rtd embedded technologies, inc.pdf.cloud.opensystemsmedia.com/emag/sff.fall.2012.pdf · neptune sbc...

Heat spreader transfers heat to enclosure

The Aurora PC/104 SBC from Diamond Systems features:

• 1.6GHz Intel® Atom™ Z530 CPU• Up to 2GB rugged SO-DIMM memory

for enhanced reliability• PC/104 size 3.55” x 3.775” /

90 x 96mm• PC/104™ and SUMIT™ I/O expansion• -40o to +80oC operation• Meets MIL-STD-202G shock and

vibration levels

Conduction Cooling has arrived.

Contact us: [email protected] Toll Free: +1-800-367-2104Headquarters: +1-650-810-2500

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Neptune SBC EPIC format, 6.5” x 4.53” /

165 x 115mm Choice of Intel® N270, N450, or

Core Duo™ Processors On-board 16-bit A/D, D/A, digital

I/O and optoisolated I/O PC/104-Plus™ expansion 7-28VDC wide

range input -40o to +85oC

operation

Pluto SBC ETX format, 3.74” x 4.49” /

95 x 114mm Choice of Intel® N270, N450, or

Core Duo processors 2 LAN, 4 COM, 2 SATA,

CompactFlash PC/104-Plus expansion -40o to +85oC operation

Magellan SBC COM Express™ format, 3.74” x 4.92” /

95 x 125mm Choice of Intel® Z510 1.1GHz or

Core 2 Duo™ LV 1.6GHz processors 2 Gigabit LAN, 4 COM, 1 SATA,

1 fl ashdisk PC/104, SUMIT, and FeaturePak™

expansion 7-36VDC wide

range input -40o to +85oC

operation

Benefi ts of Conduction Cooling Enhances reliability by keeping the processor cooler than traditional heat sinks. Frees the top side of the board to make adding I/O expansion modules easier.

Other Conduction-Cooled SBC’s Available from Diamond Systems

FeaturePak™ is a trademark of the FeaturePak Trade Association. PC/104™ and PC/104-Plus™ are trademarks of the PC/104 Embedded Consortium.SUMIT™ is a trademark of the SFF-SIG. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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Stackable Expansion

Heat

AS9100 and ISO 9001 Certified GSA Contract Holderwww.rtd.com [email protected]

Design, Engineering, Manufacturing & Tech SupportPCIe, PCI, and ISA Experts

The products below are a sampling of RTD’s PCIe/104 and PCI/104-Express offering. All of RTD’s board-level solutions are available in ruggedized packaging with advanced heat sinking, internal raceways, and a variety of I/O configurations. Visit www.rtd.com to see our complete product listing.

HiDANplus® with removable SATA drawer.

88W Synchronous Power Supply

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo cpuModule™

Dual GigE and HD Audio

190W Synchronous Power Supply

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo cpuModule™

4 PCIe x4 Links & 4 USB 3.0 Ports

Isolated Octal Serial Port

12-bit Analog I/O

Dual Fiber Gigabit Ethernet SATA Drive Carrier

3-Channel FireWire™

High-Speed Digital I/O

Dual-Slot Mini PCIe

4-Port USB 3.0 Controller

Isolated Digital I/O

PCI Express to PCI Bridge5-Port Ethernet Switch

Modular, Stackable & Mezzanine Solutions

Leading the Way in PCI Express

RTD Embedded Technologies, Inc.

AS9100 and ISO 9001 Certified

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4 y Fall 2012 y PC/104 and Small Form Factors

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www.smallformfactors.comwww.pc104online.com ON THE COVER:

Small form factors are excelling in military vehicles, UAVs, and other rugged applications. In this issue we explore the roles of PC/104 and COM Express in a variety of rugged spaces. Photos: Top left – U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Erik Gudmundson; top right – photo courtesy www.army.gov; middle left – U.S. Marines photo by Sgt. Richard Blumenstein; middle right – U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jeremy Lock.

8

events

MILCOMOctober 29 – November 1, 2012 • Orlando, FLwww.milcom.org

Advanced Automotive ElectronicsNovember 29, 2012 • Northamptonshire, UKwww.aae-show.com

PC/104 and Small Form Factorswww.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1854269

@sff_mag

2012 OpenSystems Media® © 2012 PC/104 and Small Form FactorsAll registered brands and trademarks used in PC/104 andSmall Form Factors are property of their respective owners.ISSN: Print 1096-9764, ISSN Online 1550-0373

columns

SFF-SIG 6Vehicle computers acquire rugged RAM By Colin McCracken

PC/104 Consortium 7Need performance? Pick your TypeBy Len Crane

DepaRtments

Editor’s Choice Products 23 By Monique DeVoe

Volume 16 • Number 3

18

FeatuRes

IT'S A SMALL (FORM FACTOR) WORLDMounted mobile devices

PC/104 remains the chosen solution for rugged

vehicle applicationsBy Pierfrancesco “Pier”

Zuccato, Eurotech

Rugged systems ride the rails

By Monique DeVoe

Chip-scale atomic clocks can help with UAV SWaP

design challengesBy Steve Fossi, Symmetricom

THE BIG YET SMALL PICTURE

Rugged and militaryCOM Express and PC/104 meet

the needs of rugged SFF systemsBy Dave Barker,

Extreme Engineering Solutions (X-ES)

EMX combines COMs, SBCs, and stackable I/O into an

efficient form factorBy Jonathan Miller,

Diamond Systems Corp.

8

10

14

18

21

14

Monique DeVoe, Assistant Managing Editor [email protected]

Len Crane, PC/104 Consortium President [email protected]

Brandon Lewis, Associate Editor [email protected]

Colin McCracken, SFF-SIG President [email protected]

Monique DeVoe, Assistant Managing Editor PC/104 and Small Form Factors DSP-FPGA.com [email protected]

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PC/104 and Small Form Factors y Fall 2012 y 5

Page Advertiser/Ad title

17 AAEON Electronics, Inc. – PFM-541iW2

16 ACCES I/O Products, Inc. – USB embedded I/O solutions – rugged, industrial strength USB

2 Diamond Systems Corporation – Conduction cooling has arrived

17 EMAC, Inc. – PCM-1812 Atom N270 PC/104 SBC

11 Excalibur Systems, Inc. – Dragon – it’s not a myth

15 Parvus Corporation – Cisco technology – ruggedized

20 RAF Electronic Hardware – RAF male-female stacking spacers

3 RTD Embedded Technologies, Inc. – Modular, stackable and mezzanine solutions

12-13 RTD Embedded Technologies, Inc. – PCI Express, PCI, and ISA experts

19 Technologic Systems – Industrial controllers

9 WDL Systems – The power inside tomorrow’s technology

24 WinSystems, Inc. – Atom powered SBCs – high performance, small and fanless

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The $8,000+ purpose-built vehicle PC from a decade ago has been gradually replaced by generic, afford-able “Box PCs.” Under the “hood” one finds a typical

3.5" SBC or sometimes a PC/104 CPU with a stack of I/O cards. The 3.5" SBCs feature either a proprietary bus expansion con-nector or, occasionally, a PC/104 interface. The trouble lies in the fact that nearly all 3.5" SBCs come with a SODIMM socket; it seems paradoxical to find consumer-grade SODIMM memory modules in commercial and military vehicle applications, even after such diligence was used to qualify thermal solutions, mounting hardware, and either flash-based SSD or shock/ vibe-rated rotating hard drives.

