Small Form Factors - Winter 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 5

COLUMNS

FEATURES

54 Editor’s Insight

Redefining ‘anywhere’ By Don Dingee

DEPARTMENTS

SPECIAL: The latest in small form factors SUMIT technology balances high- and low-speed I/O By Bob Burckle and Colin McCracken, SFF-SIG

26-27 Editor’s Choice Products By Don Dingee

APPLICATION:

14 EVENTS

Graphics and HMI UGM: Small, scalable graphics modules meet universal embedded needs By Matthias Huber, Kontron

embedded world

March 3-5, 2009 • Nuremberg, Germany www.embedded-world.de

Rugged display here, computer somewhere over there By Nigel Dickens, Adder

E-CASTS

BUYER’S GUIDE:

2009 PC/104 and Small Form Factors Buyer’s Guide

Implementing an integrated high availability and network management system November 19, 1 p.m. EST

Enterprise software in embedded applications December 4, 2 p.m. EST Register at www.opensystems-publishing.com/ecast

E-LETTER Winter: www.smallformfactors.com/eletter  

On the cOver: In a CGI rendering showing a whole different scale, the vision for the Madinat al-Hareer development in Kuwait is shown as it might appear in a night aerial view. The “City of Silk,” a complex of four cities opposite Kuwait City, is targeted for the world’s tallest structure as one of its highlights. (Photo courtesy Civic Arts, Eric R. Kuhne & Associates, www.civicarts.com. More information available at www.madinat-al-hareer.com.)

4 / Winter 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

 

PC/104 ecosystem: Total system design and evolution By Dr. Paul Haris, Chairman, PC/104 Consortium Ongoing checkups diagnose system defects By Hermann Strass, European Representative Tiny, low-power COM leaves legacy interfaces behind By Matthias Fellhauer, LiPPERT Embedded Computers Info on the go, rugged by design By Stephen Cunha, MEN Micro

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ADVERTISER INFORMATION Page Advertiser/Ad title 17

AcceS I/O Products, Inc. – Boldly go where no system has gone

Advantech corporation – Performance and reliability

AIM-USA – 1553 & 429 embedded interfaces

congatec – Highscore for COM Express

connect tech Inc. – Whatever you need

Diamond Systems corporation – 5 things you’ll love

DIGItAL-LOGIc AG – The Atom based PCI/104-Express board

eMAc, Inc. – System on Module

embedded world – embedded world 2009

eurotech Inc. – Eurotech platforms optimized for Intel Atom

eurotech Inc. – ISIS

excalibur Systems, Inc. – Dragons fly

IcOP technology, Inc. – Lowest power consumption

Terri Thorson, Senior Editor (columns) tthorson@opensystemsmedia.com

Innovative Integration – Instrumentation unleashed

Robin DiPerna, Assistant Editor

19-22

Intel – Rethink cool

Jacyl technology Inc. – XG-5000K

Kontron – Engineering beyond low power

Lavacore, Inc. – PC/104-Plus FPGA modules

LiPPert embedded computers – Reduce energy cost

Tom Varcie, Senior Account Manager tvarcie@opensystemsmedia.com Doug Cordier, Account Manager dcordier@opensystemsmedia.com

Logic Supply – Compact, fanless, solid

Micro/sys, Inc. – Dreaming of embedded super powers

MPL AG – Rugged 5 port manageable Gigabit Ethernet

PQI corporation – The flash storage leader

radian heatsinks – This may keep you cool

Military EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

Military & Aerospace Group Chris Ciufo, Group Editorial Director cciufo@opensystemsmedia.com

Hermann Strass, European Representative hstrass@opensystemsmedia.com

Don Dingee, Contributing Editor ddingee@opensystemsmedia.com

Konrad Witte, Senior Web Developer

Jennifer Hesse, Senior Associate Editor jhesse@opensystemsmedia.com Sharon Schnakenburg, Associate Editor sschnakenburg@opensystemsmedia.com

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Regional Sales Managers Ernest Godsey, Central and Mountain States egodsey@opensystemsmedia.com Barbara Quinlan, Midwest/Southwest bquinlan@opensystemsmedia.com Denis Seger, Southern California dseger@opensystemsmedia.com

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Reprints and PDFs

radicom research, Inc. – PC/104 modem

rAF electronic hardware – Your electronic hardware source

International Sales Dan Aronovic, Account Manager – Israel daronovic@opensystemsmedia.com

28-29

rtD embedded technologies, Inc. – HighRel PC/104 ISA & PCI

rtD embedded technologies, Inc. – powerMiser AMD Geode LX

Sam Fan, Account Manager – Asia sfan@opensystemsmedia.com

ScIDYne – Analog and digital for PC/104

servo-halbeck Gmbh – POSYS motion controllers

SFF-SIG – What is the SFF-SIG?

technologic Systems – 7" touch panel computer

toronto Microelectronics, Inc. – Peripherals

toronto Microelectronics, Inc. – DVR301

toronto Microelectronics, Inc. – PC/104-P3

tri-M Systems Inc. – PC/104 FlexTainer

tri-M Systems Inc. – Intel Pentium M 745

vector electronics & technology, Inc. – Forward thinking

versaLogic corp. – Exceptional service

vIA technologies, Inc. – Pico-ITXe

WDL Systems – The power inside tomorrow’s technology

WinSystems, Inc. – -40° to +70°C Fanless

6 / Winter 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

Matt Avella, Web Content Specialist

Nan Lamade 800-259-0470 license@opensystemsmedia.com

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ISSN: Print 1096-9764, ISSN Online 1550-0373 PC/104 and Small Form Factors is published five times a year by OpenSystems Media, 16626 E. Ave of the Fountains, Ste 203, Fountain Hills, AZ 85268. Subscriptions are free upon request to persons interested in PC/104 and other small form factor single board computer technology. For others inside the US and Canada, subscriptions are $35/year. For 1st class delivery outside the US and Canada, subscriptions are $50/year (advance payment in US funds required). Canada: Publication agreement number 40048627. Return address WDS, Station A, PO Box 54, Windsor, ON N9A 615 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to PC104 and Small Form Factors 16626 E. Ave. of the Fountains, Ste 203, Fountain Hills, AZ 85268

SPECIAL

The latest in small form factors

SUMIT technology balances high- and low-speed I/O By Bob Burckle and Colin McCracken

Bob and Colin examine a new space-saving SBC expansion interface and explain how to apply its flexible buses to meet a variety of low-power application requirements.

t’s never a good idea to paint yourself into a corner. Yet that’s exactly what embedded designers tend to do when faced with supporting various I/O interfaces in creating a flexible product. Whether stacking boards or cabling between the SBC and intelligent peripherals, I/O demands can be complex. This challenge initiated the genesis of Stackable Unified Module Interconnect Technology (SUMIT) from the Small Form Factor Special Interest Group (SFF-SIG). SUMIT (pronounced “sum-it”) is an electromechanical connector specification that efficiently integrates high- and low-speed serial and legacy expansion buses for next-generation, low-power embedded systems. Rather than defining a board form factor, SUMIT specifies an enabling connector technology that can be implemented easily across standard and custom SBCs. SUMIT emphasizes cost per pin, pin density, and signal integrity through the connector, using much less board space than previous solutions. The rugged, costeffective, and easy-to-assemble connector 8 / Winter 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

has plenty of bandwidth headroom to exceed requirements for 2009-2010 chipset interfaces, enabling 7-10 years or more of product availability. Under the hood SUMIT is defined as two 52-pin highdensity (0.635 mm pitch) connectors with center ground blades for impedance, EMI, and DC ground return purposes. Each connector is optional depending on the SBC’s target applications. The SUMIT Type A connector contains one PCI Express x1 lane, three USB ports with a global overcurrent signal, a Low Pin Count (LPC) bus for expansion serial ports and other legacy I/O, a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), and a generalpurpose I2C bus typically connected to the System Management Bus (SMBus) for x86 chipsets. This means that a single 52-pin connector, SUMIT-A, maps perfectly to Intel’s Atom processor and System Controller Hub. All of these low-speed buses enable those using simple I/O for tasks like switching on relays or low-rate data acquisition

to transition away from the spaceconsuming ISA bus. The SUMIT Type B connector adds another PCI Express x1 lane plus a x4 lane, which aligns well with VIA’s new VX800 chipset for Nano and C7 processors. The SUMIT-AB configuration shown in Figure 1 targets storage/RAID, networking, surveillance/camera, data acquisition, automation, and Figure 1 scientific applications. Good things in small packages The new Pico-ITXe Specification (“e” for PCI Express) from SFF-SIG exemplifies the extreme integration advancing the state of the art in small form factors. Instead of using conventional 0.1", 2 mm, or 1.25 mm pin headers for I/O exclusively, SUMIT’s 0.635 mm pitch (pin spacing) allows the entire complement of I/O and expansion buses to fit, as shown on the front edge of the board in Figure 1.

SPECIAL

The latest in small form factors

Migrating low-speed I/O SUMIT offers several ways to move lowspeed I/O from the aging ISA bus to the space-efficient buses integrated into new chipsets. Because SUMIT can coexist with existing ISA-based connectors without occupying the same board location, the I/O community can redesign all existing I/O cards at once – a transition that would have normally taken years to complete.

that multiple modest-speed boards can talk to each other without excessive bus bridges that impact BIOS and operating systems and consume extra power. With its long-time usage in microcontroller, RISC, and DSP markets, SPI already has a rich ecosystem of low-cost controllers and peripherals from large suppliers such as National Semiconductor, Texas Instruments, and Freescale Semiconductor. SPI is a welcome addition to the x86 design community.

“SUMIT offers several ways to move low-speed I/O from the aging ISA bus to the space-efficient buses integrated into new chipsets.”

As shown in Figure 2, the host SBC contains a SPI controller and generates the SPI clock, Data Out (DO), and decode lines (chip selects CS0# and CS1#) for two external devices. The selected external device serially shifts data out based on active low CS line and CLK. The host, which contains a serial shift register to present the next bit, toggles the clock for the target device to latch it. Data can be transmitted in both directions concurrently, known as duplex, with simple application software. In this setup, 5 Mbps of data throughput is easily achievable without the expensive bus bridges and BIOS changes required when bridging from PCI or PCI Express. Furthermore, 50 Mbps speeds and beyond are possible in low-cost FPGA implementations.

SPI and I2C have been used with microcontrollers and RISC processors for years and are now gaining a foothold in the x86 arena. LPC is a third alternative for PC-style legacy I/O, especially serial ports, parallel ports, and PS/2 keyboard and mouse. Bridging from LPC to ISA offers most of the needed functionality to reuse standard and custom I/O cards at a much lower cost than PCI-to-ISA bridging.

