Embedded boards come in smaller formats

Mini-ITX and EPIC Express SBCs allow embedded system manufacturers to greatly improve graphics, communications and data processing bandwidth while reducing overall system footprint.This week at the Embedded Systems Conference Ampro Computers released MightyBoard 821 and ReadyBoard 820 embedded motherboards. Featuring the small Mini-ITX and EPIC Express form factors, respectively, these advanced technology single board computers (SBCs) allow embedded system manufacturers to greatly improve graphics, communications, and data processing bandwidth while reducing overall system footprint. These products complement Ampro's existing PCI Express computer-on-module product line (XTX form factor) for applications that do not need a custom carrier board, using Intel processors to 2.0GHz with PCI Express graphics and I/O, Gigabit Ethernet, Serial ATA (SATA) storage, USB 2.0, up to 2Gbyte DDR2 RAM, and ACPI power management.

In addition, Ampro's MightySystem and ReadySystem computers include these boards, for ready-to-run applications.

'With today's announcement, Ampro furthers its reputation for driving leading-edge technologies into the embedded systems marketplace', said Joanne Mumola Williams, President and CEO of Ampro.

'Our contribution to standards such as EPIC Express, now managed by the PC/104 Consortium, combined with our global design and manufacturing teams, have allowed us to provide building blocks right when customers are ready to embrace these new technologies'.

At 170 x 170mm, MightyBoard 821 offers a choice of 2.0GHz Pentium M 760 or 1.5GHz Celeron M 370 processor, along with the Intel 915GM chipset and up to 2Gbyte of DDR2 533 RAM using two DIMM slots.

A rich set of I/O includes six USB 2.0 ports, both EIDE and Serial ATA interfaces, two Intel 82573 PCI Express gigabit Ethernet ports, a x16 PCI Express slot for high-end graphics, as well as integrated chipset graphics.

MightyBoard 821 supports VGA and LVDS video interfaces, plus ACPI power management functionality including S3 suspend-to-RAM.

The product is RoHS-compliant, fits in standard Mini-ITX and ATX enclosures, and is well-suited for gaming, medical imaging, video surveillance, and other graphics-intensive applications.

MightyBoard 821 is revision controlled to ensure product consistency and reliability.

Customers can expect the same high quality year after year, and will always receive notifications of form, fit, or function changes in advance.

For very small applications, the ReadyBoard 820 implements high CPU and I/O performance in a mere 115 x 165mm size, 34% smaller than the Mini-ITX form factor.

Processors up to 1.8GHz Pentium M 745 are offered with the Intel 915GM chipset and up to 1Gbyte of DDR2 400 SODIMM RAM.

I/O support includes four USB 2.0 ports, two Serial ATA ports, EIDE, Intel 82573 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet, 10/100 Ethernet with wake on LAN support, LVDS, two UART serial ports, eight general-purpose I/O (GPIO) pins, and integrated chipset graphics.

ACPI power management and RoHS compliance are also important attributes.

Three lanes of PCI Express are provided for high-speed I/O expansion, whether in the form of Gigabit Ethernet ports or custom I/O, allowing customisation with simple I/O card designs rather than full custom baseboards and power supply circuitry.

This EPIC Express compliant SBC is the world's smallest PCI Express motherboard.

QuickStart Kits for these products include drivers and Board Support Packages (BSPs) for Windows XP, Windows XP Embedded, Windows CE, and a full Linux 2.6 distribution.

MightyBoard 821 samples will be available within 90 days.

ReadyBoard 820 samples will be available in Q1 2007.

Prices start in the low US $500s in production quantities including CPU (installed by Ampro).