An expansion board mates with the GX3500 using four connectors P8-P11 and two mounting holes. The figure below depicts a bottom view of the expansion board and GX3500 Assembly with Expansion Board and GX3500 with Assembled Expansion Board detail the complete GX3500 with a typical expansion board assembly.
GX3500 Expension Board - Bottom View
GX3500 Assembly with Expansion Board
GX3500 with Assembled Expansion Board
The locations of the mounting holes and connectors are critical to ensure a proper fit between the GX3500 and the expansion board. The figure below describes the mechanical details of a typical board and the locations of connectors and mounting holes. The figure presents a transparent view of the board from the top, with dimensions for critical component locations.
Mechanical Details – Top View of Typical Board
The coordinates for the connectors are pointing to the component reference point, which is the center of pad A of the footprint, as shown in the figure below.
Component Reference Point
The figure below describes the recommended maximum dimensions for the expansion board and the recommended maximum component height. The maximum board area is about 100 Sq centimeters or about 16 sq inches.
Mechanical Details – Top view, Maximum Board Dimensions
P8-P11are High Speed Terminal Strips manufactured by Samtec. They have a middle bar that is used for ground and power connections. The part number for P8 is QTE-060-02-L-D-A and the part number for P9-P11 is QTE-040-02-L-D-A.
P8 and P9 are used to connect the expansion board to the GX3500’s FPGA Flex IO signals. The figure below shows a schematic diagram of P8 and P9. Table P8 Connector pin assignments lists the pin assignments for P8 and Table P9 Connector pin assignments lists the pin assignments for P9.
GX3500 Expansion Board – Host Connectors