Base module and aviation computer system having the base module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018131110-A1
Application number	US-201715809554-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 10, 2017
Priority date	Nov 10, 2016
Publication date	May 10, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A base module and an aviation computer system having the base module includes a printed circuit board, an integrated power supply and communication connector, a SMARC connector, and an FMC connector. A power supply circuit supplies the SMARC connector and the FMC connector with power from dedicated power supply contacts of the integrated power supply and communication connector, and a communication circuit connects the SMARC connector to dedicated communication contacts of the integrated power supply and communication connector. In addition, signal lines are provided on the printed circuit board in order to connect dedicated input/output contacts of the SMARC connector to corresponding dedicated input/output contacts of the FMC connector.

First claim

1 . A base module for use in an aviation computer system, comprising:
a printed circuit board; an integrated power supply and communication connector on the printed circuit board; a SMARC connector on the printed circuit board; an FMC connector on the printed circuit board; wherein
a power supply circuit on the printed circuit board is configured to supply the SMARC connector and the FMC connector with power from dedicated power supply contacts of the integrated power supply and communication connector;
a communication circuit on the printed circuit board is configured to connect the SMARC connector to dedicated communication contacts of the integrated power supply and communication connector; and
a plurality of signal lines on the printed circuit board are configured to connect dedicated input/output contacts of the SMARC connector to corresponding dedicated input/output contacts of the FMC connector.

2 . The base module according to claim 1 , wherein:
the printed circuit board has a width of 90-110 mm and a length of 90-110 mm.

3 . The base module according to claim 2 , wherein:
the printed circuit board has a width of 100 mm and a length of 104.307 mm.

4 . The base module according to claim 2 , wherein:
the SMARC connector is arranged on the printed circuit board such that installation of a SMARC processor module having a width of 82 mm and a depth of 50 mm is possible without jutting out over the printed circuit board; and/or the FMC connector is arranged on the printed circuit board such that installation of an FMC daughter card module having a width of no more than 80 mm and a depth of no more than 39 mm is possible without jutting out over the printed circuit board.

5 . The base module according to claim 1 , wherein:
the SMARC connector is arranged on the printed circuit board such that installation of a SMARC processor module having a width of 82 mm and a depth of 50 mm is possible without jutting out over the printed circuit board; and/or the FMC connector is arranged on the printed circuit board such that installation of an FMC daughter card module having a width of no more than 80 mm and a depth of no more than 39 mm is possible without jutting out over the printed circuit board.

6 . The base module according to claim 1 , wherein:
the integrated power supply and communication connector are in compliance with European Specification EN 4165; and/or the SMARC connector is in compliance with version 2.0 of the Smart Mobility ARChitecture, SMARC, standard; and/or the FMC connector is in compliance with version ANSI/VITA 57.1-2008 of the FPGA Mezzanine Card, FMC, standard.

7 . The base module according to claim 1 , wherein:
the power supply circuit comprises at least one DC/DC voltage transformer and the power supply circuit additionally comprises a supercapacitor or ultracapacitor.

8 . The base module according to claim 7 , wherein:
the power supply circuit is configured such that during initialization the SMARC connector is supplied with power first of all and only subsequently is the FMC connector supplied with power.

9 . The base module according to claim 1 , wherein:
the communication circuit comprises at least one transmission circuit for signal transmission according to IEEE 802.3ab standard.

10 . The base module according to claim 1 , wherein:
the dedicated input/output contacts of the SMARC connector comprise CSI Camera Serial Interface contact pairs CSI_D0+/−, CSI_D1+/−, CSI_D2+/− and CSI_D3+/− according to SMARC standard; and the corresponding dedicated input/output contacts of the FMC connector comprise differential contact pairs DP4_C2M, DP5_C2M, DP9_M2C and DP8_M2C according to FMC standard.

11 . The base module according to claim 1 , wherein:
the dedicated input/output contacts of the SMARC connector comprise GPIO pins 0-11 according to SMARC standard; and the corresponding dedicated input/output contacts of the FMC connector comprise differential contact pairs LA_13, LA_17, LA_12, and LA_16 according to FMC standard.

12 . The base module according to claim 1 , wherein:
the integrated power supply and communication connector is either a plug module or a socket module having 20 contacts according to European Specification EN 4165.

13 . The base module according to claim 12 , wherein, in a plug or socket module having 20 contacts according to European Specification EN 4165, contact pairs 1, 6 and 4, 5 and 17, 18 and 15, 20 are dedicated communication contacts of the integrated power supply and communication connector;
contacts 2, 3, 7, 14, 18, and 19 are dedicated power supply contacts, to which a supply voltage is connected, of the integrated power supply and communication connector; and contacts 8-13 are dedicated power supply contacts, to which a ground voltage is connected, of the integrated power supply and communication connector.

14 . The base module according to claim 1 , additionally comprising:
at least one mini-PCIe connector, a USB type A/B connector or an SD card connector that is configured to connect a non-volatile memory to the SMARC connector.

15 . An aviation computer system, comprising:
a base module according to claim 1 ; at least one SMARC processor module or an FMC daughter card module, wherein the SMARC processor module and/or the FMC daughter card module are mechanically and electrically connected to the base module via a connector.

16 . The aviation computer system according to claim 15 , further comprising:
a housing according to type B or type D of the ARINC 836 standard; and wherein the integrated power supply and communication connector is accessible from an outside of the housing.

17 . The aviation computer system according to claim 16 , wherein
the FMC daughter card module has a communication connector that is also accessible from outside of the housing.

18 . The aviation computer system according to claim 15 , wherein
the FMC daughter card module has a communication connector that is also accessible from outside of the housing.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Brownjohn Nicholas
• Osternack Stefan

Classifications

• H01R12/716

  Coupling device provided on the PCB · CPC title

• H01R12/7076 Primary

  for connection between PCB and component, e.g. display · CPC title

• G06F1/184

  Mounting of motherboards · CPC title

• H01R12/7088

  Arrangements for power supply · CPC title

• H05K1/141

  One or more single auxiliary printed circuits mounted on a main printed circuit, e.g. modules, adapters (H05K1/142 and H05K1/147 take precedence) · CPC title