WinSystems highlights Atom board, CompactFlash
By Rick Nelson, Editor-in-Chief -- EDN, November 26, 2009
WinSystems has announced its EBC-Z8510-G single-board computer, which includes an Intel Atom processor. The device measures 203×147 mm and supports the new SUMIT-ISM (stackable-unified-modular-interconnect-technology-industry-standard-module)-I/O-expansion standard plus COMIT (computer-on-module interconnect technology), which the SFF-SIG (Small Form Factor Special Interest Group) defines.
The $795 EBC-Z530-G includes an array of onboard peripherals and expansion options. It uses either a 1.1-GHz or a 1.6-GHz Atom and the SCH (system-controller hub)-US15W with 512 Mbytes or 1 Gbyte of DDR2 system memory. The EBC-Z510-G’s I/O interface features two GbE (gigabit-Ethernet) ports, CRT and LVDS (low-voltage-differential-signaling) flat-panel video, a MiniPCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express)-card interface for a wireless-networking module, four USB (Universal Serial Bus) 2.0 ports, four serial COM ports, HD (high-definition) audio, a PATA (parallel-advanced-technology-attachment) controller for both a CompactFlash and a hard disk, 48 lines of digital I/O, a parallel printer port, and a PS/2 port. Two SUMIT and legacy PC/104 connectors support additional I/O-module expansion. The ROHS (reduction-of-hazardous-substances)-compliant board operates over an industrial temperature range of –40 to +70°C for processor- and I/O-intensive applications in harsh environments.
Because the EBC-Z510-G’s architecture is PC-compatible, it supports Windows XP embedded and Linux operating systems along with a software-development tool set that includes device drivers and libraries. It also supports advanced features, such as a custom splash screen, APM (advanced-power-management) and ACPI (advanced-configuration-and-power-interface) modes, and PXE (preboot execution environment).
According to WinSystems’ vice president, Robert Burkle, the EBC-Z510-G is the first board to support COMIT, which targets use in SFF processor modules and baseboards. The company uses a 62×75-mm SFF-COM card, which is roughly the size of a credit card, that includes the Atom, SCH, memory, and power supplies. Click here for more on this introduction.
