Just as the name has it, the board containing bus connectors has no active intelligence. Users must add a single-board computer in addition to all the necessary peripheral cards. Several specialty computer form factors have been developed to meet various industrial needs over the past several years. These modules are relatively inexpensive and are ideally suited for many embedded control applications. The modules are stackable providing many functions in a small space.
Bus combines small industrial-strength architecture with the performance of personal computers.
STD 32 cards are secured on all four sides by the enclosure, with top and bottom card guides, the backplane connector, and a locking retaining bar. Some STD 32 computers are available with an extended operating temperature from -40 to 85 degrees C, while others feature enclosures designed for extreme conditions. The combination of board size and PCB thickness help prevent undesirable flexing in high vibration environments, allowing STD 32 systems to fly in space shuttle missions. These systems run software like a PC, enabling system designers to use PC development tools and such operating systems Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows CE, QNX, VxWorks, and other PC-compatible operating systems. CompactPCI bus is a high-performance bus architecture based on standard PCI electrical specification.