I2C reaches out to more devices The I2C topology is already widely used in the x86 architecture. SMBus, an I2C subset interface, is at the heart of lowlevel control for power management and system monitoring functions on every PC,

A “SPI” in the midst SPI allows multiple ICs to communicate with each other in a space-efficient manner. As applied to SUMIT, this also means

CLK DO DI

SUMIT expansion interface

A/D

I/O card #2

DSP

I/O card #1

CS1#

CS0#

SPI master Figure 2

10 / Winter 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

SBC

Data Display Channel (DDC) is another I2C interface included on virtually every PC. Commonly called “plug-and-play,” a displays interface’s (VGA, LVDS, SDVO, and similar) timing parameters, resolution, and color depth are serially loaded from the display device and used to

ALERT#

workstation, and server manufactured today. SMBus is routed to clock generators, memory sockets, and temperature sensors to handle low-speed functions such as initialization, system management, and monitoring.

SUMIT expansion interface DATA CLK

SPECIAL

The latest in small form factors

I2C

I2C Pull-up

I2C controller

Sensors

Battery controller

SBC

Figure 3

configure the graphics controller properly and automatically. I2C uses a 3-wire bus and is similar to SPI in that data is shifted serially. However, I2C’s data line is a single bidirectional pin, which limits the throughput compared to SPI. Unlike SPI, interrupts can be generated by the shared ALERT# line (see Figure 3). Also, instead of having separate decodes (chip selects) for target devices, I2C embeds a device address within the serial shift string. With an 8-bit address, up to 256 devices can be addressed, far beyond what is practical with SPI. The only trick is to avoid address conflicts between devices, as offthe-shelf ICs have built-in addresses that are sometimes settable with a register and other times hardwired. At their discretion, designers can choose between routing SMBus to SUMIT’s I2C interface or creating a dedicated I2C controller. This design can be used in many applications, such as smart sensors with local processing, storage, and network interfaces. Another usage combines a dedicated I2C controller with the ALERT# support for a smart battery controller to prevent overcharging a battery. This approach enables wearable computers, inventory logistics, communications, and other portable devices based on SUMIT. LPC rounds out the I/O The LPC bus can completely replace the ISA bus. Memory, I/O, DMA, and interrupts are fully supported by the standard. This multiplexed bus greatly reduces space and pin count for BIOS firmware and legacy super I/O devices. Only 16-bit ISA accesses were not implemented in LPC, instead replaced with back-to-back 8-bit cycles and 4x faster clock speed, as compared to ISA. 12 / Winter 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

PRSNT#

CLK

SERIRQ# FRAME#

AD0-AD3

SUMIT expansion interface

Pull-up

ISA bridge

Bridge card

UART x4

I/O card

LPC controller

SBC

Figure 4

Figure 4 depicts the LPC architecture as used in SUMIT. Command, address, and data are multiplexed on four lines and four cycles at 33 MHz instead of an inefficient 8.25 MHz bus. Although originally used for motherboard devices, SUMIT takes LPC off-board for optional use, allowing applications that require legacy PC peripherals to plug in a module and those that don’t to forgo the additional cost and space burdens. To reduce power and EMI, the host SBC can implement the card present line with a pull-up resistor and shut off the 33 MHz clock if no cards are present to ground the signal. SMSC, Winbond, Fintek, and other vendors supply chips that directly interface to the LPC bus. Embedded controllers for smart battery management or other uses can be implemented easily on the LPC bus. In addition, LPC-to-ISA bridges allow direct reuse of existing ISA cards using the serial interrupt line (SERIRQ#) shown in Figure 4. Complex programmable logic devices and FPGAs give designers an easy way to interface custom logic to LPC. Balancing high-speed I/O Because all of these buses occupy different connector pins, I/O cards can be comingled, providing the convenience of easy, low-speed interfacing and some muscle to boot. With one PCI Express lane in SUMIT-A and two more lanes in SUMIT-B, highspeed devices such as frame grabbers, FireWire ports, RAID controllers, secondary graphics controllers (PCI Express x1 or x4), and GbE are easy to attach without bulky connectors.

Interface solidarity Flexible and simple to use, the SUMIT specification breaks the conventional wisdom that a single primary bus or even two buses must be used for SBC-based expansion. Because SUMIT defines two connectors and their respective signal assignments, it does not define a specific board size. Only the relative placement of one connector to the other is specified to ensure mechanical compatibility and proper signal routing. The interface is compact enough to meet a broad range of space- and powerconscious application requirements. With a goal of unifying expansion interfaces across many different SBC form factors and I/O types, SUMIT has the potential to consolidate I/O ecosystems, thereby improving economies of scale for I/O and benefiting the embedded market as a whole. ➤ Bob Burckle is a member of the SFF-SIG Board of Directors.

Colin McCracken is cofounder of the SFF-SIG and an industry consultant on small form factors. SFF-SIG 408-480-7900 info@sff-sig.org • www.sff-sig.org

PC/104 and Small Form Factors

Winter 2008 / 13

APPLICATION

Graphics and HMI

UGM: Small, scalable graphics modules meet universal embedded needs By Matthias Huber Demand for high-end embedded modular graphics has increased dramatically across an array of applications such as medical and industrial imaging, gaming and entertainment, and Point-Of-Service/Point-Of-Information (POS/POI) terminals. This drive is fueling the quest for custom high-end graphics capabilities that can meet scalability, size, reliability, and long product life-cycle requirements for embedded applications – the same needs that the Universal Graphics Module (UGM) specification aims to fulfill.

oday’s embedded systems designers must control and feed more highend displays with massive amounts of information without sacrificing 3D graphics performance. Enabling this level of capability within an embedded design poses a number of challenges, given that standard graphics add-on cards often conflict with critical requirements such as compact size, reliability, and longevity.

Furthermore, most conventional graphics cards must be installed on the system baseboard at a 90° angle, which uses excessive space and opens up additional points for failure. These cards’ active cooling designs can also pose problems when simplified cooling is needed. To compound matters, all of these design challenges can lead to delays in bringing products to market.

Boards intended for the consumer market typically have short life cycles and contain parts that are often discontinued within a few months. These boards can incur significant expenditures as a result of frequent driver updates, extremely high power consumption (up to as much as 150 W), and limited Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) due to fan failures.

Unfortunately for designers, powerful graphics cards optimized for embedded designs simply do not exist. However, compact graphics controller cards that augment the abilities of integrated graphics such as those found in many Intel advanced chipsets can resolve these design challenges and allow for future design flexibility.

14 / Winter 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

Enhanced graphics easily exchanged Kontron and XGI Technology Inc. unveiled the UGM 1.0 specification as an open standard in June 2007. The specification, which outlines electrical and mechanical characteristics and provides a recommended layout, is now freely available to third-party vendors. The forthcoming UGM interest group will control future specifications and use of the UGM brand. UGM supplies monitors with an up-todate range of high-end graphics card signals. The specification defines an 84 mm x 95 mm universal graphics interface that fulfills the requirements for high reliability and a flexible connector design to exchange and replace graphics modules easily across different PCI Express systems. This concept is similar to the COM Express standard, which uses a rugged AMP/Tyco connector to hook up to a PCI Express x16 port.

As illustrated in Figure 1, UGM cards receive PCI Express signals and video signals via the connector’s 220 pins over 1, 4, 8, or 16 lanes. The UGM card processes the signals using video capture functions and up to 512 MB of DRAM. It then delivers the converted signals back to the baseboard via the same 220-pin connector. For playback devices, the UGM specification supports dual Low Voltage Differential SCSI (LVDS), dual Transition Minimized Differential Signaling (TMDS), dual Cathode Ray Tube (CRT), and TV-out.

flat and scalable design, but also ensures signal integrity and minimizes failures. Because the UGM specification is based on the PICMG-defined COM Express standard, UGMs should have a height of 13 mm, including the PCB. Figure 2 shows the height restrictions for the top and bottom, including the height of cooling and/or components (without the connector). UGM includes tested and reliable graphics drivers with at least 3-5 years of availability. Because the graphics processing core is finished and all necessary drivers are already implemented in the specification, designers can quickly add graphics functions to customized designs, reducing the effort required for graphics layout and BIOS development. All they have

Unlike conventional graphics cards that are plugged into the baseboard at a 90° angle, UGM cards are connected to the baseboard in a parallel fashion. This not only saves space and allows for an extremely

95.00

95.00 84.00

84.00 DRAM Clock DVI-B Interface X’TAL GDDR 1/2/3 DRAM

TV Interface Memory Clock

CRT Interface

GPU Chip

LVDS Interface

DDR DRAM Interface

PCI Express Interface

12 V ~ 22 V Power Rail

Power Transfer

UGM 220-Pin Connector nterface

DVI-A Interface

MISC. Power VCORE Power

SPI BUS

Serial Flash ROM

1.8 V DRAM Power

Power

Figure 1 13 mm

Top Layer Components

Heat spreader PCB

0 mm 10 mm connector area

Bottom Layer Components

Figure 2

-3 mm

APPLICATION

to do is allocate the appropriate circuits, plugs, and peripheral components needed for additional features, such as Highbandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) to display protected highresolution video material. On the carrier board, designers can decide which signal combinations will ultimately be made available to the external connection. For example, a combination of sound, USB, Digital Visual Interface Integrated (DVI-I), and Video Graphics Array (VGA) can be implemented via the High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI).

Graphics and HMI

DisplayPort and LVDS/TMDS on the same pinouts. Other improvements include heightened definition of PCI Express TX/RX to remove any potential confusion regarding the sink and source as well as holes for standard-sized M2.5 screws that enable easier mounting on the carrier board. With these upgrades, UGM can support extremely high frame rates and graphics optimization algorithms. AMD’s Embedded Display Group, which is responsible for delivering the company’s

high-end ATI products to the embedded market, announced its support for the UGM standard in August 2008. With AMD’s long-life ATI product portfolio and experience providing innovative display technology, this decision is expected to accelerate acceptance of the UGM standard. Module generates realistic graphics Kontron introduced the first modular graphics card based on UGM in June 2007. The Kontron UGM-M72 uses the ATI M72

“UGM revision 1.1 optimizes system design and reduces costs by defining the height of UGM graphicson-modules in accordance with the COM Express specification ...” UGM also eliminates the need for cables. This differs from standard graphics cards in which interfaces are led out via breakout cables because the narrow expansion card slot brackets do not offer enough room for external interfaces. Upgrades increase performance, speed Kontron published an updated version of the UGM standard in July 2008. UGM revision 1.1 optimizes system design and reduces costs by defining the height of UGM graphics-on-modules in accordance with the COM Express specification, allowing designers who work with COM Express modules and UGM graphics-on-modules to use a single heat sink for each design. The result is an extremely flat solution that maintains COM scalability within the design as well as reduces development and production costs for fast time to market. This revision retains all the benefits of the original specification and adds support for dual-link TMDS, doubling the transmission power and providing greater speed and bandwidth for higher resolutions. UGM revision 1.1 also includes enhanced DisplayPort mapping, which implements PC/104 and Small Form Factors

