solutions in single board computers

ADLINK product range

Computer on modules

ADLINK’s building blocks for IoT systems come with an intelligent middleware stack called Smart Embedded Management Agent (SEMA). SEMA is essentially a board controller and toolset that collects system health data and transmits this information to the cloud using the secure SMP protocol. Small IoT devices are often based on Computer-on-Modules (COMs), enabling performance and versatility in a very small footprint. ADLINK’s COMs address a spectrum of power and performance options in standards that include COM Express®, Qseven® and SMARC® (Smart Mobility ARChitecture). These solutions provide solid options for graphics-intensive, mobile, applications, such as medical imaging and emergency response.

With the Computer-On-Module (COM) approach, all generic PC functions are readily available in an off-the-shelf core module. A custom designed carrier board complements the COM with additional functionality that is required for specific applications. The carrier board provides all the interface connectors for peripherals such storage, Ethernet, keyboard/mouse, and display.

Computer-On-Modules allow system developers to focus on their core competencies and the unique functions of their systems. The end result is a compact, high-performance system designed in a shortened development time. This approach greatly enhances productivity and reduces time to market.

PC/104 family, small-form factor

ADLINK products include the most rugged offerings in the industry, Single Board Computers (SBCs) in popular compact form factors for embedded applications, and rugged systems with field-proven reliability, durability, and performance.

ADLINK PC/104 family products provