Like CompactPCI also CompactPCI Serial is well suited for all kinds of industrial markets from robotics, machine control and industrial automation via research, computer telephony and telecommunication, medical engineering and energy sector, to ground transportation, avionics and shipbuilding and any type of mobile machine or vehicle. The final usability of a board or system in the respective markets largely depends on the expertise of the single manufacturer. Extreme ruggedness, extended product availability, the certification according to dedicated quality management systems and applied measures to handle safety-critical aspects may add to the market-specific requirements.

During the last years the parallel PCI bus technology – and with it also CompactPCI – has been complemented by fast serial point-to-point connections which are available directly at the chipset. For this reason, the structure of a computer slowly changes from a bus-based system to a system with a star topology connected by serial point-to-point connections. The need for robust, compact, modular, long-term available and maintenance-friendly computers has not changed, though. Like CompactPCI also CompactPCI Serial is intended as an industrial “bus” for mobile and stationary application in (real-time) control and monitoring, data acquisition and instrumentation, simulation and test. Because of its extremely high bandwidth, CompactPCI Serial is particularly well suited for high speed / high bandwidth data communication applications.

No – there is no system overhead because of the same 19” mechanics. And there is no need for switches and bridges or for complex management software. Just the CompactPCI Serial high-speed connector is still slightly more expensive than the 2-mm connector for CompactPCI. Even compared to Industrial PCs both CompactPCI and CompactPCI Serial must not be more expensive – depending on the requirements of the application.

Currently the first Intel multicore SBCs are available from several suppliers. PowerPC based CPU boards are expected to follow. Peripheral slot functions include Gigabit Ethernet interface, fiber optics and Ethernet switch cards, SATA hard disk shuttles, GSM/UMTS and audio cards as well as carrier boards for PCI Express MiniCards, PMC and XMC modules. 10 Gb Ethernet and USB 3.0 cards are in development. Standard 19” components and CompactPCI Serial backplanes are provided by all major mechanics suppliers.