VMIC PCI-7806-211000 high-speed deterministic data sharing for real-time systems

Application Scenarios

At a nuclear power plant upgrading its reactor protection system, engineers needed to synchronize three redundant safety controllers and two operator workstations with guaranteed sub-millisecond data coherence. Traditional Ethernet-based protocols introduced jitter during peak loads, risking missed trip signals. By deploying VMIC PCI-7806-211000 cards in all nodes, the team created a 2.1 GB/s reflective memory ring over fiber optics. Each controller wrote its status to local RFM memory, and all others read it within 12 µs—regardless of CPU load or OS activity. During a full-scope simulator test, the system maintained perfect sync through 10.000 fault injections, validating its suitability for SIL3 environments. This case illustrates how the PCI-7806-211000 transforms loosely coupled systems into tightly coordinated real-time ensembles.

Technical Principles and Innovative Values

Innovation Point 1: Hardware-Based Memory Mirroring – The PCI-7806-211000 uses FPGA logic to instantly replicate any write to its local memory across all nodes in the ring—bypassing CPU, OS, and network stack. This ensures true determinism unattainable with software-based messaging.

Innovation Point 2: OS-Agnostic Real-Time Sync – A Windows HMI, Linux historian, and VxWorks controller can all share the same RFM space without drivers interfering with timing—ideal for heterogeneous control architectures.

Innovation Point 3: Fail-Operational Ring Resilience – If one node fails, the RFM ring automatically reconfigures (in <100 µs) to maintain data flow among remaining nodes—critical for redundant safety systems.

Innovation Point 4: Zero-Copy Data Access – Applications map RFM memory directly into user space, eliminating kernel crossings and buffer copies—maximizing throughput for high-rate telemetry (e.g., 50 kHz sensor streams).

Application Cases and Industry Value

In an aerospace HIL lab, the PCI-7806-211000 synchronized a flight control computer, motion platform, and visual system across 8 PCs. Even under 95% CPU load, attitude updates arrived within 10 µs—enabling realistic pilot-in-the-loop testing of stall recovery algorithms. Similarly, a European grid operator used these cards to link phasor measurement units (PMUs) and remedial action schemes (RAS); during a simulated blackout, control commands propagated across 12 substations in under 50 µs, enabling islanding before cascading failure occurred.

Related Product Combination Solutions

VMIC-7806 Switch: RFM hub for star topology (supports up to 16 nodes)

RFM API Suite: Cross-platform libraries for C/C++, .NET, and LabVIEW integration

Conduction-Cooled Variant: For military/aerospace chassis (e.g., PCI-7806-211000C)

VMIC-5565: Older 64 MB predecessor—PCI-7806 offers double memory and 3× speed

Emerson PACSystems RX3i: Can integrate RFM via co-processor for hybrid PLC/real-time control

Fiber Optic Cables: OM3 LC-LC duplex cables (300 m max per segment)

VMIC-7931: PCIe version for modern servers (backward-compatible at API level)

Installation, Maintenance, and Full-Cycle Support

Installing the PCI-7806-211000 requires a standard PCI slot and driver installation (provided for all major real-time OSes). No IP addressing or network configuration is needed—nodes auto-discover via the RFM ring. Diagnostics include LED status (Link, Activity, Fault) and software tools for ring integrity testing.

Our company fully tests every PCI-7806-211000 (350-657806-211000L) unit for memory integrity, fiber link stability, ring failover, and thermal performance. We verify compatibility with your OS and provide API examples, wiring diagrams, and lifecycle support—even for legacy systems no longer covered by OEMs. All modules include a 12-month warranty and expert assistance for integration into simulation, control, or test environments.

Contact us for a customized solution—whether you’re building a new real-time data backbone, extending an existing RFM network, or securing authentic, tested spares to keep your mission-critical deterministic systems running for decades to come.