Winter 2008 / 17

APPLICATION

Graphics and HMI

chip, which is based on AMD’s flagship ATI R600 Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), with a variable clock speed of 450-700 MHz. The ATI M72 GPU features AMD’s Unified Shader Architecture for advanced vertex and pixel processing. This architecture leverages several different flexible processors that can be scheduled to process a variety of shader types, thereby significantly increasing GPU throughput. This module can enable full HD visualization with smooth surfaces, sharp images, and high color fidelity for very realistic graphics. Fully hardware-decoded streams up to 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution are supported by 512 MB/128-bit/500-800 MHz GDDR3. To control more than two displays independently, the module allows PCI Express to be shared with several graphics modules. High-end PEG features include support for DirectX 10.0 and Shader Model 4.0 to accelerate the latest high-end 3D graphics for Windows Vista Aero and beyond. A Universal Video Decoding (UVD) engine offers BluRay support. This high level of integrated 3D and video performance significantly helps offload the CPU. For optimized performance-per-watt, the module is equipped with power-saving features including hardware-managed dynamic power modes and integrated PowerPlay 7.0 technology to extend battery life in rugged mobile applications. An adapter that can connect the module to a standard PEG interface as it would on a motherboard (shown in Figure 3) and a passive heat spreader kit are available to simplify the design. Future embedded applications UGM promises to extend scalable, graphics-driven technologies for longterm product deployments to embedded designs. By offering more advanced graphics and display elements, UGM is well positioned to find its way into a wide range of areas including medical equipment, casino gaming and arcade markets, vision control technologies for security and industrial markets, simulation technologies, commercial outdoor broadcasting, and high-end residential gateways. For example, consider a POI system that needs to run multiple independent displays from a single subsystem. If the computing core already takes advantage 18 / Winter 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

Figure 3

of dual-display support (1x analog and 1x LVDS) from the chipset, designers can expand the system’s graphics capabilities by adding a UGM, which retains LVDS and analog graphics signals and adds two DVI signals. Thus, the system can drive four displays from the single system via the UGM. The UGM specification will continue to evolve as new suppliers join the UGM Consortium. Companies that are already familiar with modular COM technologies are expected to be the first to implement UGM. In addition to these early adopters, designers who have previously avoided modular designs due to lack of high-end graphics capabilities can now have more confidence in COM methodology to meet next-generation embedded graphics requirements. ➤ Matthias Huber is general manager of the Embedded Modules Division, leading the Kontron America team at the company’s facility in Silicon Valley. He currently serves as European VP of the PC/104 Embedded Consortium. His previous experience includes serving as a member of the R&D team of Boards (now Kontron) and general manager of Jumptec Inc. (now Kontron). He has a degree in Precision and MicroEngineering from the University of Applied Sciences in Munich, Germany. Kontron 510-661-2220 matthias.huber@us.kontron.com www.kontron.com

APPLICATION

Graphics and HMI

Rugged display here, computer somewhere over there By Nigel Dickens Industrial process control requires technology solutions that enable businesses and manufacturers to get the job done in rough and tough environments. But sometimes, ruggedizing everything isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the right answer. Nigel presents an example of how implementing display extenders can increase production efficiency and reduce system costs by allowing computers and displays to be placed in different areas.

ndustrial manufacturers need highquality monitors and touch-screen displays located throughout their factory floors. However, the computers that run these displays often cannot handle exposure to dust, water, humidity, chemicals, extreme temperatures, vibrations, and other conditions characteristic of harsh environments without substantial hardening. Rather than ruggedizing computers to provide all the control needed for these applications, industrial manufacturers seek a more cost-effective approach.

To address this need, companies such as Coca-Cola Enterprises, Georgia Pacific, General Mills, Pfizer, Proctor & Gamble, and Nestle have started using products with display extenders, which allow computers to be placed as far away as possible from industrial displays while maintaining superior picture quality and speed. Covering the distance Roswell, Georgia-based Hope Industrial Systems, Inc. incorporates Adder Corporationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s AdderLink X Series X-2 Silver Dual-Access Keyboard, Video, Mouse (KVM) extenders (Figure 1) into its industrial flat-panel monitors and touch screens. The KVM extender allows an industrial monitor, keyboard, mouse, and serial touch screen to be positioned up to 1,000 feet away from the computer or server using a single CatX cable. The dual version enables computer access both locally and remotely. The twisted pair cabling supported by the KVM extender (Cat 5 or higher) comprises four pairs of cables, three of which

Figure 1

are used by the modules to convey RGB video signals to the remote video monitor. Because these three pairs have slightly different twist rates, the RGB video signals do not always arrive at precisely the same time. This effect, which is visible as separate color shadows on high-contrast screen images, becomes apparent particularly when using higher screen resolutions and some types of Cat 5e cables. KVM extenders provide internal skew adjustment that can help rectify this issue. PC/104 and Small Form Factors

Winter 2008 / 23

APPLICATION The skew adjustment works by delaying or advancing the timing of RGB color signals so that they are all delivered to the monitor at the exact same time. Hope Industrial Systems incorporates this function into its monitors by mating the extender to the monitor using one of the following three methods:  Mounting the unit behind the panel near the monitor, creating a stand-alone product for use with panel mount displays  Mounting the KVM extender in a modular sealed NEMA 4/4X/12 enclosure attached to the rear of the display, creating a rear mount KVM extender for use with universal mount displays  Inserting the KVM extender into the pedestal where it is hidden, protected, and sealed to NEMA 4/4X/12 specifications, creating a pedestal mount KVM extender (Figure 2) for use with pedestal mount displays

Figure 2

24 / Winter 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

Graphics and HMI The KVM extenders’ compatibility with other computers and small form factor size allowed Hope Industrial Systems to integrate this technology into its product line. “There are several advantages to using these products,” remarks John McGraw, director of operations at Hope Industrial Systems. “The X-2 Silver KVM extender provides a rugged metal industrial enclosure and allows for skew adjustment so that our customers can fine-tune pictures up to 1,000 feet away. These clean, sharp pictures can withstand factory electromagnetic interference, which is an important feature in this business.”

Besides the KVM extenders for standard serial devices, Hope Industrial Systems plans to possibly integrate Adder’s KVM extenders for USB devices into its products in the near future. ➤ Nigel Dickens is CTO for Adder Corporation in Newburyport, Massachusetts, where he has spearheaded a range of innovative product developments since 1991. With more than 20 years of experience in the electronics industry, he is a Chartered Engineer and a graduate in Electronics from Cambridge University. Adder 978-499-2105 us.pr@adder.com www.adder.com

Small, fast, and seamless video extension McGraw says the company has received positive feedback from customers who report excellent picture quality, long-term reliability, continually updated software, and substantial cost savings as a result of not needing to purchase rugged computer equipment. Other industrial manufacturers have noted similar benefits. Controls engineers at Coca-Cola Enterprises state that these extenders are so small, fast, and seamless that they can’t tell the video is being extended. This efficiency enables technical staff at General Mills Canada Corporation’s plant to put their computers in a dry area and touch screens in wet areas.

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EDITOR’S CHOICE PRODUCT

Tiny modules configure I/O a /1 4

The “last inch” in I/O can be one of the toughest problems to solve. In many cases a system needs to do more than one thing with several different types of I/O ninterfacesm f involved. Technobox’s Micro Mezzanine System tackles these challenges head on using EDalong T R S with HO C tiny Electrical Conversion Modules (ECMs) placed on a PMC or other carrier RO toUCT FPGA-based IP to provide the needed interface logic. Each ECM presents 16 pins the carrier for I/O, and several different functions are available to mix and match. Technobox www.technobox.com RSC# 39395

HMI gets harsh, which is good Lots of PCs have enough horsepower to get an industrial control job done, but relatively few can survive harsh environments. Ocular’s new Denali Human-Machine Interface (HMI) system has a 1 GHz VIA processor and 1 GB or more of memory packaged with a 7" TFT display and a new capacitive touch screen. Using what Ocular calls Crystal Touch technology, the glassbased screen is durable and fully sealed, allowing the system to meet SAE J1455 specifications at both low and high temperatures. The system runs either Windows or Linux. Ocular, Inc. www.ocularlcd.com • RSC# 39396

26 / Winter 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

More power, over Ethernet Although the IEEE 802.3af standard for Power over Ethernet (PoE) delivers 13 W, there’s clearly a need for more power (see the article on IEEE 802.3at in the October 2008 issue of Embedded Computing Design for details). To fulfill this need, ON Semiconductor has extended the NCP108x family of devices. NCP1081 and NCP1083 provide up to 40 W of power and improved ESD robustness. These parts are available in an industrial temperature range, align with Draft 3.0 of IEEE 802.3at, and help designers create PoE powered devices like security cameras and industrial networking adapters. ON Semiconductor www.onsemi.com • RSC# 39397

OpenVG hits the dashboard The automotive infotainment space is exploding, as demonstrated by Freescale’s introduction of its latest device, the i.MX35 application processor, at the recent SAE Convergence 2008. With an ARM1136JF-S core running at up to 532 MHz, the processor features an advanced image processing unit with optional OpenVG graphics acceleration, enabling vector graphics apps like Adobe Flash. The i.MX35 also features other improvements including a DDR2 memory interface, an Enhanced Serial Audio Interface and sample rate conversion, USB host and On-The-Go interfaces, a media local bus (per MOST), Ethernet, and MMC/SD/SDIO and CE-ATA/SDIO interfaces. Freescale Semiconductor www.freescale.com • RSC# 39398 Editor’s Choice Products are drawn from OSM’s product database and press releases. Vendors may add their new products to our website at http://submit.opensystemsmedia.com and submit press releases at http://submit.opensystemsmedia.com. OSM 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

Winter 2008 / 27

2009 BUYERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GUIDE

COM Express

ADLINK Technology Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Pinnacle Data Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Communications

Advanced Micro Peripherals, Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 MPL AG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Radicom Research, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Digital I/O

ACCES I/O Products, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ACCES I/O Products, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Connect Tech, Inc. (CTI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Measurement Computing Corporation . . . . . . . . .

