mvme5500, PowerPC, VME, and end-of-life issues

[Chris Johns]

Peter Dufault wrote:
>
> I didn't mean that I'm interested in hanging on to 68K based boards, I meant that at least over the next few years I can't imagine that getting an MVME5500 will be harder to get than an MVME167 (which my client is still using), and so my client should just relax and use the MVME5500 (or MVME6100 if that isn't EOL) while they do a change over to a new architecture.  That is, unless there is something special about old 68K boards (use in the military?) that makes the MVME167 different from the MVME5500.
>

I suspect there is no relationship to military use. I have not seen a 
MVME167 in a system since the '90s. Most processing boards I came across 
where Radstone, DY4 or something similar (I cannot remember who made the 
UltraSparc boards in the NATO AWACS). Maybe there is a control market 
that is keeping the MVME167 going. Who knows.

My exposure to this type of thing in the military world saw them manage 
procurement for the life of the project within the project. I have seen 
a chip mask be pulled from escrow and taken somewhere and remade to keep 
a board going.

I suggest you contact the manufacture and openly discuss the issue and 
become registered for final buy type announcements. I suspect they maybe 
looking at a final chip run for something on the board because someone 
wants to close the line down so they will be after quantities. It might 
not be the processor and could be any chip on the board.

Chris