Atom processor cuts power for embedded processing

An Eurotech product story

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Aug 28, 2008

PC/104+ format device offers levels of functionality and performance traditionally requiring a high performance x86 board, but at a significantly reduced power consumption.

Working closely with Intel Corporation as an early adopter of Low Power Intel Architecture (LPIA) devices, Eurotech has released the new Isis single board computer.

The Isis is a PC/104+ format device offering levels of functionality and performance traditionally requiring a high performance x86 board, but at a significantly reduced power consumption of less that 5W.

This fanless x86 compatibility is achieved by harnessing the low power capabilities of the next generation embedded Intel Atom chipset.

Using Intel's high-K 45nm technology the Intel Atom Z500 series processor delivers the benefits of Intel's x86 architecture in a robust, ultrasmall package with exceptional performance per watt.

The processor is matched with an Intel System Controller Hub (SCH) US15W which is a highly integrated device combining a graphics memory controller and I/O controller into a single 22 x 22mm package.

A full range of on board peripherals are provided including eight USB 2.0 ports, VGA, LVDS, HD audio, RS232/422/485, Ethernet, GPIO and IDE.

Expansion requirements are well covered by a combination of PC/104 (ISA), PC/104+ (PCI) and PCI-Express Mini Card, so interfacing to real-world I/O or the latest wireless technology is easy.

The Isis offers a choice of 1.1 and 1.6GHz processor parts and comes with up to 1Gbyte of DDR2 RAM and up to 4Gbyte of soldered-down Flash memory for security and durability.

Further solid-state Flash expansion is available via an SDIO socket.

An optional ITrax300 GPS receiver with full position/velocity/time functionality is also available.

Having all this performance in such a small package is a truly compelling offering that makes the Isis ideally suitable for applications such as infotainment, interactive kiosks, access control, HMI, medical and industrial control.

A key feature of the Isis is its full compatibility with a wide range of desktop and pre-installed, ready to run, embedded operating systems including Windows XP, XP Embedded, CE 6.0 and Linux.