Product Overview - Kontron PEP CP321 Manual

Introduction CP321
1.2

Product Overview

The Kontron Modular Computers' single-height PowerPC CPU board CP321 is a comprehen-
sive computing platform which brings together the latest advances in computing technology in
a board designed for maximum performance, flexibility, and versatility within a rugged compact
format.
The design centered on realizing a board which addresses the need for increased computing
capacity while at the same time reducing the size and number of system components in order
to reduce space requirements and optimize power dissipation.
The CP321 is based on the MPC8245, a highly integrated microprocessor containing a Pow-
erPC MPC603e core with the initial version operating at 330 MHz and having a Floating Point
Unit (FPU). One of the prime advantages of utilizing the established and proven MPC603e core
is the associated broad infrastructure of support that has built up around it. All of the noteworthy
third-party software tool vendors provide tools for the MPC8245.
The CP321 employs an OS-independent boot loader that enables the loading of any operating
system available for the PowerPC. This boot loader makes an update of the Flash contents and
automatically downloads from Flash to SDRAM before booting the OS. For performance rea-
sons the OS and user programs are started from the SDRAM.
To satisfy increased demands for expansion flexibility, the CP321 design incorporates both lo-
cal on-board PCI bus expansion as well as the standard external CPCI bus interfacing via CPCI
backplanes. The local on-board PCI bus is extended to a special PCI expansion connector
which currently allows the cascading of two additional modules which can either be carrier
boards for other types of modules (e.g. PMC modules) or modules providing additional I/O ca-
pability. These features enable, for example, the connection of the widest range of system I/O
components such as various field busses, a second Fast Ethernet, and Ultra 2 SCSI, to name
just a few. A complete range of expansion possibilities is thus made available to the user by the
CP321.
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