The Power Hawk Series 900 is Concurrent's high-performance VME computer system for data acquisition, simulation and industrial systems applications. Power Hawk Series 900 processor boards contain one, two or four PowerPC MPC7457 CPUs and up to 2 GB of memory on a single-slot 6U VME card.
Series 900 systems offer leading-edge integrated circuit and packaging technology. Dual and quad CPU Series 900 processor boards are true symmetric multiprocessors (SMP) that run a single copy of Concurrent's PowerMAX OS real-time operating system. CPUs are linked by a high-speed PowerPC processor bus and have direct, cache-coherent access to all of on-board main memory.
Power Hawk Series 900 features the advanced generation PowerPC MPC7457 processor. Each CPU offers three levels of cache for increased speed and efficiency over previous generation G4 systems. 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 cache are integrated on-chip with L2 operating at speeds approaching the frequency of the processor. The 2 MB L3 backside cache is Double Data Rate (DDR) enhanced for faster data throughput. The Series 900 also features a Discovery single-chip, advanced system controller that integrates memory, dual PCI busses and I/O functionality, all linked via a high-bandwidth crossbar fabric. The PowerPC's AltiVec vector instruction set can also perform 4, 8, or 16 calculations in a single cycle -- providing IEEE FP four times faster than non-vector processors.
At the heart of each Power Hawk Series 900 system is Concurrent's PowerMAX OS real-time UNIX-based operating system. In dual and quad CPU systems, PowerMAX OS delivers enhanced real-time performance and determinism with guaranteed interrupt response for time-critical applications. Processes executing on any CPU can share data, send messages, generate interrupts, and respond to interrupts from processes running on any other CPU. Processes can also access a common synchronized clock source. PowerMAX OS offers a choice of inter-CPU communication features designed to allow application processes to exchange information depending upon individual performance and data size requirements.
The Power Hawk's optional Real-Time Clock & Interrupt Module (RCIM) is a multifunction PMC card designed for time-sensitive applications that require rapid response to external events. Installed on a processor board or expansion PMC slot, the RCIM includes a synchronized clock readable by all applications tasks, four programmable real-time clocks, and four input and four output external interrupt lines. The RCIM is fully supported by PowerMAX OS. The synchronized clock can be externally cabled to allow multiple systems to operate from a single clock source.
Concurrent's Professional Services group is available to design and deliver Power Hawk solutions for customers who require complete competitive solutions for demanding mission-critical applications. Concurrent engineers can develop special packaging including ruggedized and conduction-cooled enclosures, integrate third-party I/O cards, develop drivers, and provide hardware and software designed to exact customer specifications.