31 31 31 32

EPIC

ADLINK Technology Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 LiPPERT Embedded Computers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 LiPPERT Embedded Computers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

ETX

(Sponsored by ADLINK Technology Inc.) ADLINK Technology Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Industrial automation

Dataforth Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 esd gmbh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 servo-Halbeck GmbH & Co. KG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Mezzanines

Alphi Technology Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Innovative Integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Innovative Integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Mini-ITX

ITOX Applied Computing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Logic Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

30 / Winter 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

VIA Technologies, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 WDL Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Other SFF boards

ADLINK Technology Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EMAC, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eurotech Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eurotech Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kontron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kontron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VersaLogic Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VIA Technologies, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VIA Technologies, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WDL Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PC/104

ADLINK Technology Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EMAC, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ICOP Technology, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ICOP Technology, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . North Atlantic Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . North Atlantic Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RTD Embedded Technologies, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . Technologic Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Technologic Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WinSystems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PC/104-Plus

Data Device Corp. (DDC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eurotech Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eurotech Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eurotech Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Excalibur Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jacyl Technology Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LiPPERT Embedded Computers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LiPPERT Embedded Computers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MPL AG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

37 37 37 37 37 37 38 38 38 38 41 41 41 41 41 41 41 41 42 42 42 42 44 44 44 44 44 44 47

MPL AG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 VersaLogic Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 WIN Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

PCI/104-Express

Connect Tech, Inc. (CTI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 RTD Embedded Technologies, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Rugged and Mil-Spec

AIM-USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AIM-USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ADLINK Technology Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ADLINK Technology Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Excalibur Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hybricon Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jacyl Technology Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LiPPERT Embedded Computers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Logic Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Parvus Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Parvus Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Roder Electronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

47 47 48 48 48 48 48 48 48 48 51 51

Stand-alone systems

Eurotech Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 NEXCOM International Co., LTD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Storage

WinSystems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Vision systems and displays

Active Silicon Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Advanced Micro Peripherals, Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Advanced Micro Peripherals, Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Advanced Micro Peripherals, Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sensoray Co., Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sensoray Co., Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

51 51 51 52 52 52

2009 BUYER’S GUIDE

PC/104 and Small Form Factors cOM express

cOM express

rSc# 39233

Ampro by ADLINK COM Express Computer-On-Module (COM) offerings provide a variety of price, performance, and durability options • Latest Intel processors including the Atom and Core 2 Duo CPUs • CPU speeds up to 2.2 GHz • Wide OS support including Windows XPe, CE 6.0/5.0, and Ampro Embedded Linux • Conformal coating and extended temperature testing available

www.ampro.com

Pinnacle Data Systems, Inc.

cOM express

cOMX-S1 cOM express Module

rSc# 35178

AMD Socket S1 COM Express Module (COMX-S1) is a low-cost, compact, embeddable computing core • Ideal for OEM applications where video output is required • Several performance levels are available, from the ultra-low-watt AMD Sempron processors suitable for fanless applications to the dual-core muscle of AMD Turion 64 X2 Mobile Technology • AMD M690 series chipset delivers exceptional built-in graphics • COMX-S1 significantly reduces initial platform design time

www.pinnacle.com

Advanced Micro Peripherals, Ltd. LAnSwitch

communications rSc# 39240

Industry-standard 5-port 10/100 Mb Ethernet switch on a rugged PC/104-Plus form factor for harsh environments • Supports up to 16 VLAN groups configured as port-based or IEEE 802.1Q tag-based VLANs • Automatically detects each connected Ethernet device, routing data directly to it • Eliminates data collision and significantly reduces unnecessary network traffic • Can result in deterministic communications with attached Ethernet devices • Single 5 V supply

www.ampltd.com

MPL AG MAGBeS Gbit switch

communications rSc# 39085

Rugged 5-port manageable GbE switch • Versatile design allows different combinations of fiber and copper LAN ports • Copper and fiberoptic versions • Fully manageable through Web interface • Stand-alone and PC/104 stacked versions • -40 °C to +85 °C extended temperature option • Use of SFP transceivers allows users to select the appropriate fiber-optic interface • Low-power and fanless operation

www.mpl.ch

communications

radicom research, Inc. tinyModem

rSc# 37870

Measures 0.66" x 1.25" x 0.75" • -40 °C to +85 °C operating temperature • Enhanced EMC/EMI shielding • Serial TTL interface, data, fax, voice playback, and recording • Standard AT commands support • Generates and detects DTMF tones in voice mode • Single 3.3 V supply, 5 V tolerant I/O • 3,750 V high-voltage isolation • Low power consumption, sleep mode support • Up to 56 Kbps data speeds downstream • Up to 48 Kbps data speeds upstream • V.42bis and MNP 5 data compression • V.42 LAPM and MNP 2-4 error correction • Transferable FCC68, CS-03, and CTR21 certifications with CE Marking

www.radi.com Digital I/O

AcceS I/O Products, Inc. USB-IDIO-16

rSc# 37770

16 individually optically isolated inputs and 16 fully protected solid-state FET outputs capable of switching up to 2 A each • Polarity-insensitive AC/DC inputs accept up to 31 VDC or AC RMS • Jumper-selectable filtering per input channel for AC or voltage transients • 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

www.accesio.com Digital I/O

AcceS I/O Products, Inc. USB-DIO-16h

rSc# 38258

USB/104 digital I/O unit • 16 high-speed digital I/O lines feature continuous, sustained throughput up to 16 MBps • Capable of 80 MBps bursts with synchronous clock and handshaking capabilities • Continuous streaming over USB with no maximum waveform length • Onboard embedded 128 KB FIFO memory • 18 additional digital I/O lines arranged in 4 programmable groups • All outputs buffered with 24 mA sink/source capabilities • Type B USB connector features high-retention design • Standard 68-pin SCSI high-density latching connector • 4" x 4" x 1.25" rugged steel industrial enclosure • OEM version (board only) features PC/104 module size and mounting compatibility

www.accesio.com Digital I/O

connect tech, Inc. (ctI) FPGA computing Platforms

rSc# 39241

Reconfigurable FPGA products save time and money • Based on Virtex-5 or Spartan-3E FPGAs • Versatile platforms for application designs • PC/104 or PCI-104 form factors • Up to 3 million gates • Digital I/O or LVDS I/O • Industrial temperature range (-40 °C to +85 °C) • 8 MB flash • DDR2-400 memory • Counter/timers • Reconfigurable in the field or through CTI Engineering Services • Free ISE WebPACK for complete FPGA design • Lifetime warranty

www.connecttech.com

PC/104 and Small Form Factors

Winter 2008 / 31

COM Express | Communications | Digital I/O

ADLInK technology Inc.

Digital I/O | EPIC

2009 BUYER’S GUIDE Measurement Computing Corporation

PC/104 and Small Form Factors Digital I/O

PCIe-DIO24 RSC# 39193 Digital I/O board for the PCI Express bus • 24-bit logiclevel (3.3 V or 5 V selectable) digital I/O • Fully plug-and-play • Installed pull-up/pull-down resistors with configuration stored in nonvolatile memory • Digital I/O lines accessed through a 37-pin D-type connector • Software and connector compatibility with PCI predecessors for seamless migration of existing applications to next-generation platforms

www.measurementcomputing.com

ADLINK Technology Inc.

EPIC

ReadyBoard EPIC RSC# 39235 Low-cost Ampro by ADLINK ReadyBoard family of SBCs with PC-style connectors for robust I/O • Scalability from 500 MHz to 1.4 GHz • Easy migration due to standardized PC-style connector block • Extensive I/O that is not available in nonstandard mid-size form factors • CompactFlash socket • SODIMM memory

www.ampro.com

32 / Winter 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

LiPPERT Embedded Computers

EPIC

Hurricane-LX800 RSC# 30128 EPIC form factor • Graphics, Ethernet, USB, serial, and expansion ports • AMD Geode LX800 processor at 500 MHz with 1 GB DDR333 RAM maximum • Integrated graphics with up to 1,920 x 1,440 pixels • Display adapters for VGA, LVDS, parallel TFT • Two 10/100BASE-T Ethernet ports • IDE Ultra ATA-100 • Four USB 2.0 host ports, one device port, two RS-232/422/485 serial ports • Analog and digital I/O • PC/104 and PC/104-Plus buses • Mini PCI slot • AC’97 5.1 sound • 5.25 W power consumption • -40 °C to +85 °C extended temperature range optionally available

www.lippertembedded.com

LiPPERT Embedded Computers

EPIC

Hurricane-PM RSC# 32959 EPIC form factor • Intel Pentium M or Intel Celeron M processors • 1 GB DDR333 RAM maximum • Graphics up to 2,048 x 1,536 pixels, VGA and LVDS adapters • Two Ethernet ports, six USB 2.0 host ports • PC/104 and PC/104-Plus buses • -40 °C to +85 °C extended temperature range optionally available

www.lippertembedded.com

2009 BUYER’S GUIDE

PC/104 and Small Form Factors SensorLex 8B42 ScM

rSc# 38032

2-wire transmitter interface module designed specifically to provide isolation for nonisolated 2-wire transmitters • 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 and up to 40 Vrms fieldside protection • 3-pole low-pass filter optimized for time and frequency response

www.dataforth.com Industrial automation

esd gmbh cAn-PcI104/200

rSc# 38860

CAN interface for PCI-104 • PCI-104-to-CAN interface with 1 or 2 CAN • CAN controller SJA1000 (ISO 11898-1) • CAN interface electrically isolated and designed according to ISO 11898-2 • Bit rate up to 1 Mbps • PC/104-Plus ISA connector available as an option • Also available: CAN-PCI104/ 200-2 intelligent PCI-104 module with local data management by FPGA

etX ADLInK technology echnology Inc. Ampro by ADLInK etX Scalability from 500 MHz to 1.66 GHz • Latest ETX standard compatible • Rugged resistance to shock and vibration; HALT reports available • Optional -40 °C to +85 °C support (ETT) and conformal coating • Utilizing the Intel Core 2 Duo processor, the unit adheres to the latest ETX 3.02 form factor standard, which allows two additional SATA ports while maintaining full backwards compatibility • With an enhanced graphics feature set, the unit targets medical, gaming, and instrumentation markets • Extreme Rugged module features a low-power Centrino processor, advanced networking, and high-performance graphics • Featuring the AMD Geode LX800 CPU, the unit targets mid-performance applications exposed to harsh environments

ETX | Industrial automation | Mezzanines

Industrial automation

Dataforth corporation

www.esd-electronics.com rSc# 39236

servo-halbeck Gmbh & co. KG POSYS 3004

Industrial automation rSc# 35081

www.ampro.com

Mezzanines

Innovative Integration X5-210M

rSc# 37419

XMC I/O module • Four 250 MSps 14-bit A/D channels • ±1 V, 50 ohm, SMA inputs and outputs • Xilinx Virtex-5 SX95T FPGA • 512 MB DDR2 DRAM • 4 MB QDR-II SRAM • 8 RocketIO private links, 2.5 Gbps each • >1 GBps, 8-lane PCI Express host interface • Power management features • 75 mm x 150 mm • PCI Express (VITA 42.3) • Fully customized using VHDL and MATLAB using the FrameWork Logic toolset • Applications: Wireless receiver and transmitter; WLAN, WCDMA, and WiMAX front end; radar; electronic warfare, high-speed data recording and playback; high-speed servo controls; and IP development

www.servo-halbeck.com

www.innovative-dsp.com

Alphi technology corporation IP-cYcLOne II-PIO

Mezzanines rSc# 38942

FPGA-based IndustryPack solution for RS-485, RS-422, and parallel I/O • Low power, high functionalities • Flexible solution (user-programmable) • Altera FPGA EP2C20 or EP2C50 • Up to 24x RS-485 or RS-422 drivers/ receivers or TTL I/O lines • 512K x 8 x 2 dual-ported SRAM • Each line can be separately selected as input or output • FPGA easily programmable through JTAG, onboard serial EPROM, or IP bus • VITA 4 compliant

