Product category: Embedded Computing and Control
News Release from: Ampro Computers | Subject: ReadyBoard 620 and CoreModule 620
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 03 April 2007
Geode-based SBCs upgrade legacy
applications
Two landmark SBCs fully support the legacy ISA bus through a unique combination of circuitry, industry-standard BIOS and Ampro extensions.
Two landmark SBCs fully support the legacy ISA bus through a unique combination of circuitry, industry-standard BIOS and Ampro extensions The ReadyBoard 620 and CoreModule 620 SBCs bring this technical innovation to the popular EPIC and PC/104 form factors at a critical time when system companies' revenues are at risk due to the depletion of end-of-life (EOL) CPUs and chipsets
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 21 May 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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Ampro satisfies the urgent migration need using the new 500MHz Geode LX 800 processor from Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) in order to meet the price and low power requirements of legacy embedded systems, coupled with a PCI-to-ISA bridge, industry-standard AMI BIOS, and BIOS extensions which initialise and support critical features that are necessary to maintain compatibility with the hundreds of off-the-shelf and custom PC/104 modules used in these systems.
Without a full new implementation of the ISA bus, many of these system OEMs would face substantial re-architecture, sourcing, and requalification challenges just to keep production running.
"In response to the rampant obsolescence in the industry, Ampro has created hope for hundreds of electronics manufacturers who are not sure how to keep ISA-based systems in production", said Joanne Mumola Williams, President and CEO of Ampro.
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"The CoreModule 620 meets the demands of military, transportation, avionics, factory floor, and other rugged and extended temperature applications, while the ReadyBoard 620 provides a smooth migration for medical, office, kiosk and other less rugged applications without the extensive hardware and software redesigns associated with moving legacy peripherals to newer buses like LPC or PCI".
"Ampro has created a powerful solution to a difficult problem by augmenting the richness of AMIBIOS8 with new eModules, providing BIOS extensions for embedded customers that still rely on legacy technologies", said S Shankar, President and CEO of American Megatrends.
"AMIBIOS8 continues to provide embedded market leaders like Ampro with the ability to deliver innovative solutions, such as their AMD Geode LX 800 platforms".
At 115 x 165mm, the EPIC-compliant ReadyBoard 620 combines the 500MHz Geode LX 800 processor with 128Kbyte level 2 cache, along with a very rich set of onboard legacy I/O including four UART serial ports, two ports with RS485 support, a parallel/floppy port, PS/2 keyboard and mouse, IDE interface for up to two disk drives, integrated graphics, AC97 audio and eight general-purpose digital I/O pins (GPIOs).
In addition, the ReadyBoard 620 provides two 10/100 Ethernet ports using the Intel 82551 controller, four USB 2.0 ports, a CompactFlash socket and both TTL and LVDS LCD interfaces to support new and existing flat panel displays.
Most of these ports use standard PC-style connectors to minimise cabling.
Bus expansion is available using the standard "stacking" PC/104-Plus interface, which features both PCI and ISAbus signals.
For rapid deployment of new applications, Ampro offers a complete line of ReadySystem computers and ReadyPanel Panel PC touch-screen computers using the ReadyBoard 620.
For tiny and rugged applications, the PC/104-compliant CoreModule 620 combines the same processor with two RS232/422/485 serial ports, a parallel/floppy port, PS/2 keyboard and mouse, IDE interface for up to two disk drives, integrated graphics, Intel 82551 10/100 Ethernet, two USB 2.0 ports, a CompactFlash socket, and a TTL LCD interface.
For harsh environments, optional -40 to +85C operation and conformal coating are offered.
Given the uncertain future of single datarate (SDR) RAM such as PC133, as well as specific soldered RAM packages, both boards use DDR 333 SODIMM RAM, which provides a substantial performance increase in addition to the clear lifecycle benefit.
For both products, the ISA bus support features a PCI-to-ISA bus bridge IC, rather than using an LPC-to-ISA bridge, so that the entire address and I/O space is available, and 16bit-wide data transfers are supported.
The BIOS supports distributed DMA (DDMA) as well as the entire set of IRQs (interrupt requests) in order to work with a very broad range of standard and custom PC/104 boards that are in use.
Both products are fully RoHS compliant.
Quick-start kits for these products include cables, 512Mbyte DDR RAM, plus device drivers and board support packages (BSPs) for Windows XP, Windows XP Embedded, Windows CE, and a full Linux 2.6 distribution.
ReadyBoard 620 samples will be available within 60 days.
CoreModule 620 samples will be available within 90 days.
Prices start in the upper US $200s in production quantities.
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