3XB0 with 12-contact NanoRF, circled in red. Photo also shows 8-Channel WILD FMC+ 8A30 ADC Mezzanine.

Annapolis Micro Systems, a leading FPGA board and systems supplier, and TE Connectivity (TE), a rugged connector and sensor manufacturer, announced today three new high-performance FPGA boards that feature the NanoRF module. The half-size NanoRF is designed to fit into the VITA 67.3 form factor and supports 70 GHz bandwidth, with more than double the RF contact density of existing VITA 67 solutions.

 

The three new OpenVPX boards are now available for delivery:

 

• WILDSTAR 3XB0 3U OpenVPX FPGA Processor

 

• WILDSTAR 3XB1 3U OpenVPX FPGA Processor

 

• WILDSTAR 6XB2 6U OpenVPX FPGA Processor

These cutting-edge COTS boards integrate up to two Xilinx Virtex UltraScale+ FPGAs and a Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC motherboard controller. Each board also has one (3U) or two (6U) WILD FMC+ (WFMC+) next generation I/O site(s), for dense, high-bandwidth ADCs and/or DACs.

Eliminating the need for front panel coaxial cables, the NanoRF design leverages the alignment features of optical (VITA 66) modules. A floating insert on the backplane pre-aligns the RF contact array before the contacts start to engage. This rugged precision alignment is critical in blindmate plug-in architecture, which requires high reliability under extreme conditions.

“The NanoRF gives us super high density out the backplane in a really tight package,” said Noah Donaldson, Annapolis Micro Systems Chief Technology Officer. “This breakthrough connectivity allows us to utilize the full performance capability of these super-powered FPGA boards and our high-channel-count I/O cards.”

TE gave Annapolis early access to the NanoRF; widespread launch will take place in August.

The three FPGA processors supplement Annapolis’ WILD EcoSystem. The EcoSystem is an interoperable portfolio of rugged high-performance OpenVPX and PCIe COTS boards and systems that are used for challenging data acquisition, digital signal processing, and data storage applications.

The FPGA boards are designed for advanced High Performance Computing (HPC) and Electronic Warfare (EW) applications, including DRFM, beamforming, sensor processing, wireless communication, and radar signal processing.