www.alphitech.com

Mezzanines

Innovative Integration X5-GSPS

rSc# 37675

XMC I/O module • Two 1.5 GSps 8-bit A/D channels (National ADC08D1500) • ±1 V, 50 ohm, SMA inputs • Xilinx Virtex-5 SX95T FPGA • 512 MB DDR2 DRAM • 4 MB QDR-II SRAM • Eight RocketIO private links, 2.5 Gbps each • >1 GBps, 8-lane PCI Express host interface • Power management features • 75 mm x 150 mm • PCI Express (VITA 42.3) • Fully customized using VHDL and MATLAB using the FrameWork Logic toolset • Applications: Wireless receiver; WLAN, WCDMA, and WiMAX front end; radar; electronic warfare, high-speed data recording and playback; high-speed servo controls; and IP development

www.innovative-dsp.com

PC/104 and Small Form Factors

Winter 2008 / 35

Sponsored by ADLINK Technology Inc. www.ampro.com

PC/104 form factor board dedicated to high-performance motion-control applications with extensive interpolation functionality • Interrupts: IRQ3, IRQ12, IRQ14, IRQ15 • Integrated DOS-like RTOS with 8 MB SDRAM and 8 MB flash RAM for custom applications • Web, FTP, SSH, and Telnet server • Velocity range: 0-4,000,000 counts/second • Acceleration and deceleration range: 125-500 x 106 counts/second • Jerk range (S-curve): 954-31.25 x 109 counts/second • Acceleration counter offset: -32,767 to +32,767 counts • Deceleration counter offset: 1 to 65,535 counts • Position error tracking window • Digital outputs: 12 general purpose and 16 multipurpose • Digital inputs: 8 general purpose and 24 dedicated

Mini-ITX

2009 BUYER’S GUIDE

PC/104 and Small Form Factors Mini-ItX

ItOX Applied computing ItOX Sr100-L20c

rSc# 38850

Mini-ITX SBC features a value-optimized Mobile Intel GLE960 Express chipset and 2.0 GHz Intel Celeron M 550 processor with 1 MB L2 cache • Mobile Intel GLE960/ICH8M Express chipset provides high performance with reduced power requirements • Integrated Intel GMA X3100 graphics accelerator provides dual independent display support • Integrated 4-channel audio with S/PDIF I/O • Damage-free intelligence provides real-time monitoring of processor and system temperature, power supply voltage, and fan speed • Guaranteed availability for five years or more

Mini-ItX

vIA technologies, Inc. ePIA-M700

rSc# 37811

Mini-ITX board with C7 1.8 GHz CPU • MPEG-2/4, WMV9, DVI-I, CompactFlash, and GigaLAN • Features the VIA VX800 digital media chipset for enhanced video playback, dual display, and dual GigaLAN • Integrated VIA Chrome9 HC DX9 3D/2D graphics with MPEG-2/4, WMV9, and H.264 video decoding acceleration • Supports one IDE and two SATA, dual PCI Express GbE, one CompactFlash Type 1, and one DVI-I port • Supports digital I/O, SPI, proprietary MFX interfaces, four USB 2.0 ports, and HD audio • Designed for digital signage and kiosk applications

www.itox.com Mini-ItX

Logic Supply Fanless Mini-ItX

rSc# 38948

High-performance, ruggedized Intel Core 2 Duo mobile fanless Mini-ITX system • For industrial applications and remote deployments • Supports Intel Core 2 Duo mobile processors up to 2 GHz • Designed around MSI Industrial Series main board • Dual Gigabit LAN, both DVI and VGA, RS-232 COM port, and audio (optional HDMI) • Supports Windows XP, Vista, and Ubuntu Linux OSs • Utilizes heat-pipe technology for system cooling; enclosure has top and side fins for optimal heat dispersal • Includes a 120 W DC-DC board with 120 W AC adapter • Dimensions: 8.86" x 3.15" x 7.68" (225 mm x 80 mm x 195 mm)

www.logicsupply.com

36 / Winter 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

www.via.com.tw Mini-ItX

WDL Systems Mini-ItX Boards

rSc# 39216

Technology provides customers with COTS products for all embedded requirements • Easily cooled, highly versatile Mini-ITX embedded motherboards • Main boards feature low-power processors, onboard LAN, various integrated AGP graphics, audio options, slots, and connectors

www.wdlsystems.com

2009 BUYER’S GUIDE

PC/104 and Small Form Factors Other SFF boards

Other SFF boards

Kontron

Ampro by ADLINK LittleBoard EBX RSC# 39234

microETXexpress-SP RSC# 36939

Extreme Rugged Ampro by ADLINK LittleBoard family of SBCs with long life cycles, broad OS support, and extended temperature option • Scalability from 500 MHz to 1.4 GHz • Industry-leading three-year warranty on Extreme Rugged products • Rugged to shock and vibration; HALT reports available • Optional -40 °C to +85 °C support (ETT) and conformal coating • Ideal for military, aviation, and transportation applications

Intel Atom processor Z500 series • Integrated memory controller, graphics engine, and I/O controller in Intel System Controller Hub US15W • Unprecedented power consumption/ performance ratio for x86-based ultra-mobile solutions • PCI, PCI Express, GbE, USB 2.0, SATA, LVDS, and HD audio • 100 percent COM Express Pinout Type 2 compatible

www.ampro.com

www.kontron.com

EMAC, Inc.

Other SFF boards

Kontron

SOM-9307 ARM Module RSC# 38941

nanoETXexpress-SP RSC# 36940

Plugs into a custom or off-the-shelf carrier board containing all the connectors and any additional I/O components required • 200-pin SODIMM form factor (2.66" x 2.375") • Cirrus ARM9 EP9307 200 MHz processor, Maverick Crunch hardware floating-point math coprocessor, and 10/100BASE-T Ethernet with onboard PHY • Three serial ports with handshake and three USB 2.0 host ports • Up to 128 MB SDRAM, 64 MB flash, and 128 KB serial flash • Battery-backed real-time clock, SD/MMC flash card interface, two SPI ports, and one I2S audio port • Timer/ counters and pulse-width modulation ports, 8-channel 12-bit analog-to-digital converter, and graphic LCD interface

Intel Atom processor Z500 series • Intel System Controller Hub US15W with integrated memory controller, graphics engine, and I/O controller • Up to 1 GB DDR2 onboard system memory • Up to 4 GB onboard flash SSD • Wide input voltage range: 4.75-14 V • Unprecedented power consumption/performance ratio for x86-based ultra-mobile solutions • PCI Express, GbE, USB 2.0, SATA, LVDS, and HD audio • 100 percent COM Express Pinout Type 1 compatible • OS support for Windows XP, XPe, CE, Linux, and VxWorks • Commercial temperature range for typical operation and storage • ACPI 2.0 and APM S3 hot and cold support

www.emacinc.com

Eurotech Inc.

www.kontron.com

Other SFF boards

Catalyst Module RSC# 35845 Intel eMenlow platform with Silverthorne processor and Poulsbo chipset up to 1.5 GHz • 67 mm x 100 mm • -40 °C to +85 °C temperature range • Multiple video interfaces (UXGA, XGA, SXGA, HD) • Codecs for H.264, MPEG-4/2/1, Windows Media 9, and DivX • Dual-display output capability, Intel HD audio, and support for 4- and 5-wire touch-screen interface • Support for Microsoft Windows CE, XP, XPe, Linux, and other RTOSs • USB 2.0 ports, analog and digital I/O, CANbus, serial ports, PCI Express, 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet, and Mini PCI Express • Up to three SD/MMC cards and two PATA disk drives with up to 1 GB DDR-2 support

www.eurotech.com

Eurotech Inc.

Other SFF boards

QUANTUM RSC# 35860 520/312 MHz Marvell PXA270 XScale processor • 64 MB soldered SDRAM • 256 KB SRAM • SD/SDIO/MMC card interface • Up to 64 MB soldered Spansion MirrorBit flash • TFT/STN flat-panel interface up to 640 x 480 x 16-bit color depth • 4-wire touch-screen interface and AC’97 audio controller • 10/100BASE-TX Ethernet controller and CompactFlash interface bus • Dimensions: SODIMM form factor board (67.6 mm x 50 mm) • Extended temperature range: -40 °C to +85 °C • Offers Embedded Linux 2.6 or Windows CE 5.0 preinstalled

www.eurotech.com

PC/104 and Small Form Factors

Winter 2008 / 37

Other SFF boards

ADLINK Technology Inc.

Other SFF boards

2009 BUYER’S GUIDE VersaLogic Corp.

PC/104 and Small Form Factors Other SFF boards

VIA Technologies, Inc.

Other SFF boards

Cobra ULV (EBX-12) RSC# 36927

VIA EPIA-N700 RSC# 39013

Intel ULV Celeron M 1.0 GHz processor • Fanless operation • Extreme Graphics 2 video • High-speed DDR RAM • Integrated I/O and Ethernet • CompactFlash socket • Suitable for a wide range of high-end applications including telecommunications devices and advanced security systems • Dual 10/100 Ethernet, USB 2.0 support, and RS-232/422/485 COM ports • Integrated digital I/O and optional analog I/O reduce the need for external expansion • RoHS-compliant unit features an OEM-enhanced embedded BIOS • Compatible with a variety of embedded OSs, including Windows, Linux, VxWorks, and QNX • Customizable in OEM quantities as low as 100 pieces

Nano-ITX C7/Eden ULV board with MPEG-2/4, WMV9, VGA, LVDS, CompactFlash, and GigaLAN • Integrated VIA Chrome9 HC3 DX9 3D/2D graphics with MPEG-2/4 and WMV9 video decoding acceleration • DDR2 533/667 SDRAM (SODIMM) • Supports one IDE, two SATA, one PCI Express, GbE, one CompactFlash Type I, one VGA port, four USB 2.0 ports (two as pin headers), and HD audio • Onboard LVDS support: one dual-channel LVDS panel support

www.versalogic.com

VIA Technologies, Inc.

