Description
MOTOROLA MVME172-263/260 VMEbus Single Board Computer — Full Introduction
Brand: Motorola (now owned by NXP / Onsemi)
Model: MVME172-263/260
Positioning: High-performance 68040 processor VMEbus single board computer (SBC) designed for industrial automation, process control, data acquisition, communication gateways, and other high-reliability embedded applications.
MOTOROLA MVME172-263/260 VMEbus Single Board Computer
1. Product Overview
The MVME172-263/260 is a classic VMEbus 68040 series single board computer from Motorola, belonging to the mid-to-high-end segment of the MVME172 family. It integrates a 25 MHz MC68LC040 processor, large-capacity DRAM/SRAM/Flash memory, and 4 IndustryPack ports onto a standard VME-size (6U or 9U depending on the specific sub-model) board. It can be directly inserted into any standard VMEbus chassis and work in tandem with other I/O modules and communication modules on the VME bus.
This product was widely used in telecom, power, petrochemical, and rail transit process control systems (DCS/SCADA) from the 1990s through the early 2000s. It is still running reliably in many legacy systems today, and spare parts demand remains steady.
2. Model Code Decoding
| Code Segment | Meaning |
|---|---|
| MVME | Motorola VMEbus Embedded — Motorola’s prefix for all VMEbus embedded product lines |
| 172 | Processor platform is MC68040 (distinct from MVME162 which uses MC68040+LAN, or MVME177 which uses MC68060) |
| 263 | 25 MHz clock / 1MB DRAM / 4 IndustryPack ports / basic configuration with BIOS |
| /260 | Motorola’s internal P/N variant identifier; functionally identical to 263, typically used in different sales channels or regions |
Key Features and Advantages
1. MC68LC040 Processor — Mature and Reliable Industrial-Grade CPU
The MC68LC040 is the cost-reduced version of Motorola’s 68040 family. It removes the MMU (Memory Management Unit) but retains:
- 8 KB Data Cache + 8 KB Instruction Cache
- FPU (Floating Point Unit)
- 25 MHz clock speed (high-performance for embedded processors in the 1990s)
While 25 MHz may seem slow by today’s standards, the MC68040’s deterministic execution characteristics and rich peripheral interfaces make it extremely reliable for real-time control, data acquisition, and communication protocol processing.
2. 4 IndustryPack Ports — Extremely Strong I/O Expansion Capability
This is the core selling point that distinguishes the MVME172-263/260 from other MVME172 models (such as 233, 243, 303, etc.). IndustryPack (abbreviated IP) is the I/O expansion standard for VMEbus, allowing various function modules to be plugged directly into the VME backplane:
| IndustryPack Module Type | Typical Application |
|---|---|
| IP-DIO | Digital I/O (32/64/96 channels) |
| IP-ADC/DAC | Analog acquisition/output (16/32 channels, 12~16 bit resolution) |
| IP-Counter/Timer | Counters, timers, encoder interfaces |
| IP-Serial | RS-232/RS-422/RS-485 serial port expansion |
| IP-Ethernet | Ethernet communication module |
| IP-CAN | CAN bus interface |
| IP-Profibus | PROFIBUS DP/PA interface |
4 IP ports mean you can get up to 4 sets of independent I/O channels without consuming any VME I/O slots — extremely beneficial for I/O-intensive control systems.
