Board computer features long term availability

While system manufacturers strive to deliver a steady stream of reliable products in the mist of constantly changing technology, there is always a concern that system components may become out-dated and discontinued. Addressing these concerns, WinSystems recently announced a PC/104-Plus compatible, single board computer based on the low power, AMD LX 800@0.9W CPU which has product availability through at least 2015. The PPM-LX800-G module includes the 500 MHz Pentium-class processor, video, Ethernet, USB, COM ports, EIDE controller, digital I/O, mouse, PC 97 audio, and keyboard controllers on a single 3.6” x 3.8” form-factor. The board can be populated with up to 1 GByte of system DRAM plus onboard CompactFlash. A high-resolution video engine is onboard that supports displays with resolutions up to 1920 x 1440 for a CRT or up to 1600 x 1200 for a flat panel. An Intel 82551ER 10/100 controller supports Ethernet networking. Further I/O support includes two USB 2.0 ports, four serial UARTs, 16-lines of TTL-compatible digital I/O, and AC97 audio. The PPM-LX800-G contains the core logic to provide PC-compatibility for the I/O and bus interface logic including the Ultra DMA100 controller for hard drives, keyboard/mouse controller, LPT interface, interrupt controller, and real-time clock. A precision power-fail reset circuit, activity LED, PC/104 and PC/104-Plus expansion, and watchdog-timer are also included. The module operates over the industrial temperature range from -40° to +85°C without requiring a fan. The PPM-LX800-G, which runs Windows XP embedded, Linux, and other x86-compatible software, is priced at $495 in single quantities.