Other SFF boards

www.via.com.tw

WDL Systems

Other SFF boards

EPIA-P700 RSC# 37810

SBCs RSC# 39215

Ultra-compact Pico-ITX NanoBGA2 C7/Eden ULV board with MPEG-2/4, WMV9, and CRT/DVI/LVDS/DC-in support • GigaLAN, SATA, and integrated power adapter • Integrated VIA UniChrome Pro II 3D/2D AGP graphics with MPEG-2/4 and WMV9 video decoding acceleration • DDR2 533/667 SDRAM (SODIMM) • Supports one IDE, one SATA, one GbE or manufacturing option for 10/100 Mbps Ethernet, one COM port, four USB 2.0 ports, and HD audio • Supports CRT, DVI, and LVDS display • 12 VDC-in • Low-profile design: all back-panel I/O in pin header format except for the IDE and SATA connectors

Technology provides customers with COTS products for all embedded requirements • SBCs feature PC/104, PC/104-Plus, and EPIC form factors with Pentium M, Celeron M, Vortex86X, and Geode processors

www.via.com.tw

www.wdlsystems.com

2009 BUYER’S GUIDE

PC/104 and Small Form Factors Ampro by ADLInK coreModule Pc/104

Pc/104 rSc# 39232

Reliable and Extreme Rugged Ampro by ADLINK CoreModule family of PC/104 SBCs for applications exposed to harsh environments • Extreme Rugged design for harsh environments • Small PC/104 size, stackable I/O expansion • Three-year warranty on Extreme Rugged products • Optional -40 °C to +85 °C support (ETT) and conformal coating • Ideal for military, aviation, and transportation applications

Pc/104

north Atlantic Industries 73DS2

rSc# 36804

3-channel programmable digital-to-synchro/resolver converter available on a PC/104 card • Three independent, transformer-isolated, programmable synchro/resolver simulation channels • Each channel has 16-bit resolution, ±1 arc-minute accuracy, and a short circuit protected output with 1.2 VA drive capability • Includes eight programmable digital I/O channels, wraparound self-test, programmable output angle rotation, and an optional programmable excitation reference supply • Provides continuous background built-in test on all functions and channels, including reference and signal loss detection

www.ampro.com

eMAc, Inc. PFM-540I cPU Module

Pc/104 rSc# 39091

www.naii.com Pc/104

north Atlantic Industries 73SD4

rSc# 33294

AMD Geode low-power LX800 processor with fanless 0 °C to +60 °C operation • A wide temperature version (-40 °C to +85 °C) offers a larger range for more harsh environments • Low-power 5 V operation makes it easier for flexible power sources and industrial applications • Up to 1 GB DDR SDRAM capacity and one 44-pin Ultra DMA 33, which supports two IDE devices • True PC/104 dimensions and interface, providing a PC/104 (8/16-bit ISA) bus • CRT and 18/24-bit LCD capability, which supports up to 64 MB (shared) memory and CPU integrated VGA controller with 2D engine

DSP-based 73SD4 PC/104 card • Six independent, transformer-isolated programmable synchro/resolver tracking converter measurement channels • Each channel has 16-bit resolution, ±1 arc-minute accuracy, tracking rate to 150 RPS, accurate digital velocity output, incremental encoder (A+B) outputs, and wraparound self-test • Channel pairs can be programmed for any speed ratio between 1:1 and 255:1 • Requires a single +5 VDC power supply • Operates over a 47 Hz to 10 KHz frequency range • Autoranging input range from 2 to 28 Vrms

www.emacinc.com

www.naii.com

IcOP technology, Inc. vDX-6354

Pc/104 rSc# 39367

DM&P SoC CPU Vortex86DX 800 MHz PC/104 module • 90 mm x 96 mm (3.54" x 3.77") • Real-time clock with lithium battery backup • L1: 16K I-cache, 16K D-cache; L2: 128 KB • PC/104 standard compliant, PC/104-Plus (optional) • 256 MB DDR2 • Software programmable from 30.5 microseconds to 512 seconds x2 sets • XGI Volari Z9s chipset, VGA and TFT flatpanel interface support, onboard 32 MB VGA memory, resolution up to 1,280 x 1,024 • Integrated 10/100 Mbps Ethernet • CM119 USB audio controller • Single voltage 5 V • Operating temperature: -20 °C to +70 °C; -40 °C to +85 °C (optional)

rtD embedded technologies, Inc. cMe136686LX

rSc# 39168

Low-power CPU module based on the 333 MHz and 500 MHz AMD Geode LX800 • Features up to 512 MB of surface-mount DDR SDRAM • Full 8/16-bit ISA bus with DMA and interrupts • High-reliability PCB built to IPC-6012 Class III standard • Four RS-232/422/485 ports, dual 10/100 Ethernet, ATA/IDE disk chip natively supported by all major OSs • RTD Enhanced AMI BIOS with built-in SETUP, Fail-Safe Boot, USB Boot, and Quick Boot modes • Ultra-low-power PC/104 and PC/104-Plus compliant SBC • Operational from -40 °C to +85 °C

www.icop.com.tw

IcOP technology, Inc. vSX-6154

Pc/104 rSc# 39368

Pc/104

www.rtd.com Pc/104

technologic Systems tS-7000 ArM9 SBcs

rSc# 30234

PC/104 SBC based on Vortex86SX 300 MHz SoC • Low-power SBC draws 250 mA at 5 VDC • PC/104 standard compliant, PC/104-Plus (optional) • Soldered-on RAM, fanless design uses low-profile heat sink • Software programmable from 30.5 microseconds to 512 seconds x2 sets • XGI Volari Z9s chipset, VGA and TFT flat-panel interface support, onboard 32 MB VGA memory, resolution up to 1,280 x 1,024 • Integrated video/LCD, Ethernet, USB 2.0, four serial ports, parallel, IDE, RTC, and more • Supports Linux and Windows CE; support available for legacy applications running older versions of Linux and Windows

Series of rugged SBCs that run on a 200 MHz ARM9 processor • Up to 128 MB RAM, 256 MB onboard flash, and user-programmable onboard FPGA • Two USB ports; up to two 10/100BASE-T Ethernet ports; up to 10 serial ports, VGA video-out, SD card, or CompactFlash slot(s); and SPI interface • PC/104 bus with VGA video, CANbus, GSM/line modems, serial ports, DIO lines, and intelligent battery backup • No fan or heat sink from -20 °C to +70 °C (optional -40 °C to +85 °C) • 4.5 to 20 VDC input voltage with power as low as 1/4 W; under 2 W at full speed by default

www.icop.com.tw

www.embeddedArM.com

PC/104 and Small Form Factors

Winter 2008 / 41

PC/104

ADLInK technology Inc.

PC/104 | PC/104-Plus

2009 BUYER’S GUIDE

PC/104 and Small Form Factors PC/104

Technologic Systems

Data Device Corp. (DDC)

PC/104-Plus

TS-7800 SBC RSC# 33645

BU-65590C RSC# 38031

RoHS-compliant SBC based on a Marvell 500 MHz ARM9 CPU with internal PCI bus • 12,000 LUT onboard FPGA user-programmable via Linux software • Backward compatible with TS-72xx computers • 128 MB DDR-RAM • 512 MB high-speed NAND flash (17 MBps) • Internal PCI bus, PC/104 connector • Linux utility loads FPGA in 0.6 seconds • One GbE (10/100/1000 speeds), two SD sockets (one microSD, one full-size SD), two USB 2.0 480 Mbps high-speed host/ slave ports, two SATA ports, and 110 GPIO lines (86 arranged as a PC/104 bus in the default FPGA load) • Fanless operation from -20 °C to +70 °C

Multiprotocol PC/104-Plus card that provides flexibility for systems interfacing to a MIL-STD-1553 or ARINC 429 data bus, saving valuable PC/104-Plus space • PC/104-Plus or PCI-104 card • Multiple configurations • IRIG-B input and output • Extended Enhanced Mini-ACE (E2MA) BC/RT/MT architecture • 1 MB RAM with parity per 1553 channel • Built-in self-test • 48-bit/1 microsecond time stamp • IRIG-106 Chapter 10 monitor format • DMA engine for low CPU and PCI utilization

www.embeddedARM.com

www.ddc-web.com

PC/104

WinSystems, Inc.

Eurotech Inc.

PC/104-Plus

PCM-MIO RSC# 30336

COM-1480 RSC# 35716

High-density analog and digital PC/104 I/O card that operates from -40 °C to +85 °C • Two standard configurations available: 16-bit A/D, 12-bit D/A, 48 DIO; or 12-bit A/D, 12-bit D/A, 48 DIO • No adjustment potentiometers or calibration needed • Software-programmable interrupt configuration • Free software drivers in C, Windows, and Linux • Conversion speed: up to 100 KSps, throughput about 85 KSps (processor dependent) • Analog input ranges: 0 to 5 V, 0 to 10 V, ±5 V, and ±10 V • 48 bidirectional TTL-compatible DIO lines with 24 capable of eventsense interrupt generation

Highly integrated low-power PC/104-Plus board with advanced wireless communication technologies • Tri-band UMTS/HSDPA (up to 3.6 Mbps downlink) and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM (up to 216 Kbps downlink) • Optional dual-band CDMA 1xEV-DO Rev A/1xEV-DO Rel 0/1xRTT (up to 3.1 Kbps downlink) • 12-channel low-power GPS receiver • L1 frequency, C/A code (SPS) • Tracking sensitivity: -156 dBm • GPS position: 1.2 m (CEP95) • Velocity: 0.1 ms • Time: 20 ns RMS (static mode) • GPS protocol: NMEA-0183 • Operating temperature: -20 °C to +60 °C • Humidity: up to 95 percent • NC power: +5 V ±5 percent • Supports Windows CE, XPe, and Linux

www.winsystems.com

42 / Winter 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

www.eurotech.com

PC/104-Plus

2009 BUYER’S GUIDE

PC/104 and Small Form Factors PC/104-Plus

Eurotech Inc.

PC/104-Plus

Excalibur Systems, Inc.

CPU-1484 RSC# 37292

EXC-4000P104Plus/F1 RSC# 34012

Embedded board based on two modules: mezzanine CPU module and PC/104-Plus form factor carrier • Pentium M 1.4 GHz (2 MB L2 cache) with i855GME chipset • 512 MB DDR PC2100 soldered onboard, IDE ATA 100 flash support, onboard VGA and LVDS graphics controller • Two serial ports (RS-232/422/485), four USB 2.0, GbE, Fast Ethernet • AC’97 audio interface, keyboard, mouse, and programmable WD and RTC • Operating temperature: 0 °C to +60 °C standard, -40 °C to +85 °C extended • Humidity: up to 95 percent • NC power: +5 V ±5 percent • Supports Windows CE, XPe, and Linux

Card for PC/104-Plus systems • Supports up to two dual redundant 1553 channels using the M4K155PxII module • Compatible with all common variations of 1553 • Multiprotocol • Each channel can operate simultaneously as a bus controller with up to 32 remote terminals and as a triggerable monitor • Error injection (BC and RT modes) and error detection (all modes) supported on each channel

www.mil-1553.com

www.eurotech.com PC/104-Plus

Eurotech Inc.

PC/104-Plus

Jacyl Technology Inc.

