As an ANSI/VITA member, Samtec, a privately held $713MM global manufacturer of a broad line of electronic interconnect solutions, proudly supports the release of the new ANSI/VITA 57.4-2018 FPGA Mezzanine Card Plus Standard. VITA 57.4, also referred to as FMC+, expands upon the I/O capabilities defined in ANSI/VITA 57.1 FMC by adding two new connectors that enable higher data rates.

FMC+ modules provide a standardized mezzanine card often employed in FPGA development solutions and by COTS manufacturers. Due to features such as their small form factor and user defined pins, FMC+ provides attractive features to the end user while maintaining modularity. In addition to providing backwards compatibility with FMC mezzanine cards, FMC+ also extends computing performance and bandwidth, all fitting within the same form factor as FMC.

Samtec’s SEARAY™ vertical connectors are featured in the VITA 57.4 standard, which specifies 8.5 mm and 10 mm stack heights. SEARAY™ is capable of speeds up to 28 Gbps, provides low insertion/extraction forces, and also features solder charge terminations. In addition, the FMC+ standard also specifies the use of an optional extension connector (the High Serial Pin Connector extension, or HSPCe). Employing this extension connector increases the total pin count by 80 positions, arranged in a 4 x 20 array. This brings data rates from 28 to 32 Gbps over full duplex channels. The expanded SEARAY™ connector was chosen based on its successful performance in the VITA 57.1 FMC Standard, as well as its high-speed capabilities and rugged design.

“Samtec is proud to offer the next-generation FMC+ connector solution” says David Givens, Standards Director at Samtec. “The customized SEARAY™ has flawless reliability. It provides extensive flexibility to FPGA developers and VITA-hardware users alike, while maintaining ideal signal integrity.”