Eurocard
Encyclopedia
Eurocard is a Europe
an standard format for PCB
cards, which can be plugged together into a standardized subrack. The subrack consists of a series of slotted card guides on the top and bottom, into which the cards are slid so they stand on end, like books on a shelf. At the "back" of each card is one or more connectors, which plug into mating connectors on a backplane which closes the rear of the subrack.
Eurocard subracks have standardized sizes in the vertical and horizontal directions. Height is specified by the rack unit
'U', with 1 U being 1.75 inches (44.45 mm), the same unit used with 19-inch rack
s. Width is specified by the horizontal pitch
unit 'HP', with 1 HP being 0.2 inches (5.08 mm). A 3U subrack is 5.25 inches (133.35 mm) high and accepts a 3U Eurocard which is 100 millimetres (3.937 in) high. Another popular size is the 6U high subrack which is 10.5 inches (266.7 mm) high and accepts 6U (Double) Eurocards which are 233.35 millimetres (9.187 in) high. Note that front panel sizes are slightly less than the subrack sizes: for example a 3U front panel may only be 130 millimetres (5.118 in) high whereas the 3U subrack itself is 133.35 millimetres (5.25 in) high.
The Eurocard height starts at 100 millimetres (3.937 in) and increments by 5.25 inches (133.35 mm) increments. This arrangement allows two 3U high (100 millimetres (3.937 in)) Eurocards to be supported properly next to a 6U high (233.35 millimetres (9.187 in)) Eurocard. The 33.35 millimetres (1.313 in) space is required for the card guide structure that would be between the two 3U high cards.
Eurocards come in modular depths that start at 100 millimetres (3.937 in) and then increase in 60 millimetres (2.362 in) increments. The 160 millimetres (6.299 in) depth is the most common today, however standard hardware is available to accommodate depths of 100 millimetres (3.937 in), 160 millimetres (6.299 in), 220 millimetres (8.661 in), 280 millimetres (11.024 in), 340 millimetres (13.386 in), and 400 millimetres (15.748 in).
features required for VITA
1.1-1997(R2002) which is the VME64 Extensions standard as well as PICMG
2.0 (R3.0) which is the CompactPCI
specification.
The IEEE 1101.11 standard covers rear plug-in units that are also called rear transition modules or RTMs.
The Eurocard is a mechanical system and does not define the specific connector to be used or the signals that are assigned to connector contacts.
The connector systems that are commonly used with Eurocard architectures include the original DIN 41612
connector that is also standardized as IEC 60603.2. This is the connector that is used for the VMEbus
standard which was IEEE 1014. The connector known as the 5-row DIN which is used for the VME64 Extensions standard is IEC 61076-4-113. The VME64 Extension architecture defined by VITA 1.1-1997 (R2002).
Another popular computer architecture that utilizes the 6U-160 Eurocard is CompactPCI
and CompactPCI Express. These are defined by PICMG 2.0R3 and PICMG Exp0 R1 respectively. Other computer architectures that utilize the Eurocard system are VXI
, PXI
, and PXI Express.
A computer architecture that used the 6U-220 Eurocard format was Multibus-II
which was IEEE 1296.
Because the Eurocard system provided for so many modular card sizes and because connector manufacturers have continued to create new connectors which are compatible with this system, it is a popular mechanical standard which is also used for innumerable "one-off" applications.
Conduction-cooled Eurocards are used in military and aerospace applications. They are defined by the IEEE 1101.2-1992(2001) standard.
The Eurocard standard is also the basis of the "Eurorack" format for modular electronic music synthesizers
, popularized by Doepfer
and other manufacturers.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an standard format for PCB
Printed circuit board
A printed circuit board, or PCB, is used to mechanically support and electrically connect electronic components using conductive pathways, tracks or signal traces etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate. It is also referred to as printed wiring board or etched wiring...
cards, which can be plugged together into a standardized subrack. The subrack consists of a series of slotted card guides on the top and bottom, into which the cards are slid so they stand on end, like books on a shelf. At the "back" of each card is one or more connectors, which plug into mating connectors on a backplane which closes the rear of the subrack.
Sizing and dimensions
The Eurocard packaging system is a complex mixture of English and metric dimensions.Eurocard subracks have standardized sizes in the vertical and horizontal directions. Height is specified by the rack unit
Rack unit
A rack unit or U is a unit of measure used to describe the height of equipment intended for mounting in a 19-inch rack or a 23-inch rack...
'U', with 1 U being 1.75 inches (44.45 mm), the same unit used with 19-inch rack
19-inch rack
A 19-inch rack is a standardized frame or enclosure for mounting multiple equipment modules. Each module has a front panel that is wide, including edges or ears that protrude on each side which allow the module to be fastened to the rack frame with screws.-Overview and history:Equipment designed...
s. Width is specified by the horizontal pitch
Horizontal pitch
Horizontal pitch is a unit of length defined by the Eurocard printed circuit board standard used to measure the horizontal width of rack mounted electronic equipment, similar to the rack unit used to measure vertical heights of rack mounted equipment. One HP is wide. A standard 19-inch rack is...
unit 'HP', with 1 HP being 0.2 inches (5.08 mm). A 3U subrack is 5.25 inches (133.35 mm) high and accepts a 3U Eurocard which is 100 millimetres (3.937 in) high. Another popular size is the 6U high subrack which is 10.5 inches (266.7 mm) high and accepts 6U (Double) Eurocards which are 233.35 millimetres (9.187 in) high. Note that front panel sizes are slightly less than the subrack sizes: for example a 3U front panel may only be 130 millimetres (5.118 in) high whereas the 3U subrack itself is 133.35 millimetres (5.25 in) high.
