Applying SpaceVPX modular open systems interconnect concepts

The VITA-78 SpaceVPX System Specification recently passed American National Standards Institute (ANSI) ballot and is now ready for wide adoption as the MOSA standard for space systems. It inherits the VPX/OpenVPX pedigree and adds single point fault tolerant features ideal for space applications. These features work well for 6U size modules, but the same approach results in an excessive degree of overhead for 3U implementations. Consequently, the VITA 78 Working Group spun off the VITA 78.1, SpaceVPXLite draft standard this year to address these limitations for 3U modules. This paper aims to accelerate adoption of these standards by describing practical concepts for 3U module implementations using the new SpaceVPXLite approach. The initial work in this area focuses on interconnects for applications needing minimal size, weight, power and cost.