The socket is vulnerable to the high-shock and -vibration loads common with vehicle applications. Just a single bit error from an intermittent contact can lead to a minor data discrepancy (best case) or, if the bit is part of a machine instruction, a bad branch offset or even an illegal instruction exception (worst case). The famous “blue screen of death” causes missed surveil-lance footage or situational awareness displays, for example. A guaranteed gas-tight pin connection is needed in order to achieve the highest reliability.

A new standard emergesSeveral PC/104 manufacturers have built proprietary, “closed” RAM modules using rugged connectors during that past 15 years for their own SBCs. What’s needed for mass-market adoption is an “open” standard that is publically downloadable free of charge and endorsed by multiple RAM module manu-facturers who are independent of the SBC suppliers.

SFF-SIG answered the call in precisely this manner. The assigned working group decided to focus on DDR3 chips rather than the older DDR2 architecture due to lifecycle and relevance for brand new SBC designs. Virtually all new 32-bit and 64-bit embedded processors come with memory control-lers that can talk to DDR3 RAM. The pin assignment closely follows the DDR3 SODIMM pin definition to ease the migration from SODIMM to the new standard. The board outline was cre-ated to fit on small SBCs and modules, even MicroTCA (µTCA), which is too narrow to legitimately fit SODIMM sockets. A 240-pin connector from Samtec was chosen for robustness and to support 72-bit data width for high-reliability Error-Correcting Circuitry (ECC). The result is an open standard called eXtreme Rugged Dual-Inline Memory Module (XR-DIMM).

XR-DIMM is a mezzanine memory module standard specifi-cally for the high-reliability embedded systems market, not for

consumer markets. The specification defines both unbuffered and registered versions that are analogous to their SODIMM counterparts. The tiny module measures only 38 mm x 67.5 mm. In addition, optional SATA pins pave the way for dual-function RAM + SSD flash modules in the future, allowing SBC and COM manufacturers to reduce the space consumed by connectors.

Confirming robustnessANSI/VITA 47-2005 (R2007) was chosen as the test method-ology to confirm the resilience of the XR-DIMM standard. Rather than reinvent the wheel, the working group members agreed that VITA 47 provides a framework for shock and vibration relevant to commercial and military vehicles alike; The board-to-board mated connector pair plus two mounting holes for screws anchored the module in place to easily pass the test suite.

Upgrading to XR-DIMMSBC manufacturers who want to target vehicle markets now have a way to differentiate themselves from traditional SODIMM-based competitors – simply place the SBC-side XR-DIMM connector on the board while following the XR-DIMM specification’s design rules. Then the SBC vendor or system integrator can purchase and qualify RAM modules from any of the XR-DIMM manufacturers.

Tiny SBCs like Pico-ITXe, at a mere 72 mm x 100 mm, tend to use soldered RAM, which is certainly rugged, but also fixed, not field-upgradable, or flexible. All larger SBCs are candidates for XR-DIMM memory sockets, especially those targeting fleets, trucks, police vehicles, and military ground vehicles including modern light vehicles. More information about the XR-DIMM specification can be found at www.sff-sig.org.

Small Form Factor Special Interest Group 408-480-7900

[email protected]

Small Form Factor SIG

Vehicle computers acquire rugged RAM

By Colin McCracken, SFF-SIG President

www.sff-sig.org

Figure 1 | Swissbit’s XR-DIMM module supports 1, 2, or 4 GB of unbuffered DDR3 ECC RAM in both commercial and industrial (–40 °C to +95 °C) temperatures.


http://www.sff-sig.org

mailto:[email protected]

In 2012, the 20th anniversary of the PC/104 Consortium, you would think that the decision of which PC/104

product to use in your next project would be an easy shot, but it’s not that simple. For those who have been in the industry for some time, the word “PC/104” does not represent a single product type, but a range of product types that each have their advantages.

New and improved The older PC/104 formats include PC/104 – ISA bus only; PC/104-Plus – ISA and PCI bus interface; and PCI-104 – PCI bus only. These formats are excel-lent for lower- and mid-level systems, and there are currently hundreds of PC/104-Plus processor and I/O expan-sion modules.

However, as embedded applications get more complex, and a single board is expected to do more, high-performance capabilities are welcomed. Many large chassis-based applications are being reduced to a small stack of PC/104-sized boards, creating huge savings for OEMs throughout a product’s life. Performance in this range is especially helpful for video-oriented applications such as frame grabbing, multi-channel video recording, image analysis, and real-time image enhancement, in addition to packet processing appli-cations such as real time monitoring, filtering, or encrypting 1 GB or 10 GB Ethernet streams. Designers of higher-performance systems running appli-cations such as these need to look to the newest PC/104 formats: PCIe/104 Types 1 and 2.

The formats support PCI Express (PCIe) busses running up the stack. This results in high-speed transfers between the pro-cessor board and the stack’s expansion boards. The transfer rate of the original

PCI interface peaks at about 133 MBps. In contrast, a PCIe x1 (“by one”) link transfers data at about 250 MBps. For higher bandwidth applications, a PCIe x4 link provides a 1 GBps transfer rate. Both of these actually perform better than the numbers indicate, since each PCIe link is not a shared resource on a bus but an independent connec-tion. Many PCIe links can be transferring data simultaneously, which multiplies the effective bandwidth.

Choosing the right TypeBoth Type 1 and Type 2 boards stack up using the same high-speed “3-bank” connector. The majority of the signals on the 156-pin interface connector are identical between the types. By design, most PCIe/104 Type 1 and Type 2 boards can be mixed in the same stack.

For very high bandwidth applications the PCIe/104 Type 1 interface includes a single x16 link that supports data transfer at 4 GBps – about 30 times faster than a PCI bus. A Type 1 processor board combined with a Type 1 graphics processing board can move a lot of data.

Type 2 boards can accommodate quite a bit of bandwidth with their four x1 and two x4 PCIe links, but they also route additional I/O signals up through the stack. The I/O signals, such as USB 3.0 and SATA, allow plug-in (stack-up) add- on boards to operate without any additional cabling to get to these signals. For example, a PCIe/104 Type 2 SSD can be simply added to the stack without cabling to route SATA signals to it.