The Eurocard height starts at 100 millimetres (3.937 in) and increments by 5.25 inches (133.35 mm) increments. This arrangement allows two 3U high (100 millimetres (3.937 in)) Eurocards to be supported properly next to a 6U high (233.35 millimetres (9.187 in)) Eurocard. The 33.35 millimetres (1.313 in) space is required for the card guide structure that would be between the two 3U high cards.
Eurocards come in modular depths that start at 100 millimetres (3.937 in) and then increase in 60 millimetres (2.362 in) increments. The 160 millimetres (6.299 in) depth is the most common today, however standard hardware is available to accommodate depths of 100 millimetres (3.937 in), 160 millimetres (6.299 in), 220 millimetres (8.661 in), 280 millimetres (11.024 in), 340 millimetres (13.386 in), and 400 millimetres (15.748 in).
Standards & architecture
The Eurocard mechanical architecture was defined originally under IEC-60297-3. Today, the most widely recognized standards for this mechanical structure are IEEE 1101.1, IEEE 1101.10 (also known commonly as "dot ten") and IEEE 1101.11. IEEE 1101.10 covers the additional mechanical and EMIEMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
features required for VITA
Vita
Vita or VITA may refer to:Things:*Vita , a brief biography, often that of a saint * Vita , a character in the anime series, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's* A curriculum vitae...
1.1-1997(R2002) which is the VME64 Extensions standard as well as PICMG
PICMG
The PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group is a consortium of over 227 companies. The group, founded in 1994, was originally formed to adapt PCI technology for use in high-performance telecommunications, military and industrial computing applications but its work has now grown to include...
2.0 (R3.0) which is the CompactPCI
CompactPCI
A CompactPCI system is a 3U or 6U Eurocard-based industrial computer, where all boards are connected via a passive PCI backplane. The connector pin assignments are standardized by the PICMG US and PICMG Europe organizations. PICMG stands for PCI Industrial Computers Manufacturers Group...
specification.
The IEEE 1101.11 standard covers rear plug-in units that are also called rear transition modules or RTMs.
The Eurocard is a mechanical system and does not define the specific connector to be used or the signals that are assigned to connector contacts.
The connector systems that are commonly used with Eurocard architectures include the original DIN 41612
DIN 41612
DIN 41612 is a DIN standard for electrical connectors that are widely used in rack based electrical systems. Standardisation of the connectors is a pre-requisite for open systems, where users expect components from different suppliers to operate together. The mostly widely known use of DIN 41612...
connector that is also standardized as IEC 60603.2. This is the connector that is used for the VMEbus
VMEbus
VMEbus is a computer bus standard, originally developed for the Motorola 68000 line of CPUs, but later widely used for many applications and standardized by the IEC as ANSI/IEEE 1014-1987. It is physically based on Eurocard sizes, mechanicals and connectors , but uses its own signalling system,...
standard which was IEEE 1014. The connector known as the 5-row DIN which is used for the VME64 Extensions standard is IEC 61076-4-113. The VME64 Extension architecture defined by VITA 1.1-1997 (R2002).
Another popular computer architecture that utilizes the 6U-160 Eurocard is CompactPCI
CompactPCI
A CompactPCI system is a 3U or 6U Eurocard-based industrial computer, where all boards are connected via a passive PCI backplane. The connector pin assignments are standardized by the PICMG US and PICMG Europe organizations. PICMG stands for PCI Industrial Computers Manufacturers Group...
and CompactPCI Express. These are defined by PICMG 2.0R3 and PICMG Exp0 R1 respectively. Other computer architectures that utilize the Eurocard system are VXI
VXI
The VXI bus architecture is an open standard platform for automated test based upon VMEbus. VXI stands for VME eXtensions for Instrumentation, defining additional bus lines for timing and triggering as well as mechanical requirements and standard protocols for configuration, message-based...
, PXI
PXI
PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation is one of several modular electronic instrumentation platforms in current use. These platforms are used as a basis for building electronic test equipment, automation systems, modular laboratory instruments in science, and the like. PXI is based on...
, and PXI Express.
A computer architecture that used the 6U-220 Eurocard format was Multibus-II
Multibus
Multibus is a computer bus standard used in industrial systems. It was developed by Intel Corporation and was adopted as the IEEE 796 bus.The Multibus specification was important because it was a robust, well-thought out industry standard with a relatively large form factor so complex devices could...
which was IEEE 1296.
Because the Eurocard system provided for so many modular card sizes and because connector manufacturers have continued to create new connectors which are compatible with this system, it is a popular mechanical standard which is also used for innumerable "one-off" applications.
Conduction-cooled Eurocards are used in military and aerospace applications. They are defined by the IEEE 1101.2-1992(2001) standard.
The Eurocard standard is also the basis of the "Eurorack" format for modular electronic music synthesizers
Modular synthesizer
The modular synthesizer is a type of synthesizer consisting of separate specialized modules connected by wires to create a so-called patch. Every output generates a signal – an electric voltage of variable strength...
, popularized by Doepfer
Doepfer
Doepfer Musikelektronik GmbH is a manufacturer of audio hardware based in Gräfelfing, Germany, founded by Dieter Döpfer.The product range covers analog modular systems, MIDI controller, MIDI hardware sequencers, MIDI-to-CV/Gate/Sync Interfaces, MIDI master keyboards and special MIDI...
and other manufacturers.