ISIS RSC# 39116

XG-5000K RSC# 33237

Based on Intel Atom processor at up to 1.6 GHz processor speed and Intel SCH US15W • PC/104 industry standard offers a broad range of expansion capabilities, including ISA-compatible PC/104, PCI-compatible PC/104-Plus, LPC, and SMBus • Up to 1 GB DDR2 RAM, 4 GB flash, and flash expansion capabilities via SDIO socket • Integrated 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN, three high-speed serial ports, PS/2 keyboard and mouse support, eight USB 2.0 ports, GPS receiver, and Atmel Trusted Platform Module device compatible with TCG v1.2 • Intel HD audio, MPEG-2/3/4, and HDTV encoding with LVDS and VGA display options • Windows XP, XPe, CE, and Linux support

PC/104-Plus FPGA board • 5 million gate Spartan-3 FPGA • Onboard 256 MB Micron SRAM and 32 MB Intel flash • Four 66-pin VHDC connector banks providing a total of 264 user-programmable I/O • CompactFlash Type 1 connector • Secondary 400K gate Spartan-3 FPGA • 10/100BASE-T Ethernet interface and two RS-232 interfaces • 0 to 25 MHz user-programmable DDS FPGA master clock source with a fixed 25 MHz FPGA master clock source • Incorporates Xilinx’s advanced design revisioning technology • Available in industrial temperature range • Can be powered from the PC/104 connector or an external 5 VDC source

www.eurotech.com

www.jacyltechnology.com

LiPPERT Embedded Computers

PC/104-Plus

Cool RoadRunner-LX800 RSC# 32957 High-performance PC/104-Plus board • AMD Geode LX800 processor at 500 MHz • 1 GB DDR333 RAM maximum • Graphics up to 1,920 x 1,440 pixels • CRT, TFT, and LVDS adapters • 10/100BASE-T Ethernet and USB 2.0 • 6.5 W power consumption • Optionally extended temperature range: -40 °C to +85 °C • Runs Windows, Linux, and VxWorks

www.lippertembedded.com

LiPPERT Embedded Computers

PC/104-Plus

Cool RoadRunner-PM RSC# 32956 PC/104-Plus SBC with PCI and ISA bus • Intel Pentium M or Celeron M processors • 1 GB DDR-SODIMM RAM maximum • SXGA: 2,048 x 1,536 pixels • Dual-channel LVDS for displays • 10/100BASE-T Ethernet, six USB 2.0, two RS-232 or RS-485 • Low power consumption: 16 to 32 W depending on processor • Passive cooling possible • Extended temperature range available for 1.0 GHz version

www.lippertembedded.com

44 / Winter 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

2009 BUYER’S GUIDE

PC/104 and Small Form Factors MIP10

Pc/104-Plus rSc# 39083

Powerful, fanless PC/104-Plus CPU board for operating range from -40 °C to +75 °C • Offers long-term availability, ruggedness, and reliability • Optional with conformal coating • Rugged and fanless PC/104-Plus board with integrated passive cooling concept • Soldered low-power Pentium M 1.4 GHz CPU • Soldered 256 MB ECC RAM and additional socket for up to 1 GB ECC RAM • GbE and CompactFlash slot onboard • All onboard headers are lockable

PcI/104-express Serial communications

MIP405

Pc/104-Plus rSc# 18420

PC/104-Plus SBC that consumes less than 3 W • PPC405GPr with a CPU clock of up to 400 MHz (608 DMIPS at 400 MHz) • Four serial ports, two USB ports, two 44-pin IDE ports, and 10/100BASE-T Ethernet • PC/104-Plus (PCI and ISA) interface • Up to 128 MB onboard soldered SDRAM with ECC support • Up to 8 MB onboard soldered flash; up to 1 GB of additional flash can be plugged in • Multipurpose socket • Supplied with the U-Boot bootloader and an Embedded Linux distribution and development chain • -40 °C to +85 °C operating temperature range

rSc# 39242

Xtreme/104-Express offers options for new and emerging long life-cycle designs • PCI-104 pass-through connector for transitioning PCI-104 cards to PCI Express stacks • Up to 15.625 Mbps RS-232/422/485 communications • 9-bit support with 128-byte FIFOs • Filtering on all ports for immunity to EMI and noise • Fail-safe transceivers • Lifetime warranty

www.connecttech.com

www.mpl.ch

MPL AG

PcI/104-express

connect tech, Inc. (ctI)

PcI/104-express

rtD embedded technologies, Inc. DM9820hr

rSc# 39169

PCI/104-Express module with 48 bits of high-speed digital I/O • Uses large FIFOs and DMA transfers to allow for efficient digital data management • PCI Express x1 interface • 48 diode-protected I/O lines • 2 MB input FIFO buffer onboard • Pulse width modulators, incremental encoders, programmable clocks, 82C54 timer/counters, and advanced interrupt modules • 24 mA source and sink current • Operational from -40 °C to +85 °C

www.rtd.com

www.mpl.ch

versaLogic corp. cougar (ePM-14)

Pc/104-Plus rSc# 36928

PC/104-Plus SBC targeted at military, homeland security, avionics, and medical applications • AMD LX800 processor • 256 MB soldered-on DDR memory • -40 °C to +85 °C extended temperature range • High-performance video • Integrated I/O and Ethernet • CompactFlash socket • Draws less than 5 W of power • Dual 10/100 Ethernet, USB 2.0 support, and RS-232/ 422/485 COM ports • High-resolution video output can be configured for standard desktop-type displays or LVDS flat panels • RoHS-compliant unit compatible with a variety of embedded OSs, including Windows, Linux, VxWorks, and QNX • Customizable in OEM quantities as low as 100 pieces

AIM-USA Pc104p-1553

MB-73030

Pc/104-Plus rSc# 35990

PC/104-Plus module • Low power consumption, maximum 12 W • Embedded AMD Geode LX800 CPU up to 500 MHz • One DDR SODIMM up to 1 GB memory • Dual 10/100 Mbps PCI bus Ethernet • Supports CRT, 18/24-bit TFT interface • Two serial ports and four USB 2.0 ports • One Ultra ATA-66 interface and one CompactFlash Type I/II socket • AC’97 audio (optional)

www.win-ent.com

rSc# 39097

Rugged, reliable, extended temperature PC/104-Plus module designed as a flight-ready MIL-STD-1553A/B interface for avionics applications • Simulates bus controller, 31 remote terminals, and bus monitor simultaneously • Six fully programmable discrete inputs/outputs • -40 °C to +85 °C extended temperature range • Software drivers for Windows, Linux, and various RTOSs (VxWorks, INTEGRITY, and LynxOS) • High-level C and C++ API • IRIG-B time code decoder for common time source synchronization with other devices

www.versalogic.com

WIn enterprises

rugged and Mil-Spec

www.aimusa-online.com

AIM-USA

rugged and Mil-Spec

Pc104p-cMB-208

rSc# 39099

Rugged combination MIL-STD-1553A/B and ARINC 429 PC/104-Plus module designed as a flight-ready interface for avionics applications • Single- or dual-channel MIL-STD-1553 dual redundant interface • Each 1553 channel can independently simulate a bus controller, 31 remote terminals, and bus monitor simultaneously • Four or eight independently programmed as Tx or Rx ARINC 429 channels • Software device drivers for Windows, LabWin/ CVI and LabVIEW/VIs, Linux, and RTOSs (VxWorks, INTEGRITY, and LynxOS) • High-level C and C++ API delivered with full source code • IRIG-B time code decoder for common time synchronization with other devices

www.aimusa-online.com

PC/104 and Small Form Factors

Winter 2008 / 47

PC/104-Plus | PCI/104-Express | Rugged and Mil-Spec PC/104

MPL AG

Rugged and Mil-Spec

2009 BUYER’S GUIDE ADLInK technology Inc.

PC/104 and Small Form Factors rugged and Mil-Spec

Ampro by ADLInK coreModule Pc/104

rSc# 39232

Mission Workstation

rugged and Mil-Spec

ruffSystem

rSc# 39237

Truly rugged by design • Extreme Rugged system features conductive cooling for the Pentium M or Core 2 Duo • Choice of Extreme Rugged internal boards: COM 840 – Intel Core 2 Duo and GME965 combo or LittleBoard 800 – Pentium M or Celeron M CPUs • Optional -40 °C to +75 °C support (ETT) • Rugged resistance to shock and vibration • Wide OS support

rSc# 37071

Multicomputer ruggedized workstation • Incorporates ruggedized air/EMI filter system • Production tested to fully powered 3G NAVMAT vibration and environmental stress screening tests • Functionally tested to -10 °C to +60 °C • Independently configured with Intel Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Quad processors up to 3 GHz • Each computer has two PCI, one PCI x16 or two PCI x8, two GbE, four SATA, up to two ESATA, up to 12 USB 2.0 ports, and up to 32 GB RAM • Can be configured as four individual computer systems or one cluster/parallel computer with 16 3.0 GHz processors, 32 GB RAM, and 5.7 TB HDD space

www.ampro.com

ADLInK technology Inc.

rugged and Mil-Spec

Jacyl technology Inc.

www.jacyltechnology.com

LiPPert embedded computers cool Spacerunner-LX800

rugged and Mil-Spec rSc# 37901

Fully self-contained rugged SBC • AMD Geode LX800 processor at 500 MHz with 256 MB soldered DDR333 RAM • CRT and LVDS with backlight and resolution up to 1,920 x 1,440 pixels • IDE Ultra ATA-100 • 2 GB solid-state disk • 10/100BASE-T Ethernet, four USB 2.0 ports, and two serial ports that support RS-232/422/ 485 • Low power consumption • Extended temperature range: -40 °C to +85 °C

www.lippertembedded.com

www.ampro.com

excalibur Systems, Inc.

rugged and Mil-Spec

eS-6000/x (Dragon)

rSc# 34031

Logic Supply Fanless Systems

rugged and Mil-Spec rSc# 35817

Modular, stack-through PC/104 and PC/104-Plus platform permits the integration of other commercially available PC/104 and PC/104-Plus cards • Can be modified or upgraded at any time as technology and requirements change • Includes a processor card, power supply, and selection of ARINC 429 and MIL-STD-1553 boards • Each unit is heat sink protected, enabling an operational temperature range from -40 °C to +85 °C • Comes with military-style waterproof connectors and seals between rings to impede water incursion as well as EMI/RFI protection for the inner electronics • Compact footprint allows for versatility • Runs any version of Windows or other OSs

Ultra-compact, ruggedized GS-L08 platform designed around the VIA Pico-ITX form factor • Small, fanless x86 system suitable for a wide range of industrial and embedded applications • Audio, four USB 2.0 ports, COM port, VGA, and LAN • Solid-state configurable • IDE flash disk drive extends platform longevity • Built-in 120 W pico DC converter • 146.5 mm x 50.0 mm x 109.0 mm (5.77" x 1.97" x 4.29") • Based on Mini-ITX main boards • Offers embedded engineers an economical alternative to traditional industrial systems • Utilizes heat-pipe technology and aluminum fins for passive cooling, which creates an enclosure suited for environments prone to dusty or harsh conditions

www.mil-1553.com

www.logicsupply.com

hybricon corp.

