Small Form Factors - Fall 2008 by kwitte

w w w. s m a l l f o r m f a c t o r s . c o m w w w. p c10 4 o n l i n e . c o m

Volume 12 • Number 4

COLUMNS

FEATURES

8 Small Form Factor SIG

Modules, mapping, and more By Colin McCracken

10 PC/104 Consortium

Expressing the standard

The art of just enough

10 low-power processors worth watching

Roundup: Intel Atom-based boards, systems, and tools

By Dr. Paul Haris

12 Focus on Form Factors: Catalyst Module Maximum performance using minimal power By Haritha Bandla

14 European Technology

20 28

40-43 Editor’s Choice Products By Don Dingee

The ‘next big thing’ is small: Expanding Atom’s PCI Express lanes Tide of malware threats turning against the network of devices By Adrian Turner, Mocana

By Chris A. Ciufo

DEPARTMENTS

By Don Dingee

By Steve Moore, PLX Technology

By Hermann Strass

Mini-notebooks are certain to drive NextGen SFF technologies

By Don Dingee

Industrial PCs tackle dusty environments

50 Editor’s Insight

SPECIAL: The lowdown on low power

APPLICATION: Not so routine instrumentation

Small systems help curb risky driving By Peter Ellegaard, DriveCam

44-49 New Products

Innovation and technology bring performance to instrumentation in small packages By Brett Burger, National Instruments

By Robin DiPerna

EVENTS

PC/104 controls photon beams, acquires data for critical research By David Fastenau, Diamond Systems

ESC Boston October 26-30 • Boston, MA www.cmp-egevents.com/web/escb

E-LETTER Fall: www.smallformfactors.com/eletter

On the cOver: A little sunshine goes a long way with the Solio (www.solio.com) low-power universal hybrid charger, which uses solar energy to power portable gadgets such as cell phones, MP3 players, digital cameras, and GPS devices. Inset photo: Eurotech’s Catalyst Module runs the Intel Atom processor at 3 W. For more technical details on this small form factor module, see page 12.

Published by:



Evolving the next generation of PC/104 technology By Jim Blazer and Matthias Huber, PC/104 Consortium Technical Committee Pico-sized platform ushers in new era for I/O By Colin McCracken, SFF-SIG, and John Lin, VIA Technologies

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ACCES I/O Products, Inc. – Boldly go where no system has gone Advantech Corporation – Reliability is built-in Aprotek, Inc. – PC/104 modems Axiomtek – Innovations for the embedded world congatec – Highscore for COM Express Connect Tech Inc. – Whatever you need, we have the solution Diamond Systems Corporation – 4 things you’ll love DIGITAL-LOGIC AG – New standard for stackable PCI Express bus EMAC, Inc. – System on Module Eurotech Inc. – Eurotech ISIS Excalibur Systems, Inc. – Ready for the unexpected Fastwel Co. Ltd. – PC/104-Plus Intel – Join our community of bright people Jacyl Technology Inc. – The Mission Workstation Kontron – Engineering beyond low power LiPPERT Embedded Computers – Resilient and powerful Logic Supply – Compact, fanless, solid Micro/sys, Inc. – Dreaming of embedded super powers MPL AG – MAGBES Radicom Research, Inc. – PC/104 modem RAF Electronic Hardware – Your electronic hardware source RTD Embedded Technologies, Inc. – HighRel PC/104 ISA, PCI & PCIe RTD Embedded Technologies, Inc. – Rugged, reliable, mission-ready SCIDYNE – PC/104 peripherals Sensoray Co., Inc. – 4 channels of uncompressed video servo Halbeck GmbH – POSYS motion controllers StackableUSB.org – Stretching to make your embedded USB Technologic Systems – 7" touch panel computer Toronto MicroElectronics, Inc. – PC/104-P3 Toronto MicroElectronics, Inc. – Peripherals Toronto MicroElectronics, Inc. – DVR301 Tri-M Systems Inc. – PC/104 FlexTainer Tri-M Systems Inc. – Intel Pentium M 745 VersaLogic Corp. – All the features you need VIA Technologies, Inc. – Pico-ITXe WDL Systems – The power inside tomorrow’s technology WinSystems, Inc. – -40°C to +85°C operation

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Modules, mapping, and more With the latest low-power chipsets on the market now, the Small Form Factor Special Interest Group (SFF-SIG) has a spate of new form factor standards under development to take full advantage of the I/O and bus interfaces. Because many aspects are involved in designing modular architectures, consideration must be given regarding how to offer expansion while keeping control over cost and power. Enabling Computer-On-Modules (COMs) to hit the mainstream requires two broad efforts. First, module interoperability must be extended significantly. It’s easy to understand why suppliers resist commoditization, but some common ground must be reached so that boards from multiple vendors can plug-and-play. Carrier board design guides as well as new selfpowering (self-sufficient) COM standards can ease the pain. Second, a new wave of COM form factors is inevitable for several reasons. The latest low-power chipsets have buses and I/O that don’t map well to existing standards. Poor mapping results in unused connector pins, space inefficiency, higher costs, and signals that can’t come off the board in a standard way. In addition, the best hope for longevity involves supporting the upcoming 5 GHz differential pair signals like PCI Express Gen 2 and USB 3.0. Standards developed as few as five to eight years ago did not anticipate the signal integrity needs for higher-speed signals. New connectors must be selected separately to meet the signal speed, low cost, and rugged requirements in today’s market. SFF-SIG members are working on several COM form factors that address these issues and are optimized for current and nextgeneration chips, such as Intel’s Atom and VIA’s Nano processors and their corresponding chipsets. Some of the form factors will even extend beyond the x86 architecture. Visit the SFF-SIG website to learn more about the COM incubator groups. 8 / Fall 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

Besides COM form factors, SFF-SIG members are starting to address rugged peripherals. Some OEMs need small, removable probes, sensors, and storage devices. In harsh and industrial environments, these peripherals should have retaining clips, as consumer-grade USB dongles are inadequate. End users – equipment operators and maintenance technicians – need to remove and exchange these peripherals in the communications, medical, process monitoring, and wireless sensor markets. The MiniBlade specification has been drafted and is now under review by its incubator group.

“The best hope for longevity involves supporting the upcoming 5 GHz differential pair signals like PCI Express Gen 2 and USB 3.0.” Another area SFF-SIG members are addressing is secondary/external graphics. High-end signage and gaming applications have been deployed with commercial PCI Express x16 cards. For the rest of the market that must build with power supplies smaller than 500 W, SFF-SIG is working with graphics chip vendors to supply long life-cycle x1 and x4 chips. Every x1 lane corresponds to significant power draw, so SFF-SIG is seeking efficiency. In the future, cards based on the SUMIT interface will offer low-profile, low-power solutions for dual-headed video applications. Finally, system OEMs and integrators continue to demand serial ports and other

legacy interfaces. SFF-SIG is developing legacy-friendly specifications with a mixture of high-speed and easy interface buses on expansion connectors. It’s not realistic to expect the ISA bus to be around forever, but the near-term future looks bright based on off-the-shelf bridge chips and FPGA cores. After that, a combination of Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) and I2C will cover most of the lowbandwidth control, communications, and sampling requirements. The important point is not to abruptly cut off ISA bus, serial ports, and other legacy interfaces just because tier 1 chipset vendors no longer integrate them. To enable low-cost UART and Super I/O devices to be used in a manner that permits board interchangeability, SFF-SIG has launched a legacy firmware incubator group to identify a solution for bringing the Low Pin Count (LPC) bus off-board. LPC was never intended to be taken off the CPU board, so it’s no wonder that a mechanism for automatically initializing external ICs does not exist today. SFF-SIG’s membership is growing steadily, with nearly 20 members representing Asia, Europe, and North America bringing their low-power expertise to the table. Vendors and OEMs interested in contributing to the aforementioned topics or to SFF-SIG evolution in general should consider joining. Check in with us right here to keep up with the latest developments. Small Form Factor SIG 408-480-7900 info@sff-sig.org www.sff-sig.org

Expressing the standard In the beginning, most processor chip manufacturers focused on increasing computational power for the desktop market. As the world became more mobile, chip manufacturers first slimmed down desktop processors for the laptop market, then eventually moved to optimizing power-to-performance ratios by designing processors from the ground up. Handheld mobile computers – PDAs, smart phones, appliances, and the like – also began to accelerate in use. Today, non-x86 as well as x86 architectures compete for this valuable market space. This trend has pushed the envelope in designing extremely low-power, highperformance, x86-based processors. Computer control and information gathering and processing have changed not only the way we look at things, but also the way we live. Embedding computers and sensors into everything is the norm, and solutions are becoming more varied every day. Custom platforms serve a purpose but can restrict OEMs, making them unable to adapt. For those requiring versatility, it is important to choose platforms that are well established as standards while providing paths to future advancements. For more than 15 years, the stackable PC/104 architecture that is embodied in PC/104, PC/104-Plus, PCI/104-Express, PCI-104, EBX, EPIC, and the recently released EPIC Express has thrived and gained recognition throughout the world as one of the few de facto embedded standards. The architecture is based on well-defined full PC bus architectures, form factors, common mounting holes, and bus placements. Implementing PC bus structures like ISA, PCI, and PCI Express allows users to develop common drivers and reuse add-on modules as CPUs evolve in class. The newest stackable PC/104 bus has continued this philosophy by incorporating 10 / Fall 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

the PCI Express bus. The resultant stackable PCI Express connector provides four x1 links and a x16 link that can be used as two x4, two x8, or two SDVO links. Unique signaling automatically detects stacking direction and video card type, if a video add-on module is being used. The bus also offers power management, SMBus, and additional high-speed differential lines. Ground pins surrounding differential pairs and power rails embedded in the connector ensure maximum power delivery for the stack and additional devices if necessary.

“Embedding computers and sensors into everything is the norm, and solutions are becoming more varied every day.” Keeping an eye on continuity among the Consortium’s form factors, this new stackable PCI connector has been placed on all its form factors, which has resulted in the adoption of PCI/104-Express V1.0 and EPIC and EPIC Express V3.0, with EBX and EBX Express V3.0 currently undergoing the adoption process. The simplicity of using a single, rugged, high-speed connector solution maximizes growth in the add-on module ecosystem, reduces manufacturing alignment issues, and eliminates multiple module configurations. As IC manufacturers continue on their path to develop smaller and smaller processor and peripheral chip solutions using less power with more functionality, designers can achieve greater expandability

if desired. Do all solutions require the full bandwidth the connector provides? The answer is no, but having the option gives OEMs more flexibility. A vast array of PCI Express chips has hit the market already, and the number is increasing every day. These chips utilize anything from PCI Express x1 links to x16 links. For those PCI devices that have not yet migrated, PCI Express-to-PCI bridges can not only make use of those technologies but also help increase the number of devices available with its increased bandwidth. If more capability is needed, switch technology enables designers to realize additional PCI Express links of various sizes, PCI Express over cable, and more. Outside the Consortium, the success of the PC/104 standard has prompted designers to incorporate these bus architectures onto a number of non-Consortium controlled form factors and custom designs so that they can enhance functionality without having to become experts in designing that functionality. PC/104 stackable buses and versatile form factors have created an embedded ecosystem that caters to the greenest of green as well as the highest of performance and power consumption. A vast selection of interchangeable modules spanning an enormous range of applications has evolved, enabling designers and end users to create next-generation upgrades and revolutionary applicationspecific solutions. PC/104 Consortium 916-270-2016 info@pc104.org www.pc104.org

Catalyst Module

Primary target applications: Gaming, medical, handheld, industrial, and military systems

Intel Atom Processor

Sponsor: Eurotech Inc. Year of concept release: 2008 Product information: www.eurotechcatalyst.com

DDR2 DRAM

Dimensions: 2.8" x 3.9" (67 mm x 100 mm)

System Bus

Power input: • 3.3 V and 5 V, plus 1.5 V battery backup • Module averages 2-3 W in typical applications

PCIe 0 PCIe 1

PCIe

USB5

HD Audio HD Audio IDE Data

IDE

USB3

SD/MMC0 USB

J1B

USB4

Features: • Up to 1 GB of DDR2 DRAM

SD/MMC2

USB0 USB1 USB6 USB7 USB2 SDVO

• Dual independent display outputs

SD/MMC1

SD/MMC

LVDS Video

SDVO

SMBus

LCD

RTC

SMBus V BATTERY

• Video interfaces for UXGA, XGA, SXGA, and HD

LPC Bus

• Video codecs supporting H.264, MPEG-4/2/1, DivX, and Windows Media 9 Embedded Controller

• Intel HD audio • Onboard Trusted Platform Module v1.2

J1A

Mounting: • Computer-On-Module (COM) with custom pinout • Secondary adapter board required to bring out additional connectors and features

Intel SCH US15W

GPIO

Trusted Platform Mgmt

• Gigabit Ethernet

Maximum performance using minimal power

• PCI Express for high-speed I/O

By Haritha Bandla, Eurotech Inc.

• Operating system support for Linux, Windows XP/XPe/CE 6.0/Vista, and other RTOSs

With the Catalyst Module, embedded systems users no longer have to make a tradeoff between performance and power consumption. This module offers the processing capabilities of an Intel Atom processor and System Controller Hub (SCH) US15W while maintaining low power. Centered on customization, the design allows engineers to readily mount the module onto adapter boards for special device needs.

• Up to three SD/MMC cards • Up to eight USB 2.0 ports

• Additional adapter board expandability

SMC I2C

• Up to two PATA drives

System Mgmt I/O System BIOS PROM

3.3 V IN 5 V IN PWR GOOD VBATA V Battery

Using a COM Express connector with a custom pinout optimized for the new Intel processor, the module delivers the Atom’s features while allowing customers to define their final products using customizable adapter boards. Because the design focuses on maximizing capability while minimizing power consumption, the module offers a broader range of features compared to other Atom-based products. For example, a PATA interface native to the Intel Atom platform reduces power consumption. Two PCI Express ports are exposed at the connector to achieve greater user flexibility without sacrificing other interfaces. The design also has added thermal and EMI performance to eliminate the need for heat spreaders or sinks. “The Catalyst Module offers embedded designers a unique solution, including the full feature set available from the Intel Atom,” says Gregorio Nicoloso, Eurotech Inc. CEO. “The Catalyst Module is backed by Eurotech’s stance that success is driven by building long-term relationships with our customers to get to production as soon as possible with the right product and the right business model. Our flexibility and built-in support help drive Catalyst’s success in the market.”

12 / Fall 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

Industrial PCs tackle dusty environments Protection against graphite OSRAM, Germany, is one of the world’s largest producers of electrical and electronic lighting devices for home and industrial uses. Since 1919 the company has manufactured incandescent light bulbs as well as LED devices, including LED vehicle headlights and taillights worth about €4.7 billion (U.S. $7.7 billion) per year.

Dishwasher-safe assembly control The Bosch and Siemens Home (BSH) Group, Germany, is one of the world’s largest producers of white goods (washing machines, dishwashers, and refrigerators), with sales amounting to €8.8 billion (U.S. $14 billion) in 2007. The company’s factory in Dillingen, Germany, produced the first fully automatic dishwasher in 2000.

One of OSRAM’s factories in Schwabmuenchen near Augsburg manufactures tungsten and molybdenum wires, which are used in light bulbs. These materials are pressed into cylindrical rods, sintered, milled, and hammered. The wires are then drawn several times through successively smaller holes at high temperatures using extremely high pulling force. Figure 1, courtesy of Fraunhofer Institute IWM, Germany, shows a computer simulation of tungsten wire analyzing the presence of fissures. The final wire is 8-40 micrometers in diameter, depending on lamp type. By way of comparison, a human hair is about 100 microFigure 1 meters thick.

Industrial computers manufactured by noax Technologies control the plant’s dishwasher manufacturing assembly lines, handling shipping container designations in preproduction and printing orders for equipment identification. A digital I/O card from Meilhaus, Germany, inside the com computer signals that a new unit is within proximity of the work area, triggering it to acquire the SAP data and complete the job procedure. After completion, the computer sends a signal via the digital I/O card to start transporting the appliance to the next station. These inspec computers also support quality inspections, including high voltage testing.

A mixture of graphite (a form of carbon) dust and water is used as a lubricant in the production process. This fine-powdered electrically conductive graphite dust accumulates everywhere, even in industrial embedded computers that control wire production on the factory floor. No amount of filtering can keep dust out of computers or electronics enclosures for any length of time. To prevent short circuits and other damage caused by graphite dust, OSRAM uses rugged, compact industrial computers from noax Technologies, Germany. These All-In-One SBC systems are housed in hermetically sealed boxes, dust-protected in compliance with IP65 and NEMA 4 standards. 14 / Fall 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

Appliances from BSH use very little power and water. Dishes in dishwashers and clothes in washing machines are treated using optimized automatic programs. BSH produces about 10 dishwashers per minute, equating to 2.2 million units per year. An hour-long production delay could result in a loss of €100,000 (U.S. $156,000) or more, which is why fail-safe reliability in the production process is extremely important, requiring rugged, operationally stable industrial computers. Forklift collision-proof computers Industrial PCs from noax are characterized by their compact and rugged designs with completely enclosed casings. Electronic components are fixed to the board with metal springs, making these computers

resistant to shock and vibration, as evidenced by one of the computers at the OSRAM factory that kept working after a forklift ran into it. These industrial PCs are water and dustproof, meeting protection standards IP65 and NEMA 4X. A touch controller automatically controls and adjusts the touch screen. A microcontroller executes monitoring and control functions, including fan speed, temperature monitoring, and backlight control. An ebm-papst ventilator inside the sealed enclosure distributes the heat so that it can be optimally dissipated by the cooling fins located outside the enclosure. This thermal management method can be used in countries where temperatures reach +40 °C (+104 °F) and humidity is very high. Industrial PCs must function faultlessly under such extreme climatic conditions. These small noax computers are available with rugged touch panels in sizes ranging from 8" to 19" (see Figure 2). Versions are available in aluminum or stainless steel enclosures, the latter of which can be cleaned and sterilized to relevant hygienic requirements in food and medicine production.

Figure 2

For more information, contact Hermann at hstrass@opensystems-publishing.com.

SPECIAL

The lowdown on low power I submit that the Intel Atom processor is just enough for many embedded applications. The Atom, as we’ve seen in general terms, is close to a 1 GHz Celeron in processing power. The Atom chipset integrates other functions such as video streaming quite efficiently. Its performance per watt is about 8x better than the Celeron solutions it supplants. Sure, the folks at Intel will gladly sell you more horsepower than what the Atom offers if you ask. Lots more, in fact. The question I have is: Do you really need more? This isn’t the laptop computer world, where you really don’t know what software is going to be put on the beast that might break its back in terms of performance. Somebody whips out the next Crysis, and all laptops are suddenly obsolete.

