Auxiliary Power Connector

PCA cards with one or two FPGAs do not require an auxiliary power connector.  PCA cards with more than two FPGAs come with an auxiliary power connector located in the upper right corner of the card.  This connector mates with the standard power cabling provided by your host computer system.  Because the connector has six pins, and is used by many PCI Express graphics cards, it is sometimes referred to as a "PEG-6" connector.

To allow for installation of a PCA card in any host computer system, there are three connector types and two mounting orientations to choose from when ordering a PCA card that uses the auxiliary power connector.  These are as follows:

1.  right-angle connector in J1 or J3 position

2.  vertical-mount connector in J1 or J3 position

3.  floating connector in J1 or J3 position

The most common choice is a right-angle connector in J1 position.  In this case, the host computer's auxiliary power cable plugs into the PCA card from the rear of the card (see upper photograph).  Alternatively, with the right-angle connector mounted in J3 position, the host's power cable plugs in from above (second photograph).  If a vertical mount connector is used, then the host's power cable plugs into the connector in a direction normal to the plane of the PCA card.  If a floating connector is used, the host's power cable plugs into a connector which is attached to the PCA card via 8" high-temperature wire leads.  If you are not sure which option is right for you, give us a call.  We will be happy to assist you in choosing the best option for your system!