VPX and REDI
VPX (VITA 46) specifications establish a new direction for the next revolution in bus boards. VPX is a proposed ANSI standard which breaks out from the traditional connector scheme of VMEbus to merge the latest in connector and packaging technology with the latest in bus and serial fabric technology. VPX combines best-in-class technologies to assure a very long technology cycle similar to that of the original VMEbus solutions. Traditional parallel VMEbus will continue to be supported by VPX through bridging schemes that assure a solid migration pathway.
Technologies called for in VPX include:
- Both 3U and 6U formats
- New 7-row high speed connector rated up to 6.25 Gbps
- Choice of high speed serial fabrics
- PMC and XMC (VITA 42) mezzanines
- Hybrid backplanes to accommodate VME64, VXS and VPX boards
Be sure to download and read the VITA 46 Connector/Module Test Report 
issued by Contech under the direction of the VPX Working Group.
The Ruggedized Enhanced Design Implementation (REDI) laid out in VITA 48 describes how to implement layout techniques to better support cooling methodologies on specific board form factors. Currently, it covers enhanced forced-air cooling (using baffles and plenums), advanced conduction cooling (using larger and more efficient thermal interfaces), and liquid cooling. It also addresses the use of ESD covers on both sides of the board, a necessary feature for military two-level maintenance strategies.