The

art

of just enough

By Don Dingee

This is the embedded computer world. Engineers should know what the performance expectations are because the functions are fixed. There should be few surprises; in most cases, you’re in control of what applications get loaded on the machine. Oh, I’m not suggesting imprudence. Design in sufficient margins to ensure safety, accommodate worst case, and take the necessary precautions. Don’t cut corners in processing power until it could potentially hurt. I’m certainly not opposed to using something like a Core 2 Duo or larger processor that requires more performance. I expect we’ll see some great advances in multicore hardware performance and software optimization that will enable heavy-duty applications we’ve just imagined up until now. But back to the question: Do you really need more horsepower than an Atom processor offers?

any hardware types are from the “go big or go home” school of thought (and I’d include myself in this group). It’s bred into our genes. There’s never enough horsepower, Al. No such thing as too many MIPS. Extra capacity, no worries – someone will figure out how to use it eventually, especially those software types down the hall (with whom I also sympathize). But all this is about to change. It has to. We’re facing the distinct possibility that the resources we’ve taken for granted for so long will become scarce or unaffordable in our lifetime. And our electronic designs must change to address this dilemma. The new thinking will be the art of just enough. Not overkill, not minimalism sacrificing function for aesthetics, but just enough. This is a course that Japanese engineering has pursued for quite some time. Not one extra penny is spent where it’s not needed, although I wish someone had coughed up more than 10 cents on the lousy bracket supporting the lamp power connector in my DLP HDTV. But still, I admire the philosophy, knowing it’s a challenge to optimize a design without spending any more money, time, or energy than is really necessary. 16 / Fall 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

I can almost hear the wailing and gnashing of teeth right now. What about upgrading system performance? Someone from marketing shows up with a new application requirement demanding a lot more horsepower, but there’s no money or time for a complete hardware redesign. PC/104 and Small Form Factors readers should be able to connect the dots. If you use one of the plethora of small form factor compute modules discussed here, chances are the supplier community will have something in a compatible footprint to upgrade performance when it’s needed. Pull out the old module, put in the new module, pass go, collect $200 or more, and go spend some time with the family. And if you’re concerned about finding something that meets your needs, take a look at the Atom Roundup feature on pages 18 and 19. A wide range of Atom-based products is already available, and more are on the way. The days of ever-escalating clock speeds have, thankfully, come to an end for the most part. A valid paradigm is taking hold, delivering more compute power in the same (or lower) electrical power, cooling, and weight envelope. The Atom processor reflects the art of just enough nicely. Let’s step back and see how we can make just enough work for a change. ➤

SPECIAL

The lowdown on low power

10 low-power processors worth watching By Don Dingee The Pandora handheld gaming console uses the TI OMAP3530.

2008 has seen an explosion in announcements of what’s known as the application processor or media processor. From my perspective, this isn’t just a trend driven by the mobile handset space, though these devices can be applied to all sorts of small form factor systems.

NVIDIA offers a development platform for its Tegra 600 series processor.

What makes this group of processors stand out? All offer a winning combination of low power and high integration. I look at the 15 W and under Thermal Design Power (TDP) point because it enables fanless and battery-powered designs, but the real intrigue with these processors is how they integrate advanced multimedia features – video acceleration, image acceleration, audio, storage, security, and more – along with a high-speed generalpurpose CPU core.

processing and several dedicated acceleration units without much extra connectivity outside of USB.

robust hardware encryption and a highbandwidth memory interface. While some features aren’t integrated, adding them via PCI Express would be straightforward.

At first glance, it might seem like these don’t all go together. For instance, the AMCC 460GTx is really a highspeed multiport Ethernet engine with

Other platforms like the Texas Instruments (TI) OMAP3530 are built around the video user experience, focusing on fast

✓

Intel Atom Z500 + chipset

x86

✓

Marvell 88F6000

“Shiva” ARM compliant

✓

NVIDIA Tegra 600

ARM11

✓

Qualcomm QST

ARM11

✓

Renesas SH-Mobile UL2

SH3-DSP

✓

ST-NXP Wireless STn8820

ARM11

✓

TI OMAP3530

ARM Cortex-A8 and C64+

✓

VIA Nano + chipset

x86

✓

Memory card

✓

PATA or SATA

✓

Security

✓

USB

Audio

ARM11

PCI Express

Display

Power

Freescale i.MX37

Ethernet

Graphics acceleration

AMCC 460GTx

GPS

Core

Camera

Processor series

Video acceleration

Feature overview

✓

✓ ✓

✓

As can be seen in Table 1, many of the platforms are built on ARM cores, but it’s not the only choice – x86, Power, and SuperH are well represented. And while the Intel Atom and VIA Nano aren’t exactly application processors, when combined with their chipsets, they target the same space and certainly fit within the power envelope. These 10 low-power processor families made my cutting-edge list from 2008 announcements. The data in the overview table is gleaned from the best information available at press time. Specific feature availability and relative performance varies widely in this group, so be sure to do more homework when considering these and similar devices. ➤

✓

✓ ✓

✓ ✓ ✓

✓

Table 1 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

Fall 2008 / 17

SPECIAL

Roundup: Intel Atom-based boards, systems, and tools By Don Dingee The low-power revolution is in progress. Small form factor boards and systems based on Intel’s Atom processor are showing up quickly, along with tools to make them work more efficiently. Most of these products target not only low power, but also very small applications, and some address rugged requirements as well. Here’s a sampling of the latest items we’ve seen with Atom tie-ins.

Express-ing low power Standard COM Express modules were expected to make good Atom-based platforms, and this offering from ADLINK Technology fits the bill. (Editor’s note:: PLX Technology offers more insight on how to add PCI Express to this product in the article on page 20.) The Express-MLC comes in two versions: a basic platform with two PCI Express ports, LVDS, SDVO, eight USB ports, SDIO, audio, and LPC and the extended platform with PCI bus, Gigabit Ethernet, and SATA. ADLINK says these platforms target “mobile and light computing needs” like portable test equipment, visual communication for medical gear, entry-level public gaming devices, and public points of communication. ADLINK Technology, Inc. • www.adlinktech.com • RSC# 36492

Deep inside the Atom Getting designs up and running on a new processor requires high-quality diagnostic tools to see both inside and outside the processor. The latest versions of MicroMaster and ScanWorks provide CPU-level emulation test and diagnostics for the Intel Atom processor. According to ASSET InterTech, these tools are capable of true CPU emulation, meaning they take control of the CPU and assert structural and functional test and diagnostic routines through the processor to other devices and nodes on the board. They also support Intel’s Interconnect Built-In Self Test (IBIST), which uses IEEE 1149.1 (JTAG) as the communication protocol for validating high-speed buses and testing interconnects at the board and system levels. ASSET InterTech • www.asset-intertech.com • RSC# 36723

Entertaining passengers As infotainment systems have become standard in vehicles, designers want them to have as low power as possible to save on batteries, generators, wiring, and cooling fans. Getting the most performance using the least amount of power is paramount in cars. Portwell accomplishes this with the PCS-8230, a system based on an Embedded Compact Extended (ECX) small form factor board with an Atom processor. The fanless system includes a DVB-T/FM tuner, Wi-Fi, two USB ports, three SDIO sockets, support for dual displays and 5.1 audio, and optional Trusted Platform Module and USB-Disk Module. Portwell • www.portwell.com • RSC# 38104

18 / Fall 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

The lowdown on low power

Credit the module Going a bit smaller than the standard COM Express form factor but still retaining full connector and pinout compatibility, Kontron’s nanoETXexpress (featured in our Spring 2008 Focus on Form Factors column) deploys a credit card-sized 55 mm x 84 mm module. The nanoETXexpress-SP features an Atom chipset (in either 1.1 GHz or 1.6 GHz) with up to 1 GB of memory and up to a 4 GB flash drive, along with PCI Express, Gigabit Ethernet, USB, LVDS, and SATA. Kontron also offers the nanoETXexpress-HMI Baseboard to help users get running quickly. Kontron • www.kontron.com • RSC# 37634

Module at the Core Also on the smaller side, LiPPERT Embedded Computers has developed the CoreExpress small form factor for rugged mobile applications like point-of-sale, kiosk terminals, automotive, medical, and other portable devices. The CoreExpress-ECO measures at 58 mm x 65 mm and weighs 28 g, but doesn’t compromise on performance using the same Atom chipset. Features include up to 1 GB RAM, two PCI Express lanes, eight USB ports, MPEG-2/4 support, LVDS and SDVO display ports, HD audio, SDIO/MMC interface, SMBus, and LPC bus for even further expansion. All these signals are made available on a tiny 220-pin connector. LiPPERT Embedded Computers GmbH • www.lippert-at.com • RSC# 37871

Getting connected and displayed For developers that make Ultra-Mobile PCs (UMPCs), Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs), and other portable devices, InHand Electronics offers the FireFly development platform to help get their Atom processor designs started quickly. The platform features an Atom chipset with 1 GB of memory, two PATA interfaces, optional SATA via a daughtercard or ExpressCard, 16 general-purpose I/O pins, Ethernet, USB, microSD slot, audio, LVDS and touch-screen interface, and optional Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. It also includes InHand’s BatterySmart technology, which extends device life through the processor’s Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS). Power comes from a 14.4 V LiIon/LiPolymer smart battery. The platform measures at 95 mm x 104 mm and weighs 50 g. InHand Electronics • www.inhandelectronics.com • RSC# 38011

Panel PC for rugged use A processor like the Intel Atom offers the opportunity to run fanless – a real bonus in panel PC applications, which must be able to withstand harsh environments and exposure to dust, liquid, or other contaminants. The IP65-rated (front) DC1 offers the Atom processor with 1 GB of memory and a 4 GB USB-controlled flash disk, along with two USB ports, two Ethernet ports, an optional UART port, binary inputs, and optional HD audio or I/O Buffer Information Specification (IBIS) fieldbus capability. A 15" display is standard with options from 12"-19". Power choices include standard 9-36 V, 18-75 V, or 36-154 V. Optional wireless functions include Wi-Fi, WiMAX, GSM/GPRS, or UMTS implemented in a Mini PCI Express card slot. MEN Micro • www.menmicro.com • RSC# 38230 For more information about these products, look up the RSC No. at www.smallformfactors.com/rsc

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SPECIAL

The lowdown on low power

The ‘next big thing’ is small: Expanding Atom’s PCI Express lanes By Steve Moore

Intel’s latest Atom processors are small by design, which means, like other small packages, they must omit some desired expandability. Although these devices contain a great deal of integrated I/O, many users want more PCI Express (PCIe) ports. Steve offers some tips on how to accomplish this addition.

20 / Fall 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

n his keynote at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year, Intel’s CEO Paul Otellini called mobile Internet devices the “next big thing in computing,” adding that the world is “going ultra-mobile” with devices and embedded computers based on Intel’s new Atom chipset, which began shipping during the first half of 2008. This chipset consists of one chip that handles Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC) functions and an ultralow-power processor that is a fraction of the size of previousgeneration mobile CPUs. The Atom chipset was developed for low-power, small form factor applications such as UMPCs, Mini-ITX and COM Express systems, and other small devices not yet introduced. Because of the chipset’s compact size, only two PCIe ports are included. This limitation poses problems, given that systems using Atom processors typically need more I/O than those two ports because they connect to networks and storage devices. Additionally, many systems need PCI connections for various endpoints such as modems and codecs that have not been implemented in PCIenative silicon. To resolve this I/O constraint, engineers can implement the latest generation of PCIe I/O switches and bridges with extremely low levels of power dissipation, advanced power management features, and very small physical size.

More ports for COM Express modules Figure 1 shows a recently announced COM Express form factor card, the Express-MLC from ADLINK Technology. Measuring a scant 95 mm x 95 mm, this COM Express Type 2compatible card is Figure 1 based on the Intel Atom processor Z500 series with the new Intel System Controller Hub (SCH) US15W. COM Express modules are off-the-shelf PCIe-based building blocks that plug into custom-made, application-specific carrier boards. The Express-MLC enables innovative designs in mobile and “light” computing applications, including:  Portable and mobile equipment for the automotive and test and measurement industries  Visual communication in the medical field, such as home care and video conferencing  Entry-level public gaming devices  Public points of communication

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SPECIAL

The lowdown on low power

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Using a PCIe-to-PCI bridge and

Atom CPU

a five-port PCIe switch ... expands the I/O capability to four PCIe ports and

four PCI devices.â&#x20AC;? With a module like this using the low-power (2 W) Intel Atom Z510 series processor and the Intel SCH US15W chipset, developers can utilize a wide variety of mainstream software applications and middleware that will run unmodified with full functionality on a platform familiar to end users. Connectivity for the COM Express card can be expanded using a PCIe-to-PCI bridge and a five-port PCIe switch (see Figure 2). This expands the I/O capability to four PCIe ports and one 32-bit PCI bus that will support four PCI devices. Thus I/O is expanded by a factor of four to a total of eight potential I/O channels from the two PCIe ports provided on the Atom chipset.

22 / Fall 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

Memory

SCH

one 32-bit PCI bus that will support x1

PEX 8112 Bridge

PEX 8505 Switch

PCI Bus Figure 2

Engineers selected the PCIe bridge for this application because it features low power dissipation (400 mW) and a small footprint (13 mm x 13 mm). The bridge used in the Express-MLC has

Inside the Atom chipset Built on the Menlow technology platform, the Intel Atom processor includes the Silverthorne processor and the Poulsbo chipset.

SATA/SAS hard disk drives and host bus adapters, as well as five Gen 1 x1 PCIe ports, allowing one upstream port that connects to the chipset and four downstream ports that expand I/O for PCIenative endpoints such as Gigabit Ethernet. UMPCs adopt the Atom platform Figure 3 shows a block diagram of a UMPC that takes advantage of the Atom chipsetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s small form factor, reduced cost, and low power. This design expands I/O capability using a PCIe-to-PCI bridge to connect to low-cost, low-power, PCI-based peripheral

Atom

PCI 32/33

Chipset Ethernet Controller

The Silverthorne processor is optimized first for low power, then for low cost. This 45 nm device comes in a 13 mm x 14 mm package and is targeted for use in mobile Internet devices. The Thermal Design Power (TDP) for the Z500 family ranges from 0.65-2.4 W.

PEX 8112 Bridge

Memory Card Controller

Figure 3

Some versions of Silverthorne processors support HyperThreading Technology, a feature introduced with the Intel Pentium 4 processor that allows more than one code thread to be executed simultaneously on a single-core processor. Poulsbo is a low-power System Controller Hub (SCH) designed for use with Silverthorne machines. It combines the Memory Controller Hub (MCH) and I/O Controller Hub (ICH) into a single chip. The US15L supports 400 MHz Front-Side Bus (FSB), while the US15W supports 533 MHz FSB. Both SCH versions include 3D graphics running on a 200 MHz graphics core with HD video playback (720p and 1080i content) and dual independent display support on the integrated 24-bit LVDS or through dual SDVO extension. The true power of the graphics core resides in the built-in video hardware decoding, which offers acceleration for MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.264, WMV9, and VC1. The integrated hardware decoding enables the system to achieve high transfer rates under very modest CPU loading. The SCHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 22 mm x 22 mm package supports the key embedded system requirements for small form factor, low-heat designs, and thus requires no fan. Power dissipation is less than 5 W, which is ideal for embedded market segments such as in-vehicle infotainment, portable medical diagnostic systems, interactive clients (kiosks and point-of-sale terminals), gaming, and industrial control.

PC/104 and Small Form Factors

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SPECIAL

“New small footprint PCIe bridges and switches will provide the additional PCI and PCIe channels needed to deliver rich feature sets while maintaining minimal form factors.” devices instead of using a switch to get more I/O. Because the Atom chipset does not include any PCI connections, the bridge is used to attain up to four additional I/O channels. In this example, two PCI devices (Ethernet and SD memory card controllers) are aggregated on the 32-bit PCI side of the I/O expansion bridge. Several UMPCs planned for launch later in 2008 will use the Atom chipset in conjunction with PCIe switches and bridges from vendors such as PLX Technology. In addition to the Ethernet and memory card controllers referenced earlier, applications taking advantage of this expanded I/O include wireless USB (based on ultra-wideband technology), 802.11g wireless LAN, Bluetooth, CardBus, and ExpressCard connections. These UMPCs have standard feature sets including a 5.6" (1,024 x 600) display, 1-2 GB of main memory, 40-80 GB hard drives, dual cameras, and SD memory card readers. Additionally, these designs are expected to feature four-core batteries that can provide up to seven hours of operation on a single charge. Looking forward Other small form factor applications that use the Atom chipset include UMPCs, mobile Internet devices, and Internet-focused machines such as netbooks (scaled-down subnotebooks used primarily for surfing the Internet) and nettops (low-cost desktop devices and other consumer electronics devices). Now that the Atom chipset has been released, new embedded and mobile computing devices will be hitting the market equipped with the power, cost, and size advantages Atom chipsets deliver. To meet these devices’ requirements for expanded I/O connectivity, new small footprint PCIe bridges and switches will provide the additional PCI and PCIe channels needed to deliver rich feature sets while maintaining minimal form factors. ➤ Steve Moore is senior product marketing manager at PLX Technology, based in Sunnyvale, California. His prior experience includes stints in marketing at Mai Logic and IBM. Steve holds a BSEE from the University of California at Berkeley. PLX Technology 408-774-9060 smoore@plxtech.com www.plxtech.com 24 / Fall 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

SPECIAL

The lowdown on low power

Tide of malware threats turning against the network of devices By Adrian Turner

As connected devices proliferate, the number of nodes that must be secure increases, especially as the line between enterprise networks and embedded networks blurs. In the following discussion, Adrian calls attention to the risks of malware infiltration through connected embedded devices and presents a proactive approach to rethinking security.

