CompactPCI - duagon

Components and systems based on CompactPCI Serial

Combine performance, connectivity, and AI technologies for future-proof systems in railway technology

Train manufacturers, railway operators, and subsystem manufacturers worldwide rely on CompactPCI Serial systems (cPCI Serial) from duagon: flexibly configurable, expandable, robust, extremely powerful, future-proof, and specially tailored to the requirements of railway technology. With this expertise and specialization, we provide you with the essential components for reliable, modern, and safe rail transport. Our components and systems withstand harsh environmental conditions such as vibration, shock, dust, moisture, and extreme temperatures. In addition, our products offer cybersecure functions such as “Secure Boot” and “Secure Updates” to achieve defined security levels. The systems are therefore not only suitable for railway technology, but also ideal for other industrial applications with demanding environmental conditions, as well as functional safety and cybersecurity requirements.

To ensure that your system precisely meets your requirements, we configure it together with you and ensure that the various modules integrate perfectly. To do this, we combine existing, certified duagon individual components or develop customer-specific solutions based on your exact specifications. This results in highly available (and, if required, high-performance) computing systems made up of individual boards, which are available to you as hardware for a wide variety of applications on the track or in the train—for example, for the functionally safe control of signal boxes, as a central (possibly safety-critical) train server, as a 5G router, or as a high-performance computer for passenger information systems, video surveillance, and AI applications.

Get in touch with our specialists now and let our expertise, long-term availability of products, and accompanying services convince you.

Advantages

We configure your system precisely to your requirements by combining CPU boards with peripheral boards for data storage, AI modules, and various interfaces.

CompactPCI Serial is a global industry standard for modular computer systems, managed by the PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group (PICMG). CompactPCI Serial systems have a modular design and can therefore be configured to fit your exact requirements.

This allows you to combine particularly powerful CPU boards with a variety of additional components, such as fast memory and high-speed data interfaces, to create multifunctional systems.

In addition to their high-performance and comprehensive connectivity options, modular CompactPCI systems are also highly future-proofed: they are relatively easy to maintain and can be expanded with modern components even after many years of use.

Configuring CompactPCI Serial systems

Combine components and scale systems

CompactPCI Serial systems (cPCI Serial or CPCI-S.0) consist of a housing or chassis (including power supply and, if necessary, fan) into which the various boards can be flexibly inserted. A backplane in the housing connects the individual components. The central component is the CPU board, although depending on the requirements profile, several CPU boards can also be installed in one system. Optional peripheral boards are also available for additional functions. At duagon, we provide you with all these components from a single source and work with you to configure the perfect system for your requirements.

Housing, backplane, power supply, fan, shelf controller

We typically build CompactPCI Serial systems in enclosures that can be integrated into standardized 19" racks or ½-19" racks, depending on the space available. If desired, we can also implement your system in custom designs.

The housing includes the power supply (which can also be redundant on request), which we usually install behind the backplane or at the front as a plug-in module. Depending on the requirements profile, we integrate active or passive cooling solutions.

If necessary, we equip our systems with a shelf controller for basic control and monitoring functions (e.g., fan control, ignition for delayed start-up and shutdown of the CPU).

CPU boards for CompactPCI Serial

CPU boards from duagon are the heart of your CompactPCI Serial systems. They are designed as single-board computers and, in addition to the CPU, also feature data storage, RAM, and interfaces (e.g., Ethernet, USB). Scale your system by selecting from different CPU performance classes and installing multiple CPU boards per system.

To easily modernize existing duagon systems and equip them with new CPU generations, our CPU boards are compatible with each other across multiple generations. This allows you to continue working with the surrounding infrastructure even after replacement.

Our CPU boards

Storage expansion

Storage expansion for CompactPCI Serial. We offer additional storage space with peripheral boards for various interfaces (e.g., SATA, NVMe) and form factors. This gives you access to data storage devices with different speeds. Depending on the peripheral board you choose, you can even replace the data storage devices installed in it during operation (hot swap).

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AI boards

AI boards for CompactPCI Serial. For demanding AI applications that require more computing power than CPU boards can provide, we offer dedicated expansion boards with NPU modules (e.g., AIPU modules from Axelera).

