PRODUCT OF THE WEEK: Kontron’s VX30101 high-end 3U VPX board

This week’s product, the Kontron’s VX30101 high-end 3U VPX board, designed for artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled mission computing, sensor fusion, rugged embedded servers and tactical edge applications. The rugged VX30101 performs heterogeneous computing, integrated AI acceleration, and ultra-fast networking capabilities and leverages the new Intel Core Ultra Series 3 platform.

The combination of hybrid CPU architecture, NPU and Intel Xe graphics combine with 100Gb Ethernet fabrics, PCI Express connectivity and low-latency memory enables system designers to consolidate workloads previously distributed across multiple boards. The board is also aligned to the Sensor Open Systems Architecture, or SOSA, Technical Standard.

Intel Advantage

Bringing together next-generation hybrid CPU cores, integrated Xe graphics and a dedicated NPU, Intel Core Ultra Series 3 gives the VX30101 the right balance of general-purpose compute, AI acceleration and I/O integration for rugged edge systems. The platform combines high-speed Ethernet fabrics, PCI Express connectivity, and low-latency memory in a single 3U VPX payload card architecture. This enables system designers to consolidate workloads previously distributed across multiple boards.

Depending on the selected SKU, the VX30101 can support as many 16 cores and Intel AI acceleration resources, making it well suited to autonomy support, computer vision, data reduction, sensor fusion and command-and-control applications that require deterministic I/O and rugged deployment.

SOSA Alignment

The Kontron VX30101 combines a modern Intel Core Ultra platform with a rugged single-slot 3U VPX design, enabling a practical migration path for legacy compute blades while preserving system-level modularity. Being developed in compliance with SOSA aligned OpenVPX profiles, the module benefits from profile interoperability and open-system integration practices, reducing both development risk and platform lifecycle costs for integrators.

The VX30101 is planned with the following slot and module profiles:

Slot Profile: SLT3-PAY-1F1F2U1TU1T1U1T-14.2.16
Module Profile: MOD3-PAY-1F1F2U1TU1T1U1T-16.2.15-4

Technical Features

CPU: Intel Core Ultra Series 3, up to 16 cores depending on selected SKU, integrated NPU and Xe graphics, power class TBD by final configuration
Time-sensitive networking (TSN): The VX30101 has a future option that will provide two 10GBASE-KR backplane ports with TSN support, targeting applications that require deterministic Ethernet transport in addition to high-performance computing.
Memory: 32-64 GByte dual-channel LPDDR5x SDRAM with in-band ECC
Management & Control: IPMI controller for VITA46.11 Tier3 support and out-of-band system management
TPM: TPM 2.0 device
Storage: Up to 1 TByte NVMe SSD option
Environmental:
- Air-cooled: optimized for lab, shelter, and vehicle applications where forced-air cooling is available
- Conduction-cooled: specifically intended for the most rugged, mission critical deployments, leveraging VITA 48-style plug-in unit mechanics for operation in highly constrained and severe conditions.
- Depending on configuration and thermal design margin, the product family targets extended operating temperatures up to -40°to +85°C at the card edge, along with long-life component selection and a product longevity objective of 10 years or more.