ith the surge of malware that threatens to invade, steal, corrupt, and destroy sensitive and critical data across business systems, companies have diligently deployed reactive firewalls and anti-spam software. But it was only a matter of time before hackers began targeting devices as gateways to the network. Security experts have been warning of this possibility for years. As Operating Systems (OSs) become more uniform and devices become more open, the odds of device attacks are steadily increasing. Regardless of whether it’s a mobile phone, iPod, printer, car entertainment system, or surveillance hardware, any device that can connect to the network is the next frontier for attack. Device software stagnation compromises security Most people assume that devices are secure because they haven’t been broken 28 / Fall 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

into, but that is not the case. The current state of device security is fairly weak. In the desktop space, processors are getting stronger and more powerful and OSs are becoming more secure. However, the same is not true for devices; in fact, it’s quite the opposite. Instead of making devices perform better or faster, the focus is on making them cheaper and smaller. Consequently, for the last 10 years, embedded devices’ processing power, memory, security, and RAM have lagged behind significantly when compared to PCs. Complicating this further, devices do not have a surplus of CPU power to support security. Another characteristic of devices increases security risks exponentially. In the past, devices were completely proprietary, but OS and application standardization has created opportunities for attackers. Many devices continue to age in the field without receiving updates for prior

vulnerabilities found in OSs on the desktop. When all these devices’ genetic code is the same and outdated – in a word, stagnant – an assailant can easily repurpose attacks for a PC to instead target a device or a large population of devices. More diversity among processors, OSs, peripheral selection, and data transfer options would help ensure device security. Increasing malware frequency and sophistication Another prominent concern is that the types and number of threats are increasing

dramatically as malware and viruses are growing in complexity. Malware has turned into a profitable, serious business as shrewd attackers are specializing their trade using professional, advanced software techniques. In fact, some attackers that put malware on PCs can actually update the malware remotely, making it harder to detect and remove. This could easily cross over to devices, wreaking havoc on printers, routers, control platforms, and other applications for small form factor boards. The Washington Post recently reported that, according to AV Test Labs in Germany, “Approximately 5.5 million malicious software programs were unleashed on the Web last year. That volume forced antivirus firms to analyze between 15,000 and 20,000 new specimens each day – more than four times the daily average they found in 2006 and at least 15 times as many the company recorded in 2005. In the first two months of 2008 alone, AV Test found more than 1 million samples of malware spreading online[1].” As data becomes more valuable, no device is safe. To users, a $40 wireless access point may seem insignificant, but to an attacker, it could mean an open door to millions of dollars’ worth of information. Organizations and users must consider the potential value of data transferring through their devices and understand what it takes to protect devices from being overrun by malware. Malware detection harder on faceless devices In the PC world, it’s easy to see if a computer has malware and unload and reload software if it is corrupted. PC users have more access to the programs running on their machines and can look into their process tasks.

PC/104 and Small Form Factors

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SPECIAL Conversely, with most embedded devices, users can see their applications running but have no easy way of knowing what’s going on behind the scenes. If a device slows down, the user doesn’t know the true cause of the issue; it could be the network, the router, or the server. Most embedded devices are in this sense “faceless” to the user. This lack of visibility makes it very difficult to diagnose problems and recognize malware attacks. When users misinterpret malware attacks as device performance issues, device

The lowdown on low power manufacturers must remotely diagnose problems or deliver new patches or software, resulting in unnecessary labor expenses. These increased customer care costs pose a significant drawback in terms of device manufacturers’ revenues and brand reputation, especially at a time when product life cycles and margins are continuing to decrease. By incorporating security in devices during manufacturing, device manufacturers can avoid customer care costs due to malware attacks and maintain customer satisfaction and brand loyalty.

Current security models no longer suffice With malware on the rise, current antivirus and anti-malware models no longer meet device security requirements. In fact, companies can’t add malware protection to innumerable legacy devices that exist in the field today. Network firewalls and other approaches do not work either because attackers can use cryptography to get past them. Those attacks are difficult to see, particularly when they are constantly evolving and changing. The current approach doesn’t work with wireless devices for many reasons. The sheer number of signatures updated per hour makes this method problematic. Storing signatures is impractical because small wireless devices have a fixed amount of memory. Meanwhile, the signature approach negatively affects performance and drains battery life because it requires more CPU power to communicate with the network for constant updates. Cost is yet another concern. For legacy devices, device-based intrusion detection is more advantageous than signature-based detection. Some security systems protect the entire device application code and place minimal burden on the device. With intrusion-based antimalware protection, security centers on monitoring changes in the device’s behavior to detect malware. This offers stronger security but usually involves a trade-off in performance. While this type of devicebased intrusion detection software should be used as an added layer of protection, it does not address the entire spectrum of security issues for devices. Proactive approach to intrusion detection and prevention Given the ineffectiveness of current antivirus and anti-malware models, developers must start creating next-generation devices that approach security in a comprehensive manner, detecting intrusion and protecting against security attacks.

30 / Fall 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

To truly protect devices, companies need an extensible security framework that secures all aspects of device data, access, and communications in a standard way. Ideally, devices should contain a security framework designed and architected with software residing on the device and capabilities delivered across the network. Security software must have a small footprint and be asynchronous and eventdriven to maximize the device’s efficiency and performance in light of limited CPU resources. Companies should start building a security roadmap within their organization and take a phased approach. A key first step is simply making security a priority and integrating security into the entire development process. In the interim, companies can take other steps to improve device security, such as:

fixing the broken design philosophy for the network of devices, developers can guarantee that the value of being connected to the Internet continues to outweigh the risk. ➤ Adrian Turner is CEO of Mocana, based in San Francisco, California. Prior to founding Mocana, Adrian handled security issues at Kenamea and Philips Electronics. He also launched the world’s first network of 225 coin-

operated Internet kiosks in the Australian market. Adrian holds a business degree in Marketing and Finance from the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia, and has completed the Executive Program for Managing Growth Companies at Stanford University. Mocana Corporation 415-617-0055 Adrian@mocana.com www.mocana.com References [1] Krebs, Brian. “Anti-Virus Firms Scrambling to Keep Up,” Washington Post. March 19, 2008.

 Taking advantage of advancements in silicon to make devices secure in every respect  Using quality authentication techniques and secure protocols for devices  Protecting user information and user log-in information  Running code through static analyzers to look for potential vulnerabilities  Providing someone on the development team with Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) training to ensure that security meets standards  Thinking ahead to the event of an attack and developing a plan for how to respond if devices are invaded  Devising a way to update devices in the field to boost their immunity against malware attacks Networking devices to the Internet brings tremendous risk as well as value. As devices now represent a vital part of the world marketplace, developers can no longer ignore lagging standards. Developers must be proactive rather than reactive and comprehensive instead of shortsighted when it comes to device security. By

PC/104 and Small Form Factors

Fall 2008 / 31

APPLICATION

Not so routine instrumentation

Small systems help curb risky driving By Peter Ellegaard

In this interesting application, a small form factor system combines cameras, cellular upload technology, and motion sensors to protect drivers.

so that drivers receive the appropriate coaching to help them improve their driving performance.

This DRM system offers cellular upload, simplifying technology deployment and data transfer. By eliminating investment in Wi-Fi infrastructure to accommodate daily data downloads from event recorders, the system enables organizations to achieve quicker ROI and manage driving behavior from anywhere at any time. This is especially important to fleets that employ drivers who do not return to a home base every night, such as longhaul trucking and pharmaceutical sales companies.

river Risk Management (DRM) systems enable organizations to identify risky driving behaviors among their fleet drivers and provide customized coaching to improve behaviors before incidents occur. DriveCam Inc.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s behavior-based risk mitigation system combines sight and sound feedback, expert analysis, and driver coaching to detect and correct risky driving behaviors across fleets. In this system, an exception-based video event recorder mounted on a vehicleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rearview mirror captures the critical seconds before and after an incident when triggered by forces such as swerving, sudden acceleration, hard braking, or collision. Certified driving risk analysts review and score events captured on the recorders and provide fleet managers with objective evidence demonstrating risky driving behaviors 32 / Fall 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

recorder with two cameras, an accelerometer, and a motion sensor that recognizes unusual forces and records high-risk driving events. 3G cellular access enables the technology. The system demands a wireless network that can transfer large video clips across a homogeneous network and deliver that data to reviewers, fleet managers, and

DRM systems not only protect drivers and other motorists, they also help organizations reduce vehicle damages, personal injuries, and workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; compensation claims costs by more than 50 percent. Looking out the windshield Mounted on a rearview mirror, this simple DRM device (Figure 1) includes an event

Figure 1

parents whose teens participate in the DriveCam for Families and Teen Safe Driver Program. Sierra Wireless was selected as a partner to develop the modem because of its leadership in 3G embedded module production and expertise in delivering video recorders to the market. The event recorders are equipped with a Sierra Wireless MC5725 EV-DO Rev A PC Card, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2

These cards enable critical events to be assessed in real time through cellular upload, which ultimately reduces upload and service times. They also include firmware that controls when driving data is uploaded to the review center, where behavior analysts score drivers based on their actions and reactions. This DriveCam system is currently installed in more than 100,000 vehicles, protecting drivers, passengers, and other motorists across the country. â&#x17E;¤ Peter Ellegaard is VP of hardware and firmware engineering at DriveCam Inc., based in San Diego, California. He has 16 years of experience in electronics engineering, including his stint at Nokia, where he was involved with hardware development, engine integration, hardware and software management, product development, and technology management. Peter has a BSEE from the University of Copenhagen. DriveCam 858-430-4000 info@drivecam.com www.drivecam.com

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APPLICATION

Not so routine instrumentation

Innovation and technology bring performance to instrumentation in small packages By Brett Burger

Two decades ago, instrumentation primarily involved dedicated, mainframe 19" rack-mount or even cart-based instruments. Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s instrumentation still includes those high-end platforms but now also incorporates PC-based and smaller stand-alone devices. Brett looks at the key trends driving this transition.

or most electronic devices, size and speed are the measures of improvement, while small and fast serve as the overriding goals. Even with televisions, where bigger screens are better, the objective for all other components on the set is to disappear, hence the flat-panel sets consumers use today. This mantra is not at all lost on the measurement and automation industry. A combination of vendor innovation and silicon component technology is reducing the size of industrial and measurement instrumentation while increasing its performance. Virtual instrumentation and multicore processing streamline test systems Instrumentation vendors are taking advantage of the large, competitive commercial PC market to drive down equipment size and cost. More than 20 years ago, the concept of basing instrumentation on the widely available PC platform began to take shape. This movement, known as virtual instrumentation, removed many computer components such as memory, processors, and disk storage from the instrumentation and substituted an actual PC. 34 / Fall 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

With the virtual instrumentation concept, test systems that once needed multiple racks to house tons of equipment were reduced to channel-dense modules packed into PCs or PC extension buses such as PXI. Removing components such as displays, controls, processors, and storage from each instrument instantly reduces the space required, but basing instruments on PC technology offers more benefits than just eliminating duplicate items. Along with the addition of virtual instrumentation functions, the absolute size of PC and PC-based instrumentation has decreased. Desktop towers have shrunk to mid-towers, then laptops, and now the Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC) and other highpowered handhelds. Recently, with the advent of multicore processors, test systems built with a PC backbone are beginning to utilize parallel processing to increase throughput. In a virtual instrument, measurement hardware and user-defined test software are isolated from PC components; therefore, transitioning to multicore technology is more efficient than using instrumentation built on traditional system architectures.