These are particularly suitable for data analysis and object recognition.

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Connectivity

Connectivity for CompactPCI Serial. Turn your system into a multimedia system and equip it with 5G, Wi-Fi, and GNSS—or, specifically for railway technology, with GSM-R and FRMCS. We offer assemblies that integrate the appropriate modules into your system. Our portfolio also includes boards with wired communication interfaces such as Ethernet up to 10 Gbit/s or with serial interfaces (RS232, RS485, CAN, MVB, etc.).

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I/O modules

I/O modules for CompactPCI Serial. Many train systems need to quickly and easily record and process sensor data. Equip your CompactPCI Serial system with I/O peripheral boards.

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Application examples in railways

Central train server with CompactPCI Serial

Hardware for highly available, functionally safe, and cyber-secure applications in trains

Many train manufacturers equip their vehicles with central train servers. They supply the computing hardware, for example, to take over essential (including functionally safe) train control systems, provide information for comfort systems, or orchestrate the flow of information between decentralized subsystems installed in the train. This also includes (protected) update services, which the train server downloads over the air (OTA) and distributes to the decentralized systems in the train.

To ensure that your train server meets the desired task profile, you can choose from different processors (G28M or G029M), storage sizes (e.g., G504 or G506), and communication interfaces (e.g., G240 for 10 Gigabit Ethernet). On request, we can also equip your train server with several 5G modules for fast train-to-ground communication and GNSS for satellite-based positioning services (G239).

Multimedia server and passenger information

Hardware for comfort applications and smart passenger information systems

CompactPCI Serial systems have been used for many years as computing hardware for established comfort systems, passenger information systems and multimedia applications in current train generations. Future train generations will also increasingly offer smart passenger information applications based on a wide range of real-time data. These include, for example, light animations and display messages that show waiting passengers on the platform, which areas of the train are already full, and which are still empty. Such multimedia and information services require enormous computing power (G029M), large data storage (e.g., G504 or G506), and fast communication interfaces (e.g., G240 for 10 Gigabit Ethernet). With a CompactPCI Serial system, you can configure your multimedia server to fit your exact needs and flexibly upgrade existing systems.

5G routers and Wi-Fi on trains

Stable train-to-ground communication with duagon

Nowadays, passengers expect stable Wi-Fi with high and fast data rates, both in above-ground and underground local trains and in high-speed long-distance trains. Various (sometimes safety-critical) train systems also require stable data connections. CompactPCI serial systems are particularly suitable for high-availability hardware at stations and on trains. With 5G modules, you can establish stable train-to-ground communication and provide it on the train via WLAN modules (G239) as well as via wired 2.5 Gigabit or 10 Gigabit Ethernet (G240) – with multiple redundancy if required, of course.

Video processing and AI on trains

Hardware for large video data and AI analytics

Modern assistance systems such as video surveillance and AI-based object recognition will play an important role in new generations of trains (e.g., automatic detection of passengers and luggage in parked trains). Configure your CompactPCI Serial system so that it can quickly process and analyze high image data rates: To do this, combine powerful processors (G029M and G029I) with NPU or AIPU modules (G506A) for AI-supported object recognition and assemblies for high-speed storage media (e.g., G504 or G506 for NVMe SSDs).

If you want to analyze video material in trackside data centers, you can use a powerful CompactPCI Serial system on the train to compress the video data according to the available bandwidth and send it via 5G modules.

Monitoring and predictive maintenance

Hardware for efficient maintenance intervals and higher vehicle availability

Most digital train systems and subsystems continuously generate data on their current status during operation. On the one hand, this data provides information on whether systems and services are functioning properly. On the other hand, AI systems can already detect conspicuous patterns in a lot of data when component failure is imminent.

If you want to collect the large amount of different operating data in the train and send it to a land-based data center for real-time analysis, your CompactPCI Serial system should have large storage capacities (e.g., G504 or G506 for NVMe SSDs) and several 5G modules (G239) for stable train-to-ground communication. In many cases, however, it makes sense to process and analyze the data on the train itself.