rugged and Mil-Spec

rugged Pc/104

rSc# 34708

Rugged enclosure provides thermal and environmental protection for standard COTS PC/104 boards • Mixed force convection/conductioncooled chassis keeps external and internal air paths separate to avoid condensation forming on printed circuit cards • Primary input power to the chassis is 28 V DC in accordance with MIL-STD-704F • Avionics packaging • Lightweight • Compact size (holds up to eight PC/104 modules) • Complex system monitoring • Thermal monitor controls heaters and fans • Removable and configurable front panel • Designed to operate at -56 °C to +50 °C and at 45K ft altitude • Suits defense/ aerospace applications

www.hybricon.com

48 / Winter 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

Parvus corporation DuracOr 820

rugged and Mil-Spec rSc# 36887

Lightweight metal chassis that weighs less than 3 pounds • Approximately 7" x 4" x 3" • Low-power 1.4 GHz Intel Pentium M architecture • Preloaded Linux image or Windows XPe evaluation license to boot up out of the box • Lightweight, ultra-miniature MIL-D38999-like connectors • Designed to meet MIL-STD-810F, MIL-STD-461E, and MIL-STD-704E • Suitable for applications such as unmanned vehicle mission processors, command and control on the move, and rugged computing

www.parvus.com

2009 BUYER’S GUIDE

PC/104 and Small Form Factors DuraMAr 1000

rSc# 37659

Wide protocol support: mobile IP, OSPF, IP multicast, IGMP, IP policy routine, Cisco GPM, EIGRP-IP, RIP • Ethernet: one L3 and two L2 E/FE ports; one async and two sync/async serial ports • Lightweight and compact (8" x 4" x 6") with 9 to 36 VDC power supply • Cisco Systems’ industrystandard IOS software • Compliance with EN50155; sealed IP67 connectors • Extended temperature available

www.parvus.com

rugged and Mil-Spec

roder electronics Pc104 enclosures

rSc# 38990

ext. temp. cFlash

rSc# 35888

CompactFlash cards with 128 MB to 8 GB storage capacity • Sophisticated error checking and wear-leveling algorithms • Withstands 2,000 g shock and 16.3 g vibration • -40 °C to +85 °C operating temperature • In-stock availability and RoHS compliance • Fixed disk operation for Windows CE, XPe, Linux, and other x86-based OSs • Greater than 2 million program/erase cycles and unlimited reads • Fast transfer speeds up to 16.6 MBps in burst mode • Targeted for applications that need industrial-grade reliability, industry-standard compatibility, and IDE hard disk drive emulation for program and data storage

www.winsystems.com

Active Silicon Ltd.

rSc# 35830

Phoenix supports single base Camera Link sources • Extended temperature range • Extensive opto-isolated TTL and LVDS triggering and I/O lines • LFG captures realtime video from PAL/NTSC/ CCIR/RS-170 video inputs • S-video or composite/monochrome video sources plus audio capture • 5 V and 12 V fused output

www.roderelectronics.com

www.activesilicon.com

vX-150P

Stand-alone systems rSc# 37416

Extremely compact panel PC with high brightness 15" display • Celeron M up to 1.5 GHz, Intel Pentium M 1.8 GHz, Intel Core Duo 2.0 GHz • 8-wire resistive touch-screen display 15" XGA (1,024 x 768) • SSD flash disk: CompactFlash Type II socket • 2x K/M PS/2, 3x RS-232, 4x plus 1x USB 2.0, VGA, audio, parallel • 2x Ethernet 10/100 (Celeron/Pentium M), 2x Ethernet 10/100/1000 (Core Duo) • Slot: one Mini PCI or one PCI half size plus one Mini PCI

www.eurotech.com

neXcOM International co., LtD vtc 6000

Stand-alone systems rSc# 39194

In-vehicle computer for automated vehicle location systems, advanced driver information systems, emergency message systems, in-vehicle signing, telematics control units, and other in-vehicle applications • Fanless design with ruggedized aluminum chassis • One PCI-104 and two Mini PCI Express expansion interfaces • Wide-range DC input from 6 to 36 V • Power ignition on/off delay control • Circuitry design for low-power protection • External smart battery backup support • S3 and S4 suspend mode support • Built-in heater for low-temperature operation • GSM/GPRS/GPS (optional CDMA/HSDPA) • Multiple display connections through VGA, TV-out, and LVDS • Optional IP54 enclosure • e13 mark certification

www.nexcom.com

vision systems and displays

Phoenix & LFG

Specifically produced to protect PC/104 electronics that work in hostile and industrial environments • Rugged anodized aluminum PC/104 enclosure designed for harsh environments • Securely holds PC/104 modules • High immunity to electromagnetic interference and high heat dissipation • Custom sizes and panels available • Standard height from 20 mm to 200 mm and from 1" to 10" • Variety of models and panels with different openings; custom openings available • Industrial design

eurotech Inc.

Storage

WinSystems, Inc.

Advanced Micro Peripherals, Ltd.

vision systems and displays

microMPeG4

rSc# 37818

Codec board • 4-channel MPEG-4 encoder/decoder on a Mini PCI form factor • Sub credit card-sized: 60 mm x 45 mm • Tiny, low-power, high-performance board for capturing and compressing up to four concurrent live analog PAL or NTSC video inputs • Can decompress and replay recordings from storage to display and preview incoming video • Text overlay with time and date stamping supported • Minimal CPU load

www.ampltd.com

Advanced Micro Peripherals, Ltd.

vision systems and displays

MPeG4000WA

rSc# 39239

4-channel PC/104-Plus form factor MPEG codec for capturing and compressing up to four concurrent analog video NTSC or PAL MPEG-4, MPEG-2, or MJPEG inputs • Onboard watermark authentication supports evidential recording and law enforcement applications • Can decompress and replay recordings and preview incoming video • High-resolution text and graphics overlay supported • Up to four full-size .25 frame rate or full frame rate .25 size D1 inputs

www.ampltd.com

PC/104 and Small Form Factors

Winter 2008 / 51

Rugged and Mil-Spec | Stand-alone systems | Storage | Vision systems and displays

rugged and Mil-Spec

Parvus corporation

Vision systems and displays

2009 BUYER’S GUIDE Advanced Micro Peripherals, Ltd.

PC/104 and Small Form Factors

vision systems and displays

Sensoray co., Inc.

vision systems and displays

Model 2251

Pc/104 vtv2000

rSc# 39238

PC/104 form factor scan converter board for converting noninterlaced VGA signals up to 2,048 x 1,536 resolution from PCs or Macs into broadcastquality NTSC, PAL, or RS-170/TV signals • Onboard Frame Store features digital scan conversion, flicker filtering, scaling, color space conversion, and encoding • Software tunable to application requirements • Requires a single 5 V power supply; stand-alone operation optional

rSc# 34699

Provides hardware video capture and compression in a small form factor • MPEG-1/2/4 and JPEG capture to USB from an analog video source at D1 resolution • 30 fps NTSC, 25 fps PAL • Synchronous audio capture from a line level (stereo) input • Multiple region motion detection • Text overlay (OSD) • Compact form factor for embedded designs • SDK works with multiple units

www.sensoray.com

www.ampltd.com

Sensoray co., Inc.

vision systems and displays

Model 2255

rSc# 33021

4-channel USB frame grabber • Simultaneous capture from four composite video sources • Total capture rate of 60 fps from all channels for NTSC • Two channels at 30 fps each • Four channels at 15 fps each • Full frame rate capture on all channels in monochrome or scaled-down modes • Multiple output formats and resolutions • Powered through USB • Easy-to-use API • Multiple units supported by the driver • Supports Windows and Linux

www.sensoray.com

52 / Winter 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

enter rSc# or search for new products

www.smallformfactors.com/rsc

Redefining ‘anywhere’ It’s been quite an interesting year as small form factor boards and systems have continued to show up everywhere and anywhere, redefining what’s possible with the genre. Notable trends in 2008 included the completion of the PCI/104-Express specification, emergence of the SUMIT specification, continued growth in COM Express choices, and VITA’s and other organizations’ interest in developing new small form factors. But as usual, there’s more going on behind the headlines. Extending the PC/104 family with a standard way to interface with PCI Express was a long-awaited and important development. We brought you the details on this interface in the article entitled “An inside look at PCI/104-Express” published in the Summer 2008 issue of PC/104 and Small Form Factors.

module or system off the shelf because it’s all you’ll have time to do in order to meet deadlines. Wasting months in the development process to save $4.37 on an SBC design for moderate volumes won’t lead to a win. The last inch is the hardest. What you should be spending time on is the I/O. Ethernet, USB, PCI Express, and similar connectivity options have not only improved performance and ease, but also made shape much less important than function. Although there are some important differences among these connectors, many small form factors now provide similar interface capabilities. The compute modules and primary I/O pipes are standard, but the last inch of I/O needs to be incredibly flexible and often custom. Winning means embracing and supporting that flexibility.

In this issue starting on page 8, we explore the SFF-SIG’s Solutions step forward. Designers need to consider what SUMIT specification. SUMIT takes a different approach to software goes with the board. There’s a lot to be said for a module PCI Express with some unique twists for other I/O interfaces like with a Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) or Linux board Low Pin Count (LPC) and Serial Peripheral support package already ported to it, ready Interface (SPI). The SFF-SIG is also workto work now. SBC and OS vendors have “Wasting months in ing on other efforts including Express104, been teaming up and doing this for a while an enhanced Pico-ITX, and the MiniBlade by including drivers for many I/O boards. the development storage module. Semiconductor firms and distributors have process to save $4.37 on an also gotten the idea, putting out more and COM Express and its close relatives conmore reference kits with software already tinue to proliferate, with more and more ported. If such a solution works now and SBC design for moderate modules appearing. Especially prominent can shave months off a project, it can make this year are COM Express modules based the difference in winning. volumes won’t on new processors like the Intel Atom chipset or the VIA Nano with native PCI Express If it’s really rugged, it’s unlikely to be lead to a win.” and other integrated interfaces. standard. I’ve looked at several rugged systems lately, and they all seem to have VITA is reaching into the small form factor space with ideas one thing in common: They’re radically different. Ruggedizaincluding the FPGA Mezzanine Card (FMC) and Rugged Systemtion is often designed and tested into a solution customized for on-Module Express (RSE), both early in their development. the problem at hand. Again, the standards won’t necessarily be inside the board or box, but rather around the edge in things like In the midst of these small form factor developments, we’ve Ethernet, USB, and PCI Express. Working with a vendor who continued to present new and different concepts in our Focus on understands the problem and how to solve it is critical to win. Form Factors feature – concepts like CompactRIO, Qseven, and StackableUSB, among many others. We’ve also looked closely at The boundaries of small form factors are hard to delineate. the low-power processors that are creating new opportunities for I use the smaller-than-my-toaster criteria to state it in lay terms. designers and module users. Despite the ambiguity surrounding the term “small,” one thing in this market remains clear: The “anywhere” where small form No matter what small form factor you’re using or considering, factors show up is being redefined daily, and the wins are increaseveryone needs to step back and think about several overriding ing rapidly. trends in this market. Who’s got time to recreate wheels? If you’re doing something that someone has already done, like designing an SBC, you’re wasting precious time, and who can afford that? More low- and mid-volume customers should contemplate buying a compute 54 / Winter 2008 PC/104 and Small Form Factors

Don Dingee ddingee@opensystemsmedia.com