ADCs provide a study in silicon design advancements At an even lower level, advancements in silicon design have enabled smaller, faster components at more economical prices for pure instrument components such as Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs). The ADC is one of the main components that has increased in performance, resolution, and sampling rate while decreasing in price, allowing for more prolific distribution in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s test equipment. A flashback to older, digital multimeterbased data acquisition systems shows that, partially because of high ADC prices, these systems had a single ADC and a switch network of relays to provide multiple channel inputs. But as Figure 1 illustrates, ADC prices are trending sharply lower. For a similar price to the previous generation with one expensive ADC and a switching front end, designers can now find devices that are up to a third of the size and feature multiple ADCs. More ADCs means a higher aggregate sampling rate and lower phase offset between channels.

requirements, these devices can log data for months or years in some cases without needing a fresh battery.

Price in USD

Decreasing price of ADCs $50 $45 $40 $35 $30 $25 $20 $15 $10 $5 $0 1990

1992

1994

1996

12-bit ADC

1998

16-bit ADC

2000

2002

2004

18-bit ADC

Figure 1

For a slightly increased price, designers can use a single ADC per channel, which all but eliminates phase offset and further increases throughput. By comparison, some of these older systems have a sample rate five orders of magnitude less than the multichannel, multi-ADC architectures of today.

these multifunction devicesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; market price of less than $150. Smaller yet are devices that have an ADC and are not multifunction. These devices, such as small-scale temperature or humidity loggers, are battery-operated and about the size of a lipstick case. With low-power

Digital isolation offers increased bandwidth for high-speed equipment Analog-to-digital is just one area that has enabled smaller instrumentation; digital isolation, or more specifically, the move from analog to digital isolation, is another. The initial perception of isolation for instrumentation is that it acts like a surge protector by protecting the unit under test, test instrumentation, and human operators. Besides offering this function, switching to isolation provides other advantages, such as eliminating ground loops. Ground loops can cause errors in measurement readings by forcing the instrumentation to read not only the test voltage level but also the voltage difference between the multiple grounds in a system. An isolated design breaks these ground loops, rejects the common-mode voltage between all channels, and in doing so, provides a more accurate system that is easier to set up.

On the other end of the spectrum, devices with a single ADC have become extremely small, even pocket-sized, such as the National Instruments USB-6008 shown in Figure 2. Some devices on the market are smaller than a deck of playing cards yet still perform multiple functions, such as analog input, analog generation, and digital input/output. These devices, which are often USB-powered, sample at speeds in the 10-50 KHz range and at 14-bit resolutions. If the performance-tosize ratio does not provide enough evidence for the ADC evolution, consider

Figure 2 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

Fall 2008 / 35

APPLICATION

Isolated instrumentationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expense and design complexity previously relegated its implementation to must-have situations, and it used to be considered more of a luxury for any other purpose. These older designs predominantly used an analog isolation architecture, meaning the signal being isolated is an analog signal. The isolation took place on the analog end of the circuitry to protect the costly ADC, but this involved special components that needed more space on the PCB and more power from the system.

Not so routine instrumentation

With the shift to digital technology, galvanic isolation takes place after the analog-to-digital conversion, preserving the front-end analog design and eliminating nonlinearities introduced by analog isolation components. Though digital isolation technology has been around for a while, such as the board depicted in Figure 3, recent developments have increased bandwidth, making it viable for high-speed measurement equipment. Figure 3

Whatever the method of digital isolation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; optical, inductive, or capacitive â&#x20AC;&#x201C; vendors that sell these digital chips are touting the benefits of reduced board space, required components, and power consumption as well as increased data throughput. These isolator chips, such as the iCoupler from Analog Devices, are about the size of a fingernail and can provide transient isolation of up to 5,000 V. The multi-ADC board, module, or instrument can now have both an ADC and an isolator chip for each channel. As little as five years ago, the bandwidth would have been too restrictive and the cost too prohibitive. Virtual instruments perform faster at smaller sizes Customers and vendors alike are cashing in on virtual instrumentation. A quick snapshot of products on the market today reveals that customer demands and testing requirements are taking advantage of advancements in chip technology by requiring smaller, more cost-competitive devices. Many devices also have simultaneous ADCs or isolation, and in some cases, both. An example of a device that integrates the concept of virtual instrumentation, new ADCs, and digital isolator chips is the NI CompactDAQ data acquisition system (pictured at the beginning of this article). This chassis-based system is modular and designed to be controlled by a PC running application-level software developed in one of many languages, such as LabVIEW, Visual Studio, or ANSI C. A simplified block diagram is shown in Figure 4. Some of the modules, which measure approximately 9 cm x 9 cm, contain not 36 / Fall 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

only multiple 24-bit ADCs but also multiple digital isolators with one pair for each channel. This parallel design and compact size is made possible in part by these silicon componentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; decreasing cost and size. And with an aggregate sampling rate of more than 5 MSps streaming back to a multicore PC, the bar has been raised significantly over the relay-based systems of years ago. As for small, lower-cost devices like the USB-6008, several companies offer data acquisition and data logging products with power requirements low enough to be run directly from a USB port. These products combine with a laptop to make a portable virtual instrument and would not have as low of prices or as high of performance levels without the latest generation of chip technology. Digital isolators require significantly less power than their optical counterparts, making them an ideal choice for bringing highbandwidth isolation to portable data acquisition devices.

Module 1 4x ADC 4x ISO chip

Multicore PC

NI CompactDAQ Chassis

USB Figure 4

Advancements in virtual instrumentation by way of innovation in chip and PC technology will continue to drive down measurement and computing componentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; size and power consumption while maintaining performance. This trend will collide with what seems to be the next growing wave of customer demand: wireless connectivity. Future devices will bring desktop performance to remote locations as the performance of today is achieved with less power and space. â&#x17E;¤ Brett Burger is a product marketing manager for data acquisition systems at National Instruments in Austin, Texas. He started his career at NI in 2003 as a member of the engineering leadership program, where he served as a team leader and provided technical support for top accounts. Brett graduated with a BS in Aerospace Engineering from Texas A&M University. National Instruments 512-683-0100 brett.burger@ni.com www.ni.com

PC/104 and Small Form Factors

Fall 2008 / 37

APPLICATION

Not so routine instrumentation

PC/104 controls photon beams, acquires data for critical research

The resulting application software supports a distributed control environment with an arbitrary number of control systems and operator display stations. The software components are designed to be event-driven, providing faster response times and more efficient use of system resources. At the low end of the target computer systems, the EPICS brick or EBRICK implementation is a low-cost control system with soft real-time requirements. The current EBRICK implementation is built around the PC/104 Athena SBC from Diamond Systems (Figure 2). Additional I/O functionality is integrated onto the SBC in the form of PC/104 I/O cards, including Diamond Systemsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Ruby-MM 16-bit DAC module, Onyx-MM digital I/O module, Pearl-MM 16-bit output relay module, and Emerald-MM serial port module.

By David Fastenau

Argonne National Laboratory depends on a PC/104-based system to control critical elements of the Advanced Photon Source (APS), which has more than 40 systems controlling a variety of devices. David examines the platform used in this application.

uring the past several years, Argonne National Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy laboratory managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC, has developed and deployed a robust and reliable platform for controlling and acquiring data in photon beam applications. The Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS) platform, which comprises a full suite of software development tools and applications, is installed on a wide range of target computer systems scaling from high-end RISC workstations running a Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) to a low-end embedded computing platform running Linux. The EPICS environment provides a software infrastructure for use in designing and managing complex distributed control systems. At present, more than 250 EPICS control systems are deployed in the laboratory to control white beam slits (Figure 1), an X-ray monochromator, an Ultra-Small Angle X-ray Scattering (USAXS) diffraction enhanced imaging instrument, and the beamlines at the Center for Nanoscale Materials and the APS.