Designers should use a Type 1 processor board if they need a fast x16 link for lots of data; or use a Type 2 processor if their system does not need a x16 link, and can benefit from more available I/O signals in the stack (Table 1).

Not just for PC/104The Consortium also supports the PCIe/104 interface on larger EPIC and EBX (Figure 1) format boards that can accommodate high-performance pro-cessors. Marrying these larger SBCs with PCIe/104 expansion can be used to create some very-high-performance systems that require no chassis or backplane.

For more information about any of the PC/104 formats, visit PC104.org.

PC/104 Consortium 408-337-0904

[email protected]

Need performance? Pick your Type

PC/104 Consortium

By Len Crane, PC/104 Consortium President

www.pc104.org

Figure 1 | An EBX board with an Intel Gen 3 Core i7 and PCIe/104 expansion.

PCIe/104 Interfaces

Feature PCIe/104 Type 1

PCIe/104 Type 2

PCIe x1 links 4 4

PCIe x4 links 2 2

PCIe x16 links 1 –

SMB 1 1

USB 2.0 ports 2 2

USB 3.0 ports – 2

SATA – 2

LPC – 1

Table 1 | Each Type of the PCIe/104 format provides a different set of signals.


The PC/104 standard is used widely as the basis for a range of CPUs and components for peripheral

expansion, I/O, and power supplies. Characterized by a small (3.6" x 3.8"), stackable form factor and low power con-sumption, PC/104 has significant rugged benefits including the capability to with-stand shock and vibration and toler-ance of an extended temperature range (-40 °C to +85 °C). The ability to build stacks of PC/104 modules creates oppor-tunities for developing a diversity of com-plex in-vehicle applications that range across industrial, transportation, and defense environments where PC/104’s robust and reliable capabilities are valued.

Winning the rugged module warThe defense sector has been a particularly strong arena for PC/104 products, which

have created a greater acceptance of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) solu-tions for military applications, with their modular benefits and proven reliability saving time and cost of project develop-ment. PC/104 combines a very rugged design with a very small footprint. Other standards demonstrate one or the other characteristic, but rarely both combined. PC/104 meets the critical survivability, performance, and interface flexibility requirements for military embedded systems, and these features have been validated over decades of experience.

New module standards released in recent years have been posing a chal-lenge to the position of PC/104 in its traditional markets. In military elec-tronics, Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) is an all-important acronym leading to an

increasing demand for small form factor board architectures. Both manned and unmanned applications are increasingly demanding the highest possible com-putational performance within dense, low-power solutions.

For instance, Computer-On-Module (COM) solutions evolved from PC/104, and in some cases, these have been deployed in rugged environments. These systems involve a complete com-puter on a single printed circuit board, including microprocessor, RAM, flash memory, Ethernet, and I/O controllers. Some of the more common COM mod-ules include COM Express, ETX, Qseven, and many proprietary form factors.

However, there are concerns about the level of robustness of COM solutions.

PC/104’s rugged capabilities and small form factor made it a preferred solution in defense

(including onboard vehicle control and navigations systems), transport, and industrial control.

Despite challenges posed to PC/104 from other architectures offering high computational

performance within Small Form Factors (SFFs), PC/104 continues to flourish because of

its flexibility in military and other rugged vehicle applications. It delivers high performance

combined with low power, stackable configurations, MIL-STD compliance, as well as meeting

key industrial and transportation standards.

PC/104 remains the chosen solution for rugged vehicle applicationsBy Pierfrancesco “Pier” Zuccato Photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Brandon Pomrenke

IT'S A SMALL (FORM FACTOR) WORLD

IT'S A SMALL (FORM FACTOR) WORLD Mounted mobile devices


COM Express was not inherently designed with the same rugged qualities as the original PC/104, so for military and other applications experiencing high levels of vibration, COM Express modules may require additional testing whereas PC/104’s vibration resistance qualities are already well established.

3U VPX and VPX-REDI board standards are also major contenders for rugged SFF solutions for military applications. Offering exceptional performance, high density, and high bandwidth I/O, VPX and OpenVPX, also known as VITA 46 and VITA 65, use a high speed multi-GB connector to interface to a switched fabric backplane, and were developed with defense applications in mind.

VPX has made considerable develop-ments in performance, but other open architectures like PC/104 will continue to be used for a range of budgetary and technical reasons. As VPX is ideally suited for sophisticated and high-power applications, VPX supports a greater power budget than legacy buses like VME, PC/104, and CompactPCI, but in many applications the extra perfor-mance is not needed and the potentially higher cost is not justified.

PC/104 answers the needs of a broad range of applications requiring a low-power, small form factor solution, and at a competitive cost. Both PC/104 and VPX have assured and continued roles to play in the defense sector, with PC/104 serving the low-to-mid market for mili-tary electronics while VPX covers higher end applications, such as complex high-value electronics required in military air-craft. With COTS driving a large part of military expenditure, the relatively low cost and rugged capabilities of PC/104 solutions make them a preferred option for military ground vehicle applications.

The fact that PC/104 is a modular system is a critical benefit, particularly for designers of military applications. Its ability to be far more flexible than other architectures is an invaluable character-istic, giving designers the ability to stack modules using a common core and add new functionality when and as needed. This capability to fine tune is not avail-able to the same extent with other standards, and allows for systems to be

modified and enhanced for changing operational requirements. It allows a military program to generate building blocks for problem solving, testing each stage of application development under operating conditions before adding a new element.

PC/104 in mil ground vehiclesFlexibility and its proven track record in military applications give PC/104 the edge for rapid completion of projects, such as meeting tight deadlines imposed by the UK’s Ministry of Defence Urgent Operational Requirements (UORs). For instance, recent production of a vehicle

mounted data capture system for the British Army in Afghanistan was com-pleted in only six weeks from initial order to delivery.

This data capture equipment covered many controls and functions within armored personnel carriers relating to communications, electronics, engine management, and a range of critical applications including the detection of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

The PC/104-Plus form factor processor board used featured a fanless design with an Intel Atom processor in a robust,

1.800.548.2319 www.wdlsystems.com [email protected] www.wdlsystems.com [email protected] embedded ProducTs sourceThe embedded ProducTs source

Embedded processor options include Intel® Atom™, Intel® Quad Core™i7, AMD G-Series, Freescale i.MX51, TI OMAP, NVIDIA Tegra & VIA

PCIe/104, PCI-104 and Pico-ITX

Mini-PCIe & SIM Card Expansion

Qseven and COM Express® carriers offer SATA, GbE, USB 2.0, LVDS and VGA Video, RS-232 & RS-422/485

Operating Temperature: -40C to 85C (-40F to 185F)

Off-the-shelf and custom solutions

AMD Fusion APU, single and dual core

Up to 4 Gbyte DDR3 RAM

Graphics: Radeon HD6250

LVDS: 1920 x 1200 pixel

Gigabit LAN, 8 x USB 2.0, SATA port

High Definition Audio

Power consumption: 18W maximumCool FrontRunner-AF

XtremePCIe/104

XtremePCI-104

CarrierPico-ITX

CarrierCOM Express®


ultra-small package providing excep-tional connectivity and performance per watt. This combination of high per-formance and small dimensions made it ideal for use in an armored personnel carrier where space is at a premium.

In general, if a military vehicle has been installed with a PC/104 data logging solution initially, GPS can also be added with a link to the odometer to calculate distance and check speeds and use of gasoline. However, operations in the field might require greater sophistica-tion. If the vehicle comes under attack in a theater of war, a camera and frame grabber module can also be installed in order to capture images and reconstruct the action. If an audio record is required, a PC/104 audio expansion module can be added. The same system can then be easily adapted for other types of military vehicle, such as adding further interfaces to control actuators and sensors in mine clearing units.

PC/104 in avionics systemsPC/104 is a reliable option for a variety of specialized applications, including those that involve MIL-STD-1553 com-

munications. This is a military standard published by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) that defines the mechanical, electrical, and functional characteristics of a serial data bus. Its role in military avionics has been expanded with developments in the space program, and MIL-STD-1553 has also become commonly used in the On-Board Data Handling (OBDH) subsystems on both military and civil spacecraft. By choosing the PC/104 standard, designers can quickly add the MIL-STD-1553 bus to new and existing designs by plugging in one PC/104 add-on board. Other COM standards, like COM Express, do not map the MIL-STD-1553 signals on the standard connector pinout, effectively forcing developers to design and validate the interface themselves on the carrier board.

PC/104 can also be compliant with MIL-STD-810G, another popular require- ment in avionics and in rugged appli-cations in general: The U.S. Military Standard MIL-STD-810 (DoD Test Method Standard for Environmental Engineering Considerations and Laboratory Tests)

establishes methods to test the limits of conditions that equipment can experi-ence during its service life. MIL-STD-810G addresses a broad range of extreme environmental conditions and how they affect equipment operation, including resistance to temperature changes, humidity, sand and dust exposure, impact shock, and random or gunfire vibration.

PC/104 in rail applicationsThere are similarities in the performance requirements between a range of mili-tary and transportation applications, and PC/104 enables system design to meet the stringent qualifications for EN50155 (rolling stock) and MIL-STD-810G. EN50155 is the main technical standard covering electrified rail network applica-tions, dealing with a range of constraints including:

❚ Surge requirements ❚ Electromagnetic interference ❚ Mechanical requirements ❚ Temperature/humidity resistance ❚ Galvanic isolation (namely isolating

functional sections of electrical systems)


High-Speed Rail (HSR) is a rapidly growing infrastructure in the U.S. and abroad, providing many opportunities for rugged embedded systems. By 2014, the global fleet of high-speed trains is expected to expand from the 2011 count of about 2,500 units in 14 countries to more than 3,700 units in around 24 countries in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, according to research from the Worldwatch Institute.

Rail-based embedded systems are used worldwide to cover basic onboard and wayside operations, Automatic Train Control (ATC) systems, and safety-critical systems such as train-to-train collision avoidance. And as the consumer demand for In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) continues to rise in cars, mass transportation is following suit.

In-vehicle systems that help rail systems run smoothly and safely face harsh conditions and need to be up to standard to ensure reliability. The IEEE Standards Association has a number of active transportation standards that cover a wide range of rail-based electronics. Standard 16-2004, for example, provides requirements for consistent design, application, and test requirements for a rail vehicle’s electrical and electronic control equipment. Similar to EN50155, IEEE 1478-2001 deals with environmental standards needed for the consitant operation and survival of rail electronics. Standard 1483-2000 provides a set of verification tasks for safety-critical applications, including that they are fail-safe. And Standard 1477-1998 details requirements for passenger information system interfaces.

For more information on these and additional standards and to purchase specification documents, visit http://standards.ieee.org/findstds/standard/transportation.html.

Rugged systems ride the rails By Monique DeVoe, Assistant Managing Editor

PC/104 solutions have been found to be ideal for a range of on-vehicle and trackside applications requiring high I/O density or high levels of insulation, including solutions for feeder driven trains and metros.

For instance, PC/104 provides dedicated add-on boards that deliver application- specific capabilities such as the Multifunction Vehicle Bus (MVB), a specialized fieldbus that is often used for digital control of the coach and includes applications such as control of doors, air conditioning, lights, and pas-senger information. In the locomotive itself, MVB is used to interface diagnostic systems, the cockpit, and important func-tions such as control of brakes, engine, power electronics, and track signals. This capability would require significantly greater efforts to implement with most other COM Standards.

Flexible and interoperableThe interoperability of PC/104-based solutions has allowed vendors to offer customers successful methods for updating the functionality of their legacy systems. For instance, Eurotech manu-factures PC/104 products based on the Intel Atom and the DM&P Vortex86DX chipsets that deliver a feature set of a modern PC platform while retaining compatibility with legacy designs. In transportation, when dealing with onboard vehicle functions or infra-structures with long lifecycles, PC/104 solutions allow applications to be updated and different generations of technology to cooperate.

Eurotech has also developed cloud-based solutions that provide new oppor-tunities to design flexible and scalable communications models between con-trol centers and vehicles and assets in transport and military applications. As advances in technology continue, the original PC/104 concept remains fully viable and adaptive to change.

PC/104: Here to stayPC/104 has stood the test of time and pro-vides the invaluable features of rugged design in a very small footprint. In sectors like defense and transport it has gained customer confidence through proven

operational capabilities in a variety of applications. The standard is unique in its level of flexibility compared to other architectures, allowinging tactical changes to be designed into systems, meeting operational imperatives, and saving time and cost.

Pierfrancesco “Pier” Zuccato is Corporate Product Manager at Eurotech. He is responsible for product portfolio management and global marketing initiatives related to Embedded Boards, Stationary and High-Performance Systems. Pier has a PhD in Organic Chemistry and a Master’s in Theoretical Physics from the University of Trieste.

Eurotech [email protected]

www.eurotech.com


www.rtd.com • [email protected] RTD Embedded Technologies, Inc.Copyright © 2012 RTD Embedded Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective companies.

The products above are just a sampling of RTD’s board-level and ruggedized packaging solutions. From low-power to high performance, RTD can tailor a system for your mission-critical application. Visit www.rtd.com to see our complete product list.

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Peripheral Modules • MassStorage• MotionControl• Synchro/Resolver• VideoControl• FireWire• USB3.0&USB2.0• CANBus• CANSpider• GigabitEthernet• GPS• GSM/GPRS/EDGEModem• WirelessTelematics

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Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) began as tools for military sur-veillance. As their capabilities

expanded, they found usage in civilian applications such as border patrols and drug interdiction, while on the military side the expanded capabilities led to missions using armed UAVs.

