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Drop-in ETX Replacement Module Solves EOL Problems Several non-RoHS ETX modules used in a wide range of military applications recently reached end-of-life (EOL) status, which has left stranded developers of systems based on these boards. To help keep OEMs in production, Ampro Computers has introduced an ETX module that drops into existing baseboard designs. Utilizing the new RoHS-compliant AMD Geode LX 800 single-chip integrated processor and Northbridge, the ETX 610 targets applications ranging from building automation to voting machines. The 500 MHz Geode LX 800 is integrated with 2D graphics, a memory controller and a PCI bridge. To facilitate fanless system designs, the CPU has a low thermal design power (TDP) rating of 3.9W. The module also contains DDR SODIMM RAM to 1 Gbyte, as well as USB 2.0 ports, EIDE and Serial ATA (SATA) interfaces for migration, 10/100 Mbit Ethernet, ACPI power management, PCI expansion and ISA bus expansion for custom circuitry on the ETX baseboard. LVDS flat panel LCDs are supported. ETX 610 QuickStart Kits include drivers and BSPs for Windows XP, Windows XP Embedded and Windows CE 5.0, as well as a full Linux 2.6 distribution (Fedora Core 3). Modules will begin shipping by late May. Pricing for production volumes is in the low $200s.
Ampro Computers, San Jose, CA. (408) 360-0200. [www.ampro.com].
High-Speed A/D I/O Card Offers Four 105 MHz Channels Getting analog signals into the signal processing environment for applications like sonar and radar can be a big challenge. A new high-speed analog-to-digital I/O board from BittWare provides a multichannel approach, with four channels of 105 MHz A/D conversion and a reconfigurable FPGA. The Tetra-PMC+ A/D I/O card features four high-performance, 14-bit wideband A/D converters running at up to 105 MHz. These stream data directly to an Altera Cyclone II FPGA for A/D control, distribution of converted data and front-end processing. Data pre-processing functions can be configured to enable digital filtering, decimation and digital down conversion. Data can be transferred to the baseboard over the PMC interface by the Cyclone II. In addition to complete software development tools that allow designers to easily develop application code and integrate the Tetra-PMC+ into their systems, BittWare offers a Tetra developer’s kit for the Cyclone II that includes source for the A/D converters and the link ports. The Tetra-PMC+ will be available in Q2 of 2006 at a list price of $3,995.
BittWare, Concord, NH. (603) 226-0404. [www.bittware.com].
Small, Low-Power Controller Board Has CAN The controller area network (CAN) interface is widely used in the backbone networks of flight state sensors and navigation systems. In such systems where there’s a large amount of I/O in tight, remote spaces it can be difficult to add functionality or turn a specific function on or off without having to reprogram the entire system. A RoHS-compliant board from Micro/ sys allows exactly that. The MCB58, a new member of the Micro/sys SNAP series of microcontroller boards, is based on the Freescale HC(S)08 MCU. Measuring 3.55 in. by 2.65 in. by 0.5 in., the MCB58 typically draws a low 300 mW while running at its fastest speeds and executes with a 50nanosecond instruction time. The board’s wide assortment of I/O includes a PC/104 slot, an RS-485 serial port, four isolated digital outputs, four isolated digital inputs and 24 additional lines of TTL-level digital I/O. Filters allow four channels of PWM to act as four independent D/A converters. Also included are an onboard temperature detector, a real-time clock, a CAN interface and a 16k serial EEPROM. The board contains 60 Kbytes of program/ data flash and 4 Kbytes of SRAM. Metrowerks’ CodeWarrior compiler is included in the SDK. Single quantity pricing is $95.
Micro/sys, Montrose, CA. (818) 244-4600. [www.embeddedsys.com].
3U CompactPCI A/D Board Targets Sonar Analysis Apps Squeezing the high-speed acoustic technology used for military sonar analysis applications such as littoral and anti-mine into a 3U CompactPCI form-factor is no mean feat. But it’s been done by ICS Sensor Processing in the company’s new A/D converter board to achieve substantial reductions in size and weight. The ICS-1745 high-speed acoustic A/D converter board features eight channels of high-frequency acoustic analog input and onboard signal conditioning with programmable gain. All channels use the Analog Devices AD9260 16-bit, highspeed oversampled A/D converter with buffer memory to deliver 2.5 Msamples/s. Onboard signal conditioning eliminates the requirement for external signal conditioning logic. With a maximum bandwidth of 1.25 MHz, the ICS-1745 supports four input voltage ranges (20 Vpp, 2 Vpp, 0.2 Vpp and 0.02 Vpp differential) and 8 Mbytes of memory in two banks. The anti-alias cut-off filter frequency is fixed at 1.25 MHz standard, and other frequencies can be supplied on request. Differential analog input is provided via the front panel, while a second frontpanel connector makes possible multiple board synchronization for systems requiring high channel counts. Windows and Linux drivers are available. Price is $6,235 in OEM quantities.
Radstone Embedded Computing, Billerica, MA. 1-800-368-2738. [www.radstone.com]. June 2006 COTS Journal [ 65 ]