Other hardware components include a smart sensor input, motion controller, I/O breakout boards, general-purpose interface bus card, and stepping motor drive. The PC/104 hardware stack is housed in a compact and rugged Pandora enclosure from Diamond Systems (Figure 3), bringing the

Figure 1

EPICS components EPICS software development and runtime environments lie at the heart of the control system. The EPICS development environment is tool-based, minimizing the need for custom software development and ensuring uniform operator interfaces. EPICS runtime software can be deployed on several different OSs, including UNIX, Linux, Solaris, VxWorks, Mac OS, and Windows NT and XP. 38 / Fall 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

Figure 2

Figure 3

entire PC and data acquisition signals to the front of the enclosure and offering standard connector interfaces. A 4U rack-mountable enclosure is available for larger applications. Argonne National Laboratory selected the Athena SBC and supporting enclosures because of the board’s computing capabilities and additional features such as data acquisition circuitry, onboard video support, and packaging. “These products and services have enabled our projects to meet their objectives in the timeframes required,” says David Kline, a member of the APS Engineering System Beamline Controls and Data Acquisition Group. EBRICK in action In Sector 32 of the APS, the USAXS facility provides a world-class resource for advanced materials research. Recent projects include characterization of nanoparticle formation in a flame and gradient microstructures in fuel cell layers. The EBRICK system coordinates with a VxWorks system to control the USAXS instrument. In conjunction with a vertically focusing double mirror system on the

beamline, USAXS delivers a more concentrated X-ray beam with additional X-ray photons to the sample under test. In the same beamline, another EBRICK monitors temperatures for the X-ray monochromator crystals. Also at the APS in Sector 11, a highresolution X-ray powder diffractometer utilizes an EBRICK system to control an automated sample changer. The industrial robot-based sample exchange automation system is integrated into the powder diffractometer data collection process through a control script run on the EBRICK that coordinates sample mounting, diffractometer control, and data collection. During standard operations, the user loads the samples, interlocks the hutch, and initiates the script; the robot then runs automatically to perform a highthroughput operation. Elsewhere at the APS in Sector 4, an EBRICK system controls high-field pulsed magnet instrument and data acquisition electronics. The EBRICK runs an application called SPEC to control and diagnose a capacitor bank that powers the test electronics. The application initiates

the test, gathers the data, and transfers it to another system for storage. To date, more than 40 EBRICK systems are installed in a wide range of applications controlling motors, XIA Huber photon beam slits, filters, current amplifiers, positioners, mirror systems, and nanoprobe beamlines. ➤ David Fastenau is director of marketing at Diamond Systems, based in Mountain View, California. He has maintained various marketing roles in the high-tech industry for more than 20 years, with most of his career focused in the embedded and test and measurement marketplaces. David is a graduate Electrical Engineer from Iowa State University and has an MBA from Santa Clara University. Diamond Systems Corporation 650-810-2500 dfastenau@diamondsystems.com www.diamondsystems.com

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pc/104

sm a l l f o r m

EDITOR’S CHOICE PRODUCT

Small module eats images for lunch

Trip on a stick Here’s something that could provide hours of entertainment to the nearest 2.5 m. The Trackstick II is pretty self-explanatory – it’s a USB stick that records its position, date, time, speed, heading, altitude, and temperature based on GPS coordinates. Powered on two AAA batteries, the Trackstick II can run at full power for up to 36 hours depending on GPS signal strength and stay in power save mode for as long as a week. 1 MB of flash records months of travel history, even when traveling at 300 km/hr. In addition to helping geotag photos, the USB stick can plug right into Google Earth or Google Maps to show you exactly where it has been. Telespial Systems Inc. www.trackstick.com RSC# 38332

In our never-ending search for small form factor modules, we turned up iVeia’s Titan-V5e processing module. Based on a Xilinx Virtex-5, this platform combines general-purpose signal and video processing in a tiny 2.125" (W) x 3.375" (L) x 0.25" (H) package. It runs Linux 2.6 to manage the Virtex-5’s PowerPC 440 CPU and the DSP48E slice along with additional programmable logic in the FPGA. The Titan-V5e development kit includes the hardware, a Velocity-SoC IP core and SDK, and an optimized framework and abstraction layer that decouples the FPGA and software design to aid in development. Additional GigaFlex I/O modules complete the package. iVeia, LLC • www.iveia.com • RSC# 37007

Continued on page 43

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Coming in September Simplifying the migration to multicore with on-chip debugging solutions for Freescale Semiconductor technology Sponsors: Wind River Systems and Freescale Semiconductor

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40 / Fall 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

Graphically modular Continued from page 40

Beagle Board on the OMAP trail If you can have a Linux community, why not a hardware community? BeagleBoard.org is all about designing a neat little device around a System-on-Chip (SoC) and exchanging ideas on support and applications. Featuring a Texas Instruments OMAP3530 application processor and its ARM Cortex-A8 core, the Beagle Board packs quite a bite. The OMAP3530 also has an on-chip OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics accelerator and a C64x+ DSP and video accelerator. Board features include 128 MB RAM, 256 MB flash, USB On-The-Go, DVI-D, MMC+/SD/SDIO, S-Video, stereo audio, and more. The kit is available for $149 from Digi-Key. BeagleBoard.org www.beagleboard.org • RSC# 38333

Take a graphics module from the notebook PC world and a PCI/104-Express carrier module, put them together, and you get the DIGITAL-LOGIC MSMMX104EX. MXM is short for Mobile PCI Express Module, an open standard backed by NVIDIA and several laptop manufacturers. As its name suggests, the standard defines a small graphics card with a x16 PCI Express interface. ATI has adopted the standard in its Radeon E2400 MXM-II module, shown plugged into the carrier. Along with an MXM port that enables graphics module updates, the MSMMX104EX has interfaces for DVI-I, LVDS, and TV-out. A flexible heat pipe is available for cooling. DIGITAL-LOGIC www.digitallogic.com RSC# 38334 Editor’s Choice Products are drawn from OSP’s product database and press releases. Vendors may add their new products to our website at www.opensystems-publishing.com/np and submit press releases at www.opensystems-publishing.com/news/submit. OSP reserves the right to publish products based on editors’ discretion alone, and does not guarantee publication of any product entries.

PC/104 and Small Form Factors

Fall 2008 / 43

Clock/timing devices Integrated Device Technology, Inc. www.idt.com 9UM900 RSC# 37820

Communications: I/O modules ACCES I/O Products, Inc. www.accesio.com USB-IDIO-16 RSC# 37770

and up to 40 Vrms field-side protection • Three-pole low-pass filter optimized for time and frequency response

Ultra-low-power timing device designed for use in Ultra-Mobile PCs (UMPCs) • Extends UMPC battery life • Requires 1.5 V power supply, as opposed to the 3.3 V required for standard timing devices • 6 mm x 6 mm micro lead frame package makes it 56 percent smaller than standard 8 mm x 8 mm packages • Designed for use in applications such as automotive infotainment, embedded, and automation systems that require an industrial operating temperature range (-40 °C to +85 °C) • Available in 32 pins to 56 pins with Quad Flat No-Lead (QFN) and Small Shrink Outline Package (SSOP)

For more information Enter the product’s RSC No. at www.smallformfactors.com/rsc Clock/timing devices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Communications: I/O modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Communications: Wireless. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Integrated development environment. . . . . . . . . 46 Mezzanines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Processor boards/SBCs: ETXexpress. . . . . . . . . 46 Processor boards/SBCs: FlexATX . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Processor boards/SBCs: PC/104 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Ruggedized/Mil-Spec. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Vision systems and displays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

44 / Fall 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

16 individually optically isolated inputs and 16 fully protected solid-state FET outputs capable of switching up to 2 A each • 16 individually optically isolated inputs (channel-to-channel and channel-to-ground) • Polarity-insensitive AC/DC inputs accept up to 31 VDC or AC RMS • Jumper-selectable filtering per input channel for AC or voltage transients • Outputs capable of switching from 5 VDC to 34 VDC at up to 2 A • Internal removable screw terminal board for easy wiring • USB/104 form factor for OEM embedded applications • 4" x 4" x 1.4" rugged enclosure • OEM version (board only) features PC/104 module size and mounting compatibility • Extended temperature and DIN rail mounting provisions • All required power drawn from USB port; no external power adapter required

Dataforth Corporation www.dataforth.com SensorLex 8B42 SCM RSC# 38032 Designed to provide isolation for nonisolated two-wire transmitters • Wire transmitter interface module • Instrument-class performance • Miniature size: 1.11" x 1.65" x 0.40" (28.1 mm x 41.9 mm x 10.2 mm) • ±0.05 percent accuracy (typical) • ±0.02 percent linearity • 1,500 Vrms transformer isolation

Communications: Wireless GreenPeak Technologies www.greenpeak.com EMERALD GP500C RSC# 37646

IEEE 802.15.4-compliant communications controller chip for ultra-low-power wireless sensor networks • 2.4 GHz worldwide band • 250 Kbps data rate • Peak current: 20 mA • Extreme low-power features enable energy-harvesting solutions • Sleep current: 100 nA • Incorporates a transceiver with a fully integrated communications layer and an on-chip energy manager • Uses an autonomous transceiver instead of a microcontroller to drive and control data communication

Continued on page 46

Continued from page 44

Integrated development environment FabulaTech www.fabulatech.com Serial Port Control RSC# 37606

DRAM • 4 MB QDR-II SRAM • > 1 GBps, x8 PCI Express host interface • Power management features • Eight RocketIO private links, 2.5 Gbps each • XMC module (75 mm x 150 mm) PCI Express (VITA 42.3) • Applications include wireless receiver and transmitter, WLAN, WCDMA, WiMAX front end, RADAR, electronic warfare, high-speed data recording and playback, high-speed servo controls, and IP development

Processor boards/SBCs: ETXexpress Avalue Technology Inc. www.avalue.com.tw ESM-GM965 RSC# 38085

Easy-to-use control intended for simplifying serial port communication tasks • Unlimited number of serial ports can be controlled simultaneously • Powerful and intuitive interface • Delivers all the capabilities of the Win32 Serial Communications API and eliminates its complexity • Works with all types of serial ports, including USB adapters, Bluetooth, IR, or any virtual port • Notifies the application when data arrives or events occur on the port, allowing it to monitor port activity and read data without locking up a user interface or implementing messy polling routines • Performs multithreaded reads and writes with one simple function call

Mezzanines Innovative Integration www.innovative-dsp.com X5-400M RSC# 37600

Intel GME965 Core 2 Duo ETXexpress module • Supports 65 nm Intel Micro FCPGA 478/Micro FCBGA 479 Core 2 Duo CPU • Intel GME965/ICH8-M chipset • One 200-pin SODIMM socket supports up to 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM • Two-channel LVDS, dual view • Broadcom BCM5787 Gigabit LAN • Four PCI, five PCI Express x1, one PCI Express x16 • Three SATA II, eight USB 2.0, 8-bit GPIO