Throughout their use, accurate clocks have been required for UAVs to carry out their missions. A principal need has been navigation; UAVs typically use a clock that has been synchronized to Global Positioning System (GPS) for very accurate timing. However, when the GPS signal is lost, the clock is used to provide a “holdover” function that integrates with a backup navigation system, usu-ally some form of an Inertial Navigation System (INS). The clock’s holdover per-formance is important because, in military

applications, GPS signal loss is sometimes due to intentional jamming, which can persist for long periods of time.

Accurate clocks are also needed in UAV communications. As UAV sensor pay-loads have advanced from still photos to video, to video integrated with infrared and other sensor data, high-density encrypted waveforms have been employed to transmit this data, as well as to receive vehicle control data. These waveforms can only stay synchronized with stable, accurate clocks.

Layered on top of these application requirements are the demands of Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP). Almost every component in the electronics of a UAV – whether part of the basic airframe or part of the specialized payload – is being pushed to reduce SWaP so that

a given UAV can increase its mission duration (for more “persistent surveil-lance” in military terminology), or so that it can add more sensor capabilities without shortening mission duration. The choice of clock onboard can positively or negatively affect SWaP in UAV design.

The choicesA variety of clock choices have historically been available for UAV applications. Temperature-Compensated Crystal Oscillators (TCXOs) have been an appealing choice because of their low SWaP, and because their relative lack of accuracy and stability can be com-pensated by disciplining them to a GPS signal. However, the drawback to the TCXO solution occurs in GPS-denied scenarios, whether intentional (jamming) or unintentional. During a 4-hour GPS outage, the TCXO would exhibit 731 µs

A portable atomic clock is just the ticket for many UAVs, and the more SWaP-optimized the

better. The Chip-Scale Atomic Clock (CSAC) fits the bill with the low power draw and accurate

performance inherent in its design.


IT'S A SMALL (FORM FACTOR) WORLD Mounted mobile devices

Chip-scale atomic clocks can help with UAV SWaP design challengesBy Steve Fossi Photo by U.S. Air Force Bobbi Zapka


holdover. It is then up to UAV system engineers to determine whether or not this is a tolerable amount of drift for their intended mission. Too much drift can cause an unacceptable amount of uncer-tainty in the INS system, or can cause Inter-Symbol Interference (ISI) in the UAV’s communications systems.

Oven-Controlled Crystal Oscillators (OCXOs) offer comparatively better accuracy, stability, and temperature coefficient. Accordingly, the typical holdover time for a 4-hour GPS outage is reduced to 69 µs. However, OCXOs have drawbacks in SWaP – they are larger and consume considerably more power than TCXOs.

Atomic clocks have also been used in UAVs, though they have been confined to long-endurance missions where worst-case extended holdover performance may be required, and to larger UAV air-frames that can afford the 10 W of power and extra space needed to operate a conventional gas-cell atomic clock.

Enter the Chip-Scale Atomic Clock (CSAC)The Chip-Scale Atomic Clock (CSAC) provides a SWaP-optimized alternative to the traditional lineup, offering the advantages of the atomic clock without the SWaP disadvantages (Table 1). It is only one-eighth the volume of the conventional gas-cell clock and runs on only about 1 percent of the power. In fact, it needs only about 4 percent of the power required to operate the OCXO while being more accurate and taking up less space. It is larger than the TCXO alternative and consumes

Table 1 | Several clock choices with varying features are available for UAV payloads.

TCXO OCXO Atomic Clock Chip-Scale Atomic Clock (“CSAC”)

Volume 0.07 cm³ 52 cm³ 122 cm³ 16 cm³

Power at 25 °C 20 mW 3 W 10 W 120 mW

Holdover (4 hours, 20 °C temp swing) 731 µs 69 µs 1.7 µs 2.3 µs

Initial Accuracy <1E-6 <1E-7 <5E-11 <5E-11

Temperature Coefficient ±3E-7 ±3E-8 ±3E-10 ±1E-9

Aging <1E-6/mo. <4E-9/mo. <5E-11/mo. <3E-10/mo.

Cost Lowest cost Higher cost Highest cost Highest cost


more power, however it compensates for this with a very large improvement in holdover performance.

Designed for low-power applications The CSAC was deliberately designed with low-power applications in mind, and this was not achieved by simply shrinking the components used in existing archi-tectures. Instead, a new architecture had to be invented, requiring innovations in semiconductor laser technology, MEMS processing, vacuum packaging, and firmware algorithms.

Take, for example, the glass resonance cell used in a conventional gas-cell atomic clock. The cesium (or rubidium) in the cell is heated to a vapor state and then the atoms in the vapor are illuminated to resonance by a laser or separate glass lamp cell. A photo- detector measures how much light actually makes it through the resonance cell (as opposed to being absorbed by the atoms inside the cell), thus pro-ducing a signal precisely tuned to the resonance frequency. That signal, in turn, drives a resonant element inside

the clock that produces the clock’s actual timing signal output.

In the CSAC, the glass cell is replaced by a silicon MEMS device. A hole going all the way through the device is created by a Deep Reactive Ion Etch (DRIE) process, and the cesium is contained in the cell by two pyrex plates anodically bonded to both ends of the MEMS device. The cesium vapor is illuminated by a spe-cially developed Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL), and the light that gets through the cell is detected by a pho-todetector at the other end of the cell.

Figure 1 shows the key elements of the CSAC’s “physics package,” as it is called. In addition to the previously mentioned components, there is a cell spacer that ensures relatively uniform illumination from the laser light inside the resonance cell. There are also the upper and lower suspensions – also MEMS devices – made of polyimide spun onto silicon, with the silicon etched away as the last step in processing. Tension is deliber-ately put on the suspensions to hold the entire physics package in place. The heater traces, used to heat the cesium into a vapor state, are printed on both suspensions, as are all electrical traces

Inside the CSACPhysics Package

Frame Spacer

Lid

Photodiode

Cell Spacer

Lower Suspension

VCSEL

LCC

Upper Suspension

Resonance Cell

Figure 1 | Elements of the Chip Scale Atomic Clock physics package.



The clock circuitry itself also contributes to the low power consumption of the CSAC. Each part is optimized for low power, and many clock functions that have traditionally been performed in hardware are instead done in the firmware of the CSAC.

Less SWaP tradeoff In conclusion, though there are clock options available, the CSAC – which was designed for low power applications and has an architecture that improves on TCXOs and OCXOs – meets the timing challenges of today’s UAVs while improving upon the SWaP characteristics of alternative solutions. For example, Symmetricom’s Quantum SA.45s CSAC operates off a single +3.3 V supply and can be integrated onto a board as easily as any other component. Because it combines high stability and accuracy with low SWaP characteristics, it gives engineers one less headache when trying to meet the challenges of UAV payload design. As the UAV application space expands, so do the design challenges – both on the airframe itself and the electronics that fill it – and selecting a CSAC will help address these challenges.

Steve Fossi is a Director of New Business Development at Symmetricom. Steve’s technical background is in RF and microwave measurements, and semiconductor test. He brings a great deal of experience to the real-world applications of Symmetricom’s oscillators and atomic clocks.

Symmetricom [email protected]

www.symmetricom.com

needed to connect the physics package with the rest of the clock circuitry.

A frame spacer, engineered to be slightly shorter than the rest of the parts that stack up to make the physics package, holds the whole assembly together and ensures tension in the suspensions. The assembly is then wire bonded to a lead-less chip carrier that connects it to the rest of the clock circuitry, and then cov-ered with a ceramic lid that is brazed to the LCC. However, the key to the low power consumption of the physics package is that the brazing step occurs in a high-quality vacuum. The vacuum surrounding the physics package gives it extremely high thermal isolation, so very little power is expended keeping the physics package at the correct temperature once it’s reached (which typically takes less than 2 minutes). The inside of the ceramic lid is coated with a getter material so that the quality of the vacuum can be maintained throughout the life of the CSAC.

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Many small form factors, including PC/104 and COM Express, are currently used to

build SFF systems, though the industry is working to expand the catalog of SFF standards.

However, existing form factors meet the needs of rugged SFF system applications and

may be preferable over new, unestablished form factors.

There is an increasing demand for Small Form Factor (SFF) systems in rugged military applications.

Customers are asking for systems with reduced Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) for many applications, for instance, to pack more capability into vehicles, produce smaller UAVs, and help the military “go green.” On the supply side, the conse-quences of Moore’s Law – the doubling of the number of transistors on integrated circuits every two years – enable the industry to continue reducing the SWaP of systems.

Several efforts are underway to develop new standards for rugged SFF systems, including VITA 73/74/75, and the re- cently formed European SGET organiza-tion’s Qseven-based effort. Despite the efforts to create more SFF standards, they may not be needed – it is possible today to create low-end to very high-performance, small, rugged systems based on existing standards.

Defining “small”The terms “small form factor” and “small form factor system” are often used in the embedded computing industry but lack standard definitions. Numerous “SFF boards” are available on the market, but they are all different. In some cases, it isn’t even clear if “SFF” refers to a board or a system.

There are no true system standards for rugged, embedded systems. The ARINC Specification 404A, which defines Air Transport Rack (ATR) enclosures, is the closest there is to a true system standard, but is more of a guideline for ATR system dimensions and mounting. System designs are driven by the requirements of each application, such as the type of cooling (forced air, con-duction, convection, and so on), SWaP constraints, input power, physical dimen-sions, weight, type of connectors, and environmental and EMI requirements; one size does not fit all.

For the purposes of this discussion, SFF encompasses board-level industry standards smaller than 3U form factors (a “U” is a 1.75" unit for measuring the height of equipment intended for use in a 19" or 23" system rack), such as 3U CPCI and 3U VPX, with a market of COTS products available from multiple vendors. A number of SFFs fit these criteria, including PrPMC, PC/104, EBX, COM Express, and Qseven. SFF systems are simply defined as systems that utilize SFF boards.

Options for building SFF systems todayTwo viable SFF standards for rugged systems that stand out among the pack are PC/104 and COM Express. While both present rugged system designers with many advantages, they are suited for different applications.

PC/104 is small (3.6" x 3.8"), self-stacking, and provides a level of inherent

COM Express and PC/104 meet the needs of rugged SFF systemsBy Dave Barker

THE BIG YET SMALL PICTURE Rugged and military


ruggedization. PC/104 has been a standard for 20 years, with a well-established ecosystem of available SBCs, I/O boards, and system-level components. Supporting primarily lower-end embedded processors such as the Intel Atom processor, PC/104 is suited for low- to mid-level military control applications.

The COM Express specification defines processor subsystems and their associated I/O. A COM Express module includes a processor, memory and flash, and the I/O that is provided by the processor and any associated chipset. There are four defined sizes of COM Express modules – Mini (84 mm x 55 mm), Compact (95 mm x 95 mm), Basic (125 mm x 95 mm), and Extended (110 mm x 155 mm).

COM Express modules are processor mezzanines; therefore, they must be mounted on a carrier card. In addition to hosting a COM Express module, a carrier can provide other functionality, such as providing application-specific I/O. A typical COM Express module includes Ethernet, serial, USB, SATA, video, and audio, depending on the I/O capabilities of the processor. With a carrier card that provides both COM Express and PMC/XMC sites, an SFF system can be built with a COTS COM Express module for the processing power and a COTS PMC or XMC module for the application-specific I/O.

Choosing the right tool for the jobFor SFF systems that need to function in harsh environments (including extreme temperature, shock, vibration, airborne contaminants/dust, humidity, altitude, EMI) a ruggedized, conduction-cooled COM Express module may be required. Even though the COM Express specification only defines modules for use in air-cooled, benign environments, conduction cooling and ruggedization can easily be supported with features such as soldered memory, designing and testing for extended solder joint reliability, additional mounting holes, Class III PCB fabrication and assembly, lead-based solder, and conformal coating, without violating the specification.

COM Express has characteristics that are important for deployed military SFF applications: superior thermal properties, support for high-performance Freescale QorIQ and Intel Core i7 processors (in large part because of the thermal properties), support for ruggedization and conduction cooling, and easy integration of applica-tion-specific I/O.

A determining factor of system performance is the amount of heat that can be removed from the system’s processor. In general, the higher a processor’s perfor-mance the more power it consumes, creating more heat that needs to be removed from the system.

In PC/104 systems, the processor is sandwiched between modules, making it more difficult to get the heat out of the processor, especially in conduction-cooled appli-cations where the heat has to be conducted to the walls of the chassis and then to a cold plate (Figure 1). PC/104 has done very well in low- to mid-level control

Figure 1 | In a stack of PC/104 modules with the PC/104 SBC at the bottom of the stack, the heat from the processor must travel through the heat frame to the side wall of the chassis.

PC/104 SBC

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applications supporting low- to mid-level processors and even some higher end processors in air-cooled applica-tions. However, there is little, if any, PC/104 ecosystem for conduction-cooled SBCs utilizing the highest performance embedded computing processors, such as the Freescale QorIQ or the Intel Core i7 processors that are deployed in high-end Command, Control, Compute, Communication, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Recon- naissance (C4ISR) and Electronic Warfare (EW) applications.

Processors in COM Express-based systems, however, can interface directly to the interior wall of the chassis. This provides a better thermal path and makes it easier to cool the processors, espe-cially in conduction-cooled applications (Figure 2). Consequently, COM Express supports high-performance C4ISR and EW applications due to its ability to support the highest performance embedded processors.

Applying COM Express on the battlefieldSFF systems that are based on COTS COM Express and PMC/XMC modules can be integrated for rapid deployment in a variety of military vehicle and air-craft systems. Utilizing an Intel Core i7 processor COM Express module and a PMC router, an integrated network appliance and router can be deployed in ground vehicles to create Mobile

Ad hoc Networks (MANETs). A Freescale QorIQ P4080 COM Express module and an ADC/DAC XMC module can create a Software Defined Radio (SDR) for deployment in aircraft. A system used to pinpoint enemy fire in an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) can house a Freescale QorIQ P5020 COM Express module and an XMC module that inter-faces to an infrared camera.

The XPand6000 Series from Extreme Engineering Solutions (X-ES) is an example of a COM Express-based SFF system with support for conduc-tion or natural convection cooling. The horizontal, conduction-cooled XPand6002 model (Figure 3) supports a COM Express module, one PMC or XMC for application I/O, and a 1.8" SSD for application storage. The processor on the COM Express module is positioned inside the system against the chassis wall, which is a large heat sink that enables support of high-performance embedded processors.

Because of its ability to run multiple avionics applications simultaneously, an XPand6000 system with a Freescale QorIQ P4080-based COM Express module and a graphics XMC module will be deployed as an avionics glass cockpit system. There is also an effort to uti-lize an XPand6000 system with an Intel Core i7 processor COM Express module and an XMC that provides CANbus and

GPIO interfaces to control an autono-mous ground vehicle.

The right tools are available nowToday there are plenty of existing standards to design SFF systems around utilizing existing COTS products. Together, PC/104 and COM Express can support low- to high-performance SFF system applications. The existing SFFs provide choices to designers and ensure that they will not get locked into a single vendor’s proprietary solution.

Creating a new SFF standard and building the ecosystem takes a lot of work and time, and any SFF system standard will only satisfy a fraction of the SFF application needs. Designers will be better served by having the industry focus on designing SFF sys-tems around existing industry standard COTS products.

Figure 2 | A COM Express module and carrier stack have the processor in direct contact with the chassis wall, which acts as a large heat sink.

COM Express Module

Carrier Card COM Express Connectors

CPU Enclosure

Cold Plate

Figure 3 | The XPand6002 Small Form Factor enclosure supports a rugged, conduction-cooled COM Express module, a PMC or XMC for I/O, and a 1.8" SSD.

Dave Barker is the Director of Marketing at Extreme Engineering Solutions (X-ES). He headed marketing and business development at VMETRO and was the VME product manager at the Motorola Computer Group. Previously, Dave held a number of marketing, technical marketing, and software development roles. Dave has a BS in Computer Science from the University of Pittsburgh and an MBA from the University of Phoenix.

Extreme Engineering Solutions (X-ES) [email protected]

www.xes-inc.com



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The recent combination of COMs and SBCs has offered designers the best of both components’ worlds without their separate disadvantages. While COMs on their own

offer performance scalability, increased product longevity, and greater efficiency for high volumes, they require custom baseboard development, which is often beyond a company’s time and resources. On the other hand, SBCs offer off-the-shelf systems, a short time to market, and other advantages, but switching SBC products involves major re-engineering effort. The two-board COM-based SBC, however, consists of an off-the-shelf COM for processing and a baseboard for I/O, power supply, and connectors, offering the benefits of both compo-nents with the shortcomings of neither. Additionally, in the face of shrinking systems, a two-board unit occupies half the area of an SBC with the same circuitry, with a minimal sacrifice in height.

One component missing from the otherwise efficient and effective COM-based SBC is an industry standard for I/O expansion. This prevents an easy combination of COMs and stackable I/O, offsetting slightly the overall advantage of COM-based SBCs. An open industry standard would provide a wide range of interoperable off-the-shelf products, confi-dence in longevity due to products from multiple vendors, and a ready market due to technology familiarity. The introduction of EmbeddedXpress (EMX) and its accompanying I/O module connector form factor for COM-based SBCs addresses this

issue, and brings together high-performance COM Express and low-power Qseven COMs.

The elements of EMXThe EMX standard’s processor module aligns with two COM Express Types: Basic (95 mm x 125 mm) for the EMX Basic form factor, and Compact (95 mm x 95 mm) for EMX Compact, allowing for easy utilization of these popular COM Express form factors (See Figure 1 on page 22). CPU modules can be Basic or Compact size, and I/O modules are always Compact size and work with all CPU modules. The emerging Qseven form factor (70 mm x 70 mm) also fits within the EMX Compact outline, providing a first for Qseven expansion. EMX adds further flex-ibility by allowing an SBC to consist of either a traditional single board or a two-board COM plus baseboard combination. Both configurations utilize the exact same footprint.

When defining the stacking method for I/O expansion, efficiency, and impact on SBC size, and cost were primary goals, which led to the rejection of PCIe/104 and SUMIT. In addition, these connector options also have an outline and mounting hole configuration that is incompatible with COM Express – four more mounting holes would be needed to address this, making for an odd mix of incompatible shapes and using up PCB space that could be better used for other purposes. Instead, the decision was made to develop a new connector.

The introduction of the EMX form factor and I/O module connector specifications bring the

advantages COM Express and Qseven modules together into the industry’s first standardized

COM-based SBC. This size-efficient, cost-effective standard offers clear advantages over

existing SBC and COM form factors, while providing plenty of I/O flexibility for today’s

applications and future developments.


EMX combines COMs, SBCs, and stackable I/O into an efficient form factorBy Jonathan Miller


resulting in the EMX expansion con-nector that is smaller and lower cost than the alternatives. The connector is located inside the board outline, freeing up more “coastline” (perim-eter space) for I/O connectors and allowing the EMX I/O boards to accommodate more features than other boards of a similar size.

The EMX connector’s size (at 6 mm x 27 mm, less than half the size of other expansion methods) was determined through consideration of the most popular expansion buses, as well as processor and chipset roadmaps of Intel and other chip manufacturers. By only including support for the most-used and most-necessary fea-tures, the connector ensures compat-ibility and cost efficiency (Table 1). The ample reserved pins provide the capacity to support new features as they become available and extend its lifetime.

A notable absence on the connector is PCIe x4, x8, and x16 interfaces. This is due to their rare usage in small form factor systems and their large pin count, which drives up both size and cost. Though these signals were omitted, a second connector can be added to the standard interface if they are needed, thus creating a scalable expansion bus.

The final connector specification compares favorably with alternatives. Measuring in at only a 0.276" bottom height and 0.24" x 1.06" PCB area, the EMX connector offers comparable PCIe x1, USB 2.0, LPC, and SATA interfaces to competing stacking architectures PCIe/104 Type 2 and SUMIT A+B, but at a fraction of the cost ($4.59 per 1,000). In addition, EMX reserves 12 pins for future upgrades (8 more than both main competitors), as well as GPIO and IOReady support (both of which are unsupported by PCIe/104 Type 2 and SUMITA+B). It is well suited to the expansion interfaces

of COM Express and Qseven (See Figure 2 for an illustration of the Qseven carrier board). As well as supporting 4 PCIe x1, 2 USB 2.0, and 2 GPIO interfaces, standard EMX modules also include 1 each of SATA, LPC, and SMBus to further facilitate compatibility.

This is not to say that EMX’s predecessors are poor designs. However, they were developed in the early years of PCIe, when

Figure 2 | The EMX Compact form factor is well-suited – and a first – for Qseven expansion.

EMX Basic COM-based SBC

EMX Compact COM-based SBC (Qseven carrier similar concept)

Figure 1 | Flexible by design, the EMX standard occupies a size and layout that allows for compatibility with a number of different form factors, most notably, COM Express Compact, COM Express Basic, and Qseven modules.



EMX Bus Feature Quantity

PCIe x1 4 links

USB 2.0 2 ports

SATA 1 port

LPC 1 bus, 2 independent clocks

GPIO 2 (for host expansion board communications)

SMBus 1 link

+5 V 7 pins, 7A / 35 W max steady state

+3.3 V 8 pins, 8A / 26 W max steady state

+5 V standby 2 pins, 2A / 10 W max steady state

Ground 15 pins

Reserved 12 pins

Table 1 | The EMX bus connector contains only optimum interfaces for current and future needs in a compact space.

customer needs were less understood. With the passage of time, customer needs have become clearer, enabling the devel-opment of a more optimized expansion connector.

EMX keeps its coolThermal management is a big concern for embedded systems, and EMX has addressed this challenge with a highly efficient cooling method. All EMX stack configurations have a metallic heat spreader at the bottom that also serves as a uniform mounting surface to a system chassis. The design increases the usable operating temperature range of the electronics and keeps components cooler inside the box than a traditional SBC heat sink approach.

With a heat sink, the system’s inside air temperature reaches 84 °C and the CPU 105 °C – a warm 33 °C above ambient tem-perature. In contrast, a conduction-cooled EMX system with a heat spreader reaches 79 °C inside – less than 10 °C over ambient temperature – and the CPU stays at a cooler 82 °C. This configuration also allows I/O modules to be installed above the conduction-cooled SBC, whereas installation is undesirable, difficult, or even impossible with an SBC that has a tall profile heat sink.

Paving the way for future small form factor developmentCOM-based SBCs are attractive for many reasons, including the ability to use a wide range of COMs with varying levels of performance, price, and power levels, and easy upgrades by swapping out one COM for another. EMX brings this to another level by integrating COM Express and Qseven modules that were otherwise inefficient choices, due to the need to design complex carrier boards, into an interoperable, off-the-shelf format. And with a new I/O expansion connector that is opti-mized for size, cost, interconnectivity, and flexibility for future upgrades, the long lifecycle COM-based SBC can last even longer in this ever-changing industry.

Jonathan Miller is Founder and President of Diamond Systems Corp. Jonathan is the company’s CTO, CEO, and strategic visionary. He holds a B.S. in Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Diamond Systems Corporation [email protected] www.diamdondsystems.com

EDITOR’S CHOICE

A wide range of I/O in SWaP-constrained spacesUAVs, aircraft, and ground vehicles are tough applications to design for, with SWaP restrictions and deployment in harsh environments. And with other increasing data collection roles, the demands are even higher for performance. Ballard Technology hits the target with its AB3000 Series rugged computer family. The extended-temperature units are conduction- or convection-cooled and meet several MIL standards to handle rugged environments in a 5.5" x 7.75" x 2.75" package.

A plethora of I/O options in 100+ configurations prepares the device to handle a wide range of avionics and general computing tasks. It includes up to 4 channels MIL-STD-1553, up to 24 channels ARINC 429, up to 4 channels ARINC 708, up to 2 channels (biphase/bipolar) ARINC 717, and up to 48 programmable Avionics Discrete I/O channels for avionics applications, in addition to general computing audio, 2x Ethernet (10/100/1000), 2x USB 2.0, 4x RS-232/423/422/485, and more. PMC expansion is also available for other interface capabilities such as Ethernet switches, serial and CANbus interfaces, mass storage, and analog interfaces. 8 GB SSD storage comes standard with a 32 GB option available, and 2 GB RAM. The unit is powered by a 28 VDC nominal power supply and complies with MIL vehicle and avionics power standards (MIL-STD-1275/704). Ballard Technology also offers an Embedded Linux SDK with other OSs optional, and additional software packages for data analysis and presentation are available. The Intel Atom E680T-powered unit shines in a range of avionics and ground vehicles for video tasks, data recording, voice and visual processing, communications, and other applications.

Ballard Technology | www.ballardtech.com | www.smallformfactors.com/p368950

Allowing UAVs to get the big pictureRecently UAV use has picked up speed in military and civilian surveillance and monitoring tasks, and we can expect to see more development, in part because of the DoD’s push for a smaller, more agile, and more connected defense plan. For UAV missions to be successful, quality video capture is a must. Advanced Micro Peripherals applies PCI/104 to the task with its H264-HD2000 Video Encoding Card. The single-board encoder pairs high-quality video with ultra-low encode latency (<40 ms), which allows for clear real-time visual feedback for situational awareness – essential to, for example, remote control applications like UAV and ground vehicle surveillance.

The 3.6" x 3.8" card is available with extended temperature operation (-40 °C to +85 °C) for rugged environments. Its encoding engine can handle full-frame rate encoding of two HD video sources at up to 1080p30, or a single source at 1080p60. It can duplicate a single video stream input for multiple encodings at different resolutions. Ports include digital DVI input (DVI/HDMI) and analog HD input (YPbPR/analog RGsB/VGA) for both analog and digital support. The H.264/MPEG-4 AVC (Part 10) encoder features intra-refresh to improve bandwidth utilization, motion detection, and video masking. Other applications include electronic news gathering, solid-state digital video recorders, and traffic monitoring and control.

Advanced Micro Peripherals | www.ampltd.com | www.smallformfactors.com/p365878


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Gigabit Ethernet port(s)

Digital I/O with Event Sense

Outstanding Technical Support Extended Temperature Operation

Long-life Intel® Atom™ CPUs

SATA & CompactFlash interface

Industry Standard Platforms

Software Support

Simultaneous VGA & LVDS video

Eight USB 2.0 ports Four async serial ports

EBX

EPIC

PC/104

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