
SpaceCONEX 150G SC (full duplex) active blind mate optics
The SpaceCONEX™ SC revolutionary active blind mate optical interconnect for VPX systems, consists of a plug-in module connector and a backplane connector compatible with the forthcoming VITA 66.5 standard. A SpaceCONEX SC optical transceiver is directly integrated into the plug-in module connector, saving board space and eliminating fiber cable handling.
The backplane connector is a low profile drop-in replacement for the VITA 66.4 standard and includes springs to ensure a secure MT to MT mating connection under extreme shock and vibration conditions.


3U VPX board with VITA 46 and SpaceCONEX SC plug-in connector.
ELMA 3U VPX backplane with SpaceCONEX SC backplane connector.


Close-up of the SpaceCONEX SC 24-lane plug-in module connector.
Close-up of the SpaceCONEX SC 24-lane backplane connector.
Specifications and features
- Drop-in replacement for VITA 66.4.
- No fiber management.
- Rugged: withstand radiation doses >100 krad (Si) and qualified per MIL-STD 883 shock and vibration.
- Expected life: up to 20 years.
- Cold start temperature: –55 ºC.
- Performance: up to 12.5 Gbps/lane from –40 ºC to 100 ºC
- BER: As low as 10–15.
- Low power consumption: 85 mW/lane (<10 pJ per bit).
Applications
- High-throughput communication satellites
- Internet of Space
- VPX single board computers.
- High I/O density, high BW communication links