Kontron www.kontron.com ETXexpress-WPM RSC# 37632

PCI Express XMC module • Two 400 MSps, 14-bit Texas Instruments ADS5474 ADCs and two 500 MSps, 16-bit DACs • ±1 V, 50 ohm, SMA inputs and outputs • Xilinx Virtex-5 SX95T FPGA with 512 MB DDR2

46 / Fall 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

High bandwidth on a COM Express solution built around Intel Pentium and Celeron processors • Intel Pentium M (up to 2.0 GHz) and Celeron processors with the Intel 3100 chipset • Dimensions: 95 mm x 125 mm • Power consumption: 60 W at 12 V, 2.0 GHz CPU • Up to 12 PCI Express lanes • Up to 2x 2,048 MB mini-DIMM (2x 244-pin) with ECC

Processor boards/SBCs: PC/104 North Atlantic Industries www.naii.com 73LD4 RSC# 37383 Six-channel LVDT/RVDT-to-digital converter on a PC/104 card • Each channel has 16-bit resolution, 0.025 percent full-scale accuracy, and tracking rate to 150 strokes per second • Accurate digital velocity output, incremental encoder (A+B) outputs, and wrap-around self-test • Includes 16 programmable TTL digital I/O channels, a latch

Continued on page 49

supported • Fully compliant with PICMG’s COM Express Specification following PinOut Type 3 • 3x Ethernet onboard (2x GbE, 1x 10/100BASE-T) • 4x SATA (Type I) and 4x USB 2.0 • 4x GPIO, I2C bus, SMBus, LPC, 2x serial (1x TTL, 1x RS-232) • Includes watchdog timer, ExpressCard support, and a 20-pin ITP port for debugging, as well as Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) 1.0 for optimized power management • 0 °C to +60 °C operating temperature

Processor boards/SBCs: FlexATX VIA Technologies, Inc. www.via.com.tw MMC 7000 RSC# 37813

FlexATX board with C7, MPEG-2, MXM, CompactFlash, VGA, and LVDS support • Integrated VIA UniChrome Pro AGP graphics with MPEG-2 decoding acceleration • Supports DDR2 400/533 SDRAM DIMM • Supports one PCI slot, up to three devices by riser card • Supports one PCI Express x16 based MXM-II slot • Supports CompactFlash Type I/II • Supports Multi-Function eXtension (MFX) • Supports two SATA and one LVDS/VGA interface • DuoView function for multiple displays • Supports eight USB 2.0 • Optional TPM/second LAN/second LVDS/ DVI/TV support PC/104 and Small Form Factors

Fall 2008 / 47

Continued from page 47

feature for reading all measurement channels simultaneously, and an optional programmable excitation reference supply

Ruggedized/Mil-Spec Spectrum Signal Processing www.spectrumsignal.com SDR-4803 RSC# 38039

Single card RF-to-Ethernet solution covering 800 MHz to 2.4 GHz • Low-power embedded radio module based on reconfigurable System-on-Chip (SoC) technology • Enables cost-effective satellite communications on a variety of SATCOM networks • Can be integrated into a terminal system and connected to an existing power amplifier and Low-Noise Amplifier (LNA) or Low-Noise Block (LNB) antenna assembly • Designed to support commercial standards such as INTELSAT Business Services waveforms (IESS-309 and IESS-315), DVB-S/S2, and INMARSAT BGAN • Designed to support Tactical Military SATCOM (MILSATCOM) waveforms, including MIL-STD-188-165 and MIL-STD-188-181/182/183 • Single board radio module designed to operate at less than 15 W combined for RF, IF, and baseband signal processing • Operates at temperature ranges from -40 °C to +70 °C and altitudes of up to 10,000 feet

Vision systems and displays Advantech eAutomation Group www.eAutomationPro.com TPC-870H RSC# 37618 8" VGA TFT LCD touch-panel computer • Designed with an Intel Celeron M 1 GHz fanless processor with low power consumption • Spindle-free storage • Durable and reliable platform • For applications where spindlefree storage is not critical, a fast-access HDD module can be used • Download I/O cabling, RS-485 automatic data flow control • NEMA 4/IP65-compliant front panel and compact design with die casting • Supports

dual Fast Ethernet and Windows XP/CE and WinXPe • Rich I/O portfolio meets many diverse requirements

Total Control Solutions www.totalcontrolsolutions.com TCS-005-01535 RSC# 37410

6.5" panel-mount industrial LCD with touch screen (optional) • Aluminum front panel meets IP65 standard • Dimensions: 183 mm x 143 mm x 41 mm • Robust steel chassis • Easy onscreen display • Analog RGB input • 640 x 480 resolution • 500 cd/m2 brightness • 262,144 colors • 0.207 mm pixel pitch • Power supply: 12 VDC • Operating temperature: 0 ~ 50 °C

For more information Enter the product’s RSC No. at www.smallformfactors.com/rsc

Mini-notebooks are certain to drive NextGen SFF technologies When I first created our internal-only Small Form Factor (SFF) list several years ago, it included more than 50 sizes of stand-alone SBCs, carrier boards, mezzanines, and Computer-On-Module (COM) daughterboards. It soon became my goal to turn this magazine and its website into the industry’s de facto resource for all SFFs, so we changed the name to PC/104 and Small Form Factors. Recently, editor Don Dingee updated the list and reported an astounding increase to upwards of 80 SFFs, which we’ve now posted online for feedback (see: www.smallformfactors.com/list). And we’re encountering new SFFs every month.

and Asus, which all start at about $399. With off-the-shelf 7" and 8" LCD screens, Wi-Fi, Solid-State Disks (SSDs) or 2.5" Hard Disk Drives (HDDs), and 4-hour batteries, the guts of mini-notebooks have fallen far enough down the price curve to create a self-sustaining ecosystem for SFFs. That is, as consumers (students, business people, and vertical market users) choose mini-notebooks as lightweight, all-day replacements for regular Windows and Mac laptops, demand increases and bill of materials prices decrease, further reflecting lower ASPs and hence higher demand.

One example among this “viral proliferation” of sizes and shapes is the consumer mini-notebook laptop category. While it’s unlikely the boards embedded into these mass market products will ever find their way into the general market (nor is it likely manufacturers would ever choose an open standard size, simply due to the sheer volumes involved), the market for these almost toy-like devices will surely grow. According to IDC as reported by InformationWeek in May 2008, the “netbook” market will increase from 500,000 units in 2007 to more than 9 million by 2012 – a notable 5 percent of the overall laptop market. These are the kinds of numbers that drive all SFF technology, especially because the most significant features of mini-notebooks are 1) small size, 2) low cost, and 3) ultra-low power consumption.

Up until Intel’s announcement of the SFF-sized Atom processor, VIA’s C7-M was the CPU of choice. But with a Thermal Design Power (TDP) of 0.65-2.5 W, the Atom is migrating beyond COM, nanoETXexpress, and Sumit SFFs and into the mainstream. ASUS’s hugely popular Eee PC now sports an Atom, as does the new MSI Wind NB mini-notebook. Though most of these machines start at $399 and include Windows XP, market analyst Rob Enderle predicted during a recent podcast edition of Cranky Geeks that buyers really want an OS that’s not a step backwards. (Does he mean Windows or Vista? Hard to say.) This points to an OS X-like Linux distro whose killer feature would be instant-on – just like a radio or light switch.

Mini-notebooks aren’t new; examples such as Toshiba’s Libretto and Gateway’s HandBook 486 date back to the early 1990s as the business laptop market prepared for Windows 95. These machines sometimes ran Windows but more often used a proprietary Operating System (OS) optimized for the platform’s hardware. As recently as five years ago, the OQO represented the state of the art in mini-notebooks and inspired Microsoft to create the overhyped Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC) category that (mostly) relied on mainstream notebook technology. But CPUs and chipsets from AMD and Intel proved too costly and way too power hungry. National Semiconductor’s Geode and VIA’s C7 were x86 compatible, more integrated, cost less than the mainstream CPUs, and consumed significantly less power – until recently making them ideal for “all-day” battery-powered mini-notebooks. One modern mini-note is Nicholas Negroponte’s One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) educational device, which is powered by a 433 MHz, 0.8 W AMD Geode1 that draws power from a NiMH battery that can be recharged by a built-in hand-cranked generator. The OLPC’s original design target price of $100 was never achieved using myriad custom components, but it’s not far off of today’s mainstream mini-notebooks from Lenovo, HP, Acer, 1 AMD

purchased the Geode product line from National in 2003.

50 / Fall 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

This isn’t possible with any notebook version of Windows, and developing such an OS for the mini-note market might finally break the ties to x86 architectures. That might further open the door for countless other low-power SFF processors, such as ARM or even the new System-on-Chip (SoC) PowerQUICC-like ASSP from Freescale called the MPC5121e “motherboard-on-a-chip.” According to sources at Freescale, the highly integrated MCU is already designed into at least one super-cheap Chinese mininotebook that’s targeting the ASUS Eee PC. As I write this in August, I just returned from a trip where a 2-pound mini-notebook would’ve been mighty handy. But even more compelling is how the guts – Atom, MPC5121e, lowpower always-on Wi-Fi, low-cost SSDs, and others – will find their way into the SFF market. The ICs are already available and getting cheaper. Add to that instant-on Linux OS, and more SFF viral proliferation is a certainty.

Chris A. Ciufo cciufo@opensystems-publishing.com