Acromag carrier supports four VITA 93 QMC modules on PCIe

By Nathan Brooks

Acromag’s QPCe7340 PCIe carrier provides four sockets for VITA 93 QMC modules on a three-quarter-length x4 PCIe Gen 3 card, a specification aimed at industrial and defense systems. The arrangement works more like a small backplane than a fixed adapter, since the modules, carrier FPGA and cooling can remain separable.

What does the carrier provide?

The four VITA 93 QMC sockets occupy a three-slot and one-slot arrangement on the carrier. Each socket receives individual FPGA timing. Back-panel connectors expose I/O from every slot. A standard 14-pin JTAG programming header handles FPGA and QMC debugging, and optical isolation is available for two slots.

That separation gives each module a defined electrical and mechanical role while leaving the final system format open. Back-panel access lets integrators route module signals to their own external interfaces rather than accepting a fixed connector set.

VITA 93 QMC modules require a commercial or custom carrier board. Acromag’s QPCe7340 supplies that host function for laboratory work and systems that retain the PCIe card, while supporting custom interfaces through the module and back-panel connection choices.

What module combinations can it accept?

VITA 93 QMC defines four module formats. The QPCe7340 supports three populated arrangements:

• Four single modules.
• One double module and two single modules.
• One triple module and one single module.

Because all three arrangements use the same four sockets, developers can scale module width and channel count without changing the carrier footprint. Larger modules provide more I/O connections and throughput and support larger chips, including AI accelerators and FPGAs.

What I/O does Acromag offer?

Acromag offers digital I/O modules with either 32 isolated channels or bipolar solid-state relays that handle AC or DC signals. Its analog module provides 20 channels connected to a 16-bit ADC with a 1 MHz sampling rate.

The multifunction module combines eight channels with a 16-bit ADC that has a 1.264-µs conversion time, equivalent to 791 kHz, and a 1,026-sample FIFO buffer. It also carries a four-channel, 16-bit DAC with a 7.5-µs output settling time.

Each channel is individually configurable. The digital side adds 16 input/output channels with TTL-compatible thresholds. A 32-bit counter/timer supports waveform generation and quadrature position measurements. Together, the variants cover relay-style switching, analog sampling and configurable mixed I/O within a common module format.

Why do the rugged mechanics matter?

VITA 93 QMC is a small-form-factor VITA standard mezzanine module designed for rugged and industrial applications. Samtec connectors and standard thermal support suit defense applications such as drones, as well as industrial robots. The standard heatsink configuration supports incorporation into both conduction- and convection-cooled systems.

Acromag’s product description says M.2 and Mini-PCIe “lack the rugged connector design, standard cooling support, and bandwidth provided by VITA 93 QMC modules.” The distinction matters where a system needs more I/O, controlled timing or a defined thermal path, rather than a compact general-purpose expansion card.

How can a design move from lab to deployment?

The modular approach gives developers a flexible platform that can migrate across form factors. Engineers can use the QPCe7340 in the lab to design and test a configuration, then deploy a custom carrier built around the same set of QMC modules. The lab card can serve as the development platform without dictating the final hardware format.

That keeps module selection separate from the production carrier-board design, which is the practical point of the approach. Developers can move a chosen configuration from bench test to deployment while retaining the modules.

For rugged industrial and defense buyers, the competitive advantage will likely come from moving the same module set from bench test to custom deployment without surrendering cooling, timing or I/O flexibility. No pricing or production-capacity figures accompany the specifications; adoption of that migration path will provide the clearer verdict.