VPX card development.
Rugged, high-performance embedded computing for airborne and marine platforms — built to the open VPX standard.
What we develop
VPX (VITA 46) and OpenVPX (VITA 65) are open standards for rugged, high-bandwidth embedded computing — used where processing has to survive vibration, temperature, and long service lives. Dectonics develops and integrates VPX cards for aviation and marine platforms, from single board computers to processing and payload cards, and brings them together into working system-level solutions.
Form factors & standards
- 3U and 6U VPX form factors
- VPX (VITA 46) and OpenVPX (VITA 65) profiles
- High-speed fabrics — PCIe and Ethernet
- Conduction- and air-cooled rugged variants
Built for harsh environments
VPX exists because standard commercial boards do not survive where defence and marine systems operate. Our VPX work is built around ruggedisation from the start — conduction cooling, vibration tolerance, and sealed enclosures — so the computing keeps running in the field.
Connected to our other work
Because VPX modules often run capable AMD and Intel processors in sealed, thermally constrained enclosures, this work ties directly to our DTR thermal testing and broader engineering services — so processing performance is validated across the temperature range it will actually see. VPX carrier cards can also host XMC mezzanine modules to add tailored I/O or processing.
Common questions
What is VPX?
VPX (VITA 46) is an open standard for rugged, high-bandwidth embedded computing that moves data over high-speed serial fabrics on a backplane. OpenVPX (VITA 65) adds standard module and backplane profiles so cards interoperate.
What is the difference between 3U and 6U VPX?
They are two board sizes. 3U VPX is smaller and lighter for size-, weight-, and power-constrained platforms, while 6U VPX offers more board area, I/O, and connectors for higher-capability systems.
Is VPX suitable for defence and marine environments?
Yes. VPX is widely used in defence and aerospace because it supports rugged, conduction-cooled, vibration-tolerant modules built for long service lives in harsh conditions.
Can VPX cards be customised with mezzanine modules?
Yes. VPX carrier cards commonly host XMC mezzanine modules, letting a system be tailored with specific I/O or processing through a standard mezzanine site.
Tell us what you're building.
Send the platform, the environment, and the performance you need. We'll tell you honestly whether we're the right fit.
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