Elma's E-Frame Open Access Chassis for 3U Backplanes

Back in April 2008 Yours Truly told you about the E-Frame chassis developed by Elma Electronic of Fremont, California, a global maker of electronic packaging products. This E-Frame is an open frame chassis for test/debugging purposes. The unit has no side or back walls around the card cage area, leaving it open for easy access. 


Such open chassis are coveted by developers, since they always want direct access to installed boards to test and debug them by probing voltages and signals. An open chassis is a better to do this than by using a regular chassis and employing extender cards, which often causes signal distortion and degrades overall board performance.

 

And now, Elma Electronic (News - Alert) has announced a new 3U version of its E-frame chassis line.

 

Previously available in heights for 6U (10.5-inch) high backplanes, it now accommodates 3U (5.75-inch) heights. The unit does not have side or back walls around the card cage area, providing easy access for test and development. The E-frame was designed with the high power and cooling requirements for VPX (VITA 46/48) systems. However, any backplane architectures in a 3U height can be used, including VME and CompactPCI (News - Alert).

 

The total height of the portable E-frame is approximately 9U (15.75 inches), with a convenient carrying handle on top. With its rugged modular aluminum construction, the E-frame tower can support up to 21 slots at .8-inch or 17 slots at 1-inch pitch. There are front accessible test points and monitoring LEDs for +3.3V, +/-5V, +/- 12V, +/- 24V, and +/- 48VDC. The E-frame features high performance cooling with 3 x 150 CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute) fans under the card cage. The fans are speed controlled with fan fail indication. A system monitor with remote monitoring via Ethernet capability is optional.

 

The black-coated powder coated finish of the E-frame enhances aesthetics. Other features include a Rear A/C PEM (Power Entry Module) with fuses, GND Stud, Front located ESD jacks. The unit also offers full RTM (Rear Transition Module) support.