Configure your system so that it can collect data from decentralized train systems via various interfaces and analyze it using high-performance processors for embedded applications (G029M). With the appropriate NPU modules or AIPU modules from Axelera (G506A), you can use AI solutions for data analysis. You can send the significantly reduced but already processed and filtered data to land-based systems via 5G modules, thereby optimizing the planning and quality of maintenance intervals.

Functionally safe signal box computers (interlocking systems)

2oo3 and 2oo4 architectures for functionally safe applications

Digital signal boxes (interlocking systems) are essential for the safety and smooth operation of rail transport. The hardware on which the various control and safety systems run must therefore meet the strict requirements of functional safety.

With our CompactPCI Serial components, you can configure your powerful and highly available system for safety-critical applications from a wide range of individual components according to your requirements. For example, you can build your fault-tolerant control system as a 2oo3 or 2oo4 controller, in which several processors (G029M or G029I) perform calculations in parallel and compare whether the results are identical. Or you can build redundant systems that support virtualization and in which one system immediately takes over if the other fails.

Our CompactPCI Serial components are typically not pre-certified according to current functional safety standards but are used by our customers in many functionally safe systems. You can simply certify your CompactPCI Serial system as part of the overall certification for your functionally safe application.

See our certified functionally safe products

FAQs about CompactPCI Serial

CompactPCI Serial systems are the ideal solution for modern and resource-intensive applications that process and forward large amounts of data flexibly and securely. In railway technology, CompactPCI Serial systems are used as central train servers, serve as hardware for 5G routers, or, as high-performance computers, handle applications such as passenger information systems, video surveillance, and active cybersecurity functions (e.g., intrusion detection).

The future area of application and the tasks to be performed are decisive factors in choosing the right technology. CompactPCI Serial systems offer the most flexible configuration options and combine maximum performance with maximum connectivity.

Box PCs are a suitable alternative for use in inaccessible locations or in places with extreme environmental conditions. We usually install the same powerful components inside them that we use for CompactPCI Serial systems. However, since they are passively cooled, their focus is more on power efficiency and temperature management. Due to their particularly robust and fanless design, box PCs are maintenance-free. However, this also means that they can only be configured to a limited extent, especially in terms of connectivity.

Modular DIN rail systems are a suitable alternative for systems that need to provide particularly high connectivity. They can be configured with similar flexibility to CompactPCI Serial systems. Their focus is on cost efficiency, which makes them particularly well suited for applications that require little power.

Our CompactPCI Serial components are specially designed for the demanding requirements and harsh environmental conditions of rail transport. They meet strict cybersecurity standards and are resistant to vibration, shock, dust, moisture, and extreme temperatures. To achieve this, we solder board components, use special manufacturing processes (such as underfilling to reinforce solder joints), coat boards with protective lacquer, and test our products under extreme conditions. We round off our offering with accompanying services such as development environments, software development, and a particularly long product life cycle specifically designed for railway technology. As a result, we still support systems based on the former CompactPCI standard today

CompactPCI is the predecessor of today's common CompactPCI Serial standard. The biggest difference lies in the technology used by the individual components within the overall system to communicate with each other via the backplane. CompactPCI uses the slower parallel PCI bus technology for this purpose, while CompactPCI Serial exclusively uses fast serial point-to-point connections. This enables significantly higher data throughputs, making it essential for high-performance applications in modern train generations and representing the state of the art. However, many older train fleets still have conventional CompactPCI systems installed. We therefore continue to support such assemblies to enable maintenance, upgrades, and modernization.

duagon CPU boards support the Linux operating system as standard. Our G029M CPU boards is certified by Red Hat for its Enterprise Linux 9.2–9.x. Selected duagon boards are also suitable for use with real-time operating systems.

We support Windows on request.

Get personalized advice

We configure your system precisely to your requirements by combining CPU boards with peripheral boards for data storage, AI modules, and various interfaces.

Get in touch with our specialists now and let our expertise, long-term availability of products, and accompanying services convince you

Components and systems based on CompactPCI Serial

Advantages

Configuring CompactPCI Serial systems

Application examples in railways

FAQs about CompactPCI Serial

Get personalized advice

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