Embedded CPU has six appeal for serial ports

The days of CPUs lacking enough serial ports are now behind us with the introduction of Sensoray Model 303, a CPU that comes standard with six

Two are full-featured RS-232s and the remaining four are three-wire ports. Rapid communication is available from two USB 2.0 channels and one 1000Base-T Ethernet port. The 303's low power Elan SC520 runs at 133MHz and is x86 code compatible. It comes supplied with 32Mbyte of soldered-on Flash memory, a socket for a CompactFlash memory card and a socket for 128Mbyte of SDRAM.

Programmed into the onboard flash is the system BIOS which enables portable applications and operating system via the CompactFlash module.

Hard drive storage is also available through the IDE port.

The 303's bus driver ICs enable addition of up to five PC/104 boards to the same stack.

A built-in watchdog timer can reset the CPU and external circuitry.

The single piece price is $674 and the 100-unit price is $471