FeaturePak
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The FeaturePak standard defines a small form factor card for I/O expansion of
embedded systems An embedded system is a specialized computer system—a combination of a computer processor, computer memory, and input/output peripheral devices—that has a dedicated function within a larger mechanical or electronic system. It is em ...
and other space-constrained computing applications. The cards are intended to be used for adding a wide range of capabilities, such as A/D, D/A, digital I/O, counter/timers,
serial I/O In telecommunication and data transmission, serial communication is the process of sending data one bit at a time, sequentially, over a communication channel or computer bus. This is in contrast to parallel communication, where several bits ar ...
,
wired Wired may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''Wired'' (Jeff Beck album), 1976 * ''Wired'' (Hugh Cornwell album), 1993 * ''Wired'' (Mallory Knox album), 2017 * "Wired", a song by Prism from their album '' Beat Street'' * "Wired ...
or
wireless Wireless communication (or just wireless, when the context allows) is the transfer of information (''telecommunication'') between two or more points without the use of an electrical conductor, optical fiber or other continuous guided transm ...
networking,
image processing An image or picture is a visual representation. An image can be two-dimensional, such as a drawing, painting, or photograph, or three-dimensional, such as a carving or sculpture. Images may be displayed through other media, including a pr ...
,
GPS The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based hyperbolic navigation system owned by the United States Space Force and operated by Mission Delta 31. It is one of the global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) that provide geol ...
, etc. to their host systems. FeaturePak cards plug into edgecard sockets, parallel to the mainboard, similarly to how
SO-DIMM A DIMM (Dual In-line Memory Module) is a popular type of memory module used in computers. It is a printed circuit board with one or both sides (front and back) holding DRAM chips and pins. The vast majority of DIMMs are manufactured in compli ...
memory modules install in laptop or desktop PCs.


Socket Interface

The FeaturePak socket consists of a 230-pin "MXM" connector, which provides all connections to the FeaturePak card, including the host interface, external I/O signals, and power. (Note, however, that the FeaturePak specification's use of the MXM connector differs from that of
Nvidia Nvidia Corporation ( ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and incorporated in Delaware. Founded in 1993 by Jensen Huang (president and CEO), Chris Malachowsky, and Curti ...
's MXM specification.) Host interface connections include: *
PCI Express PCI Express (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express), officially abbreviated as PCIe, is a high-speed standard used to connect hardware components inside computers. It is designed to replace older expansion bus standards such as Peripher ...
-- up to two PCI Express x1 lanes *
USB Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard, developed by USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), for digital data transmission and power delivery between many types of electronics. It specifies the architecture, in particular the physical ...
-- up to two USB 1.1 or 2.0 channels *Serial—one logic-level
UART A universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter (UART ) is a peripheral device for asynchronous serial communication in which the data format and transmission speeds are configurable. It sends data bits one by one, from the least significant to ...
interface *
SMBus The System Management Bus (SMBus or SMB) is a single-ended simple two-wire bus for the purpose of lightweight communication. Most commonly it is found in chipsets of computer motherboards for communication with the power source for ON/OFF instru ...
*
JTAG JTAG (named after the Joint Test Action Group which codified it) is an industry standard for verifying designs of and testing printed circuit boards after manufacture. JTAG implements standards for on-chip instrumentation in electronic design ...
*PCI Express Reset *Several auxiliary signals *3V and 5V power and ground *Reserved lines (for future enhancements) The balance of the 230-pin FeaturePak socket is allocated to I/O, in two groups: *Primary I/O—50 general purpose I/O lines, of which 34 pairs have enhanced isolation *Secondary I/O—50 general purpose I/O lines The FeaturePak socket's MXM connector is claimed capable of 2.5 Gbit/s bandwidth on each pin, thereby supporting high-speed interfaces such as PCI Express,
gigabit Ethernet In computer networking, Gigabit Ethernet (GbE or 1 GigE) is the term applied to transmitting Ethernet frames at a rate of a gigabit per second. The most popular variant, 1000BASE-T, is defined by the IEEE 802.3ab standard. It came into use in ...
,
USB 2.0 Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard, developed by USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), for digital data transmission and power delivery between many types of electronics. It specifies the architecture, in particular the physical i ...
, among others. Enhanced I/O signal isolation within the Primary I/O group is accomplished by leaving alternate pins on the MXM connector interface unused. FeaturePak cards are powered by 3.3V and use standard 3.3V
logic level In digital circuits, a logic level is one of a finite number of states that a digital signal can inhabit. Logic levels are usually represented by the voltage difference between the signal and ground, although other standards exist. The range of ...
s. The socket also provides a 5V input option, for cards that require the additional voltage to power auxiliary functions. Other than the provision of extra isolation for 34 signal pairs, there is no defined allocation of the signals within the Primary I/O and Secondary I/O groups, leaving each FeaturePak to define its own utilization of the I/O signals. Consequently, there is little limitation as to what can be implemented on a FeaturePak card.


Card size

Overall FeaturePak horizontal dimensions are 1.75 x 2.55 inches (43 x 65 mm). There are two options for topside component thickness: "tall" FeaturePak modules may have topside components of up to 0.4 inch (10 mm) thick; "standard" modules are limited to 0.19 inch (4.8 mm) topside component thickness.


History

The FeaturePak standard was launched by the FeaturePak Initiative at Embedded World 2010 in Nuremberg, Germany, in March 2010. At launch, the Initiative consisted of FeaturePak originato
Diamond Systems
plus FeaturePak Initiative charter member
Arbor TechnologyCogent Computer SystemscongatecConnect TechDouglas ElectronicsHectronic
an
IXXAT Automation
The FeaturePak Initiative subsequently was superseded by a California nonprofit corporation known as the FeaturePak
Trade Association A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association, sector association or industry body, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific Industry (economics), industry. Through collabor ...
(FPTA), which assumed ownership of the FeaturePak specification and other IP (intellectual property) and became responsible for maintaining, extending, and promoting the FeaturePak standard and established restrictions and guidelines pertaining to the use of the FeaturePak trademark and logos.


Openness

The FeaturePak specification is freely available by application on the FeaturePak Trade Association's website. As stated on FeaturePak.org, "You need not join the FPTA or be otherwise licensed, in order to develop or manufacture products based on or incorporating FPTA specifications. However, use of FPTA-owned logos is restricted to FPTA members in good standing or to those explicitly licensed by the FPTA to use them. Please contact the FPTA for details regarding non-member licensing of FPTA logos."


External links


FeaturePak Initiative Website


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Featurepak Motherboard form factors Computer buses Embedded systems