STD Bus keeps on ticking

A prime requirement for products used in embedded applications is long term availability. This means that designers must select components and architectures that will be available for a sustained period. Silicon suppliers like Intel and AMD identify a portion of their product line as extended life devices to support the embedded market. Users expect typical embedded products to remain in service for five years or more while some military projects ask for a fifteen year life cycle. The grand champion of extended life architectures goes to the STD bus. Originally introduced 30 years ago in 1978, the eight bit bus is still in use today. In fact, WinSystems just introduced the LPM-LX800-G, a new single board computer (SBC) based on the IEEE 961 STD Bus standard. The LPM-LX800 incorporates the low power, AMD Geode LX800MHz 0.9W CPU that offers product availability through at least 2015. The LPM-LX800-G can be populated with up to 1 GByte of system DRAM and up to 16 GBytes of CompactFlash. A high-performance video engine is onboard that supports LCD and CRT displays simultaneously. Also, an Intel 82551ER, 32-bit PCI 10/100 Ethernet controller supports networking. Further I/O support includes four USB 2.0 ports, four independent RS-232/422/485 full-duplex serial UARTs, 48-lines of TTL-compatible digital I/O, and AC97 audio. The LPM-LX800 supports Windows XP embedded, Linux, and other x86 real time operating systems. The LPM-LX800 operates as a standalone SBC or in conjunction with off-the-shelf or user-designed IEEE 961 STD Bus cards, PC/104, or PC/104-Plus expansion I/O modules. The module operates over the industrial temperature range of -40° to +85°C and does not require a fan. The LPM-LX800-G is priced at $895 in single quantities.