Product category: Design and Development Hardware
News Release from: MEN Mikro Elektronik | Subject: ESM starter kit
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 23 September 2003

Kit puts embedded modules to good use

A new ATX-compatible starter kit will speed the design of embedded applications based on MEN's ESM embedded system modules

ESMs are complete single-board computers based on the SoM (system on module) concept. The I/O required by each application is implemented on a customised carrier board. Most embedded applications have unique I/O requirements and often need more than a standard product. Most embedded projects are also subject to enormous price pressure, and additional design costs cannot be covered by large volumes.

The versatility of ESM modules makes them particularly suitable for such applications.

The ESM starter kit comprises: one of the range of standard ESM modules with x86 or PowerPC processor, DRAM and CompactFlash, typical system I/O such as Ethernet, serial interfaces, graphics etc with I/O connectors on the ESM itself as well as further basic functions programmed into the FPGA; a universal carrier card in a very small, space-saving ATX-compatible format; and various cables to connect I/O and linking connectors to stack PC/104-Plus modules.

The carrier card is the mechanical platform that supplies power and a number of additional standard interfaces, which include USB and a 9-pin serial port for RS232 or RS422/485 at the front as well as IDE, floppy, TFT, VGA and touch screen interfaces.

SA adapters can be used to implement four additional serial interfaces with different line drivers and with optical isolation as an option.

The complete kit provides versatile mounting options and can also be installed in a standard PC.

Three PCI slots on the carrier board allow the use of standard extension cards in the PC.

The starter kit can also be expanded - still within the PC - using a PC/104-Plus module, which is plugged onto the ESM module.

Board support packages are available for Windows, Linux and many of the common real-time operating systems, depending on the ESM module.

The ESM starter kit allows easy selection of a suitable CPU module for the application and the determination of the individual I/O needs, to create application software and FPGA contents, and to bridge the time to series production of a specific carrier card.

An embedded application based on the ESM concept has the benefit of limiting design expense in terms of cost and time, since the carrier board including power supply and the relatively simple additional I/O is the only component that needs to be designed specifically for the application.

Each ESM module is a complete computer on a plug-in module.

They consist of the hardware (x86 or RISC CPU, chipset, memory, I/O), which is not fixed to any application-specific function, and an FPGA programmed in VHDL code, which provides I/O that is also still independent of a specific application.

Additionally it has a board support package to run the Windows, Linux and real-time operating systems.

A complete embedded computer comprises either a stand-alone ESM, an ESM with an application-specific carrier card and/or an ESM with additional, stacked PC/104-Plus modules.

The electrical bus interface of ESM is compatible with all PCI standards from 32bit/33MHz to 64bit/66MHz up to PCI-X.

It has two system connectors: J1 has a fixed signal assignment, while J2 is variable depending on the final application-specific configuration of the ESM and the carrier board.

J2 also feeds the I/O signals of the functions programmed in the FPGA to the carrier card.

• MEN Mikro Elektronik: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Electronicstalk email newsletter
• Electronicstalk Home Page

Search the Pro-Talk network of sites

Put your news on Electronicstalk  |   Advertise  |   Get the free Electronicstalk newsletter
Electronicstalk Home  |   About Electronicstalk  |   Copyright © 2000-2007 Pro-Talk Ltd, UK