Unveiling VITA 93 Quantum Microchip
New Rugged Mezzanine Standard for Next-Generation Embedded Systems
The VITA 93 QMC (Quartz Mezzanine Card) standard, designed for rugged, industrial, military, and avionics applications, is about ready to revolutionize the world of small-form-factor mezzanine modules.
During a recent webinar, industry experts Mark Littlefield (Senior Manager of Embedded Computing at Elma Electronics), Jan Zimmerman (General Manager at TEWS Technologies), and Matthew Burns (Director of Technical Marketing at Samtec) discussed the features and functionality of this upcoming standard.
The VITA 93 QMC module, which is approximately the size of an M.2 module (26 mm × 78.25 mm), boasts several key details that make it an ideal choice for harsh environments. The module size is 26 mm wide by 78.25 mm long, with four mounting holes, making it compact and scalable.
The standard uses Samtec’s AcceleRate HD Ultra-Dense, Slim Body Arrays with a 0.635-mm pitch, rated for very high data rates (up to 64 Gb/s PAM4). This allows it to support high-speed serial interfaces like PCI Express Gen 6 and Compute Express Link (CXL). Each QMC module has two sets of sockets—one side connects to the host for power (3.3V and 12V) and management interfaces (I2C with IPMI), and the other side is dedicated to I/O with five pipes, each with eight single-ended or four differential signals, offering up to 40 I/O signals per socket.
Modules can be configured as x1, x2, x3, or x4 PCIe widths to increase bandwidth. Larger configurations can accommodate more powerful chips like GPGPUs or AI accelerators. The standard is initially targeted at military and avionics sectors but is equally applicable to any rugged industrial or commercial environment needing shock, vibration tolerance, and environmental resilience.
The VITA 93 QMC also supports conduction cooling with added heatsinks or default convection cooling. It is poised to integrate with the upcoming VITA 100.20 management standard, offering platform management capabilities.
In summary, VITA 93 QMC combines a rugged small form factor with very high-speed interconnects and modular scalability, making it suitable for next-generation embedded systems in harsh environments that require compact, flexible expansion options with advanced management features.
With the participation of companies like Elma Electronics, TEWS Technologies, and Samtec, the VITA 93 QMC standard is shaping up to be a mezzanine standard for all.
[1] VITA Technology Organization [2] Samtec [3] Elma Electronics [4] TEWS Technologies
Data-and-cloud-computing technologies are expected to benefit significantly from the VITA 93 QMC standard, as its high-speed interconnects and scalability can support high-performance computing tasks in harsh environments.
The emergence of the VITA 93 QMC standard, with its advanced technology and small form factor, underscores the ongoing evolution and integration of embedded systems technology across various industries.
