Mezzanine Standard VITA 93 QMC Applies to Everybody
The VITA 93.0 QMC (Quad Mezzanine Card) standard, initially designed for high-performance computing environments in military and avionics sectors, has proven its worth beyond its intended purpose. This robust standard, recognized for its high signal integrity and ruggedness, is now finding its place in various commercial and industrial sectors.
Expanding Application Range
The VITA 93.0 QMC standard is making strides in industries such as industrial automation and control systems, transportation systems, medical equipment, telecommunications infrastructure, and test and measurement systems. These sectors demand high reliability, real-time capabilities, and environmental resilience, which the QMC standard delivers effectively.
Industrial Automation and Control Systems
High-reliability systems used in factory automation, robotics, and process control benefit from the ruggedness and real-time capabilities of VITA 93.0 QMC cards.
Transportation Systems
Rail, mass transit, and automotive testing systems that require shock/vibration tolerance and high-speed data processing can leverage QMC form factors.
Medical Equipment
Critical medical diagnostic and imaging systems that demand consistent performance and reliability in harsh environments can find a reliable partner in the VITA 93.0 QMC standard.
Telecommunications Infrastructure
Telecom base stations, network infrastructure, and edge computing devices requiring dense, modular high-speed computing solutions with enhanced EMI immunity can benefit from the QMC standard.
Test and Measurement Systems
Lab instrumentation and field measurement tools needing compact, robust mezzanine cards capable of handling high-speed data acquisition can utilise the QMC standard.
Advantages of VITA 93.0 QMC Standard Beyond Military/Avionics
The QMC standard offers several advantages that make it an ideal choice for various industries:
- Robust Mechanical Design: The QMC form factor ensures ruggedness and environmental resilience, making it suitable for harsh industrial or outdoor environments.
- High-Speed Data Transfer: The QMC standard supports modern high-speed serial interfaces and parallel buses, crucial for demanding data acquisition and processing tasks.
- Modularity and Scalability: The QMC standard allows easy upgrading and customization of systems without full redesign, beneficial in fast-evolving sectors like telecom and industrial automation.
- Compact Size: The QMC standard enables high-density, space-constrained designs, which is valuable in embedded medical or transportation control scenarios.
- Enhanced Signal Integrity: The QMC standard is designed to maintain high signal quality under noise and interference, important for reliable operation in electromagnetic-challenging environments.
- Standardization: Adoption of an open industry standard (VITA) promotes interoperability, reduces cost, and simplifies integration across diverse applications.
In conclusion, while VITA 93.0 QMC was created with military and avionics in mind, its ruggedness, performance, and modularity make it well-suited for a wide array of commercial and industrial sectors requiring reliable, high-performance embedded computing solutions. The VITA 93.0 QMC standard is a small-form-factor mezzanine card standard that includes 3.3- and 12-V DC power, a JTAG interface, an I2C interface for card management, a pair of connectors (PCIe side and general I/O for high-speed serial communication), and each slot provides more bandwidth with a set of connectors. QMC cards can be air-cooled or conduction-cooled, and they can be used in a two-slot configuration to handle two single-width cards or one double-width card, offering more area for designers. Thermal interface material is provided by the carrier manufacturer in both air-cooled and conduction-cooled implementations. The height restriction for the area underneath a QMC card is based on the connectors employed on the carrier board. VITA 93 QMC modules are suitable for environments that require ruggedness and high-speed connections. The VITA 93.0 QMC standard is comparable to the M.2 standard with higher-speed, rugged connectors and better scalability. QMC cards are designed to work with front- and rear-I/O systems, particularly for systems based on OpenVPX. The I/O connector in the QMC standard is organized as five IOPIPEs, each with four differential pairs or eight single-ended signals. The VITA 93.0 QMC standard provides support for high-performance FPGAs, GPUs, and AI/ML accelerators, as well as storage. Mechanical envelope definitions for QMC cards are tight to maximize interchangeability and reliability. The VITA 93 standard was developed rapidly, with a detailed report available in 2023. The QMC standard provides variable stacking specifications, unlike most mezzanine standards.
- The VITA 93.0 QMC standard, originally designed for high-performance computing environments in military and avionics sectors, is now finding its place in various commercial and industrial sectors due to its high signal integrity, ruggedness, and benefits such as robust mechanical design, high-speed data transfer, modularity, compact size, enhanced signal integrity, standardization, and support for high-performance technology.
- Industrial automation and control systems, transportation systems, medical equipment, telecommunications infrastructure, and test and measurement systems are increasingly leveraging the VITA 93.0 QMC standard for its high reliability, real-time capabilities, environmental resilience, and suitability for harsh environments, demanding performance, and fast-evolving sectors.
