A Product Manual
1st Edition
General Description
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PCI
PCI has become a highly desirable local interface bus, due to its high bandwidth, glueless interface and
low cost. PCI provides a synchronous 32 or 64-bit multiplexed address and data bus at speeds of 33 or
66 MHz, allowing burst data transfers to 528 Mbytes/second. The PPC7A uses PCI to provide a high-
speed backbone for local interconnection of on-board devices (processor, VGA, Ultra-SCSI, South
bridge and VME64, all of which have direct PCI connectivity). The Tundra Universe II chip provides
full PCI to VME bridge capability.
As well as local interconnection of on-board devices, PCI also allows communication with optional
mezzanine expansion modules (PMCs). The PCI mezzanine format also provides 64 I/O pins for user
definition. A range of PMCs are available from Radstone, including high-performance graphics, MIL-
STD-1553, asynchronous serial, Fast Ethernet, FLASH memory, Fibre Channel and ATM, all fully
compliant with the IEEE P1386.1 standard.
Using the PCI to PCI bridge device on the PMCPCI bridge card (see overleaf), the PPC7A can maintain
concurrent bus operation. This allows applications using PMCs for routing and communications to
operate efficiently and in parallel without being blocked.
Figure 2.3 - PCI Interconnections
PCI Bridge and Memory Controller
The Galileo GT-64260 Discovery provides the CPU to Memory-PCI bridge. This interfaces the
processor to the SDRAM, FLASH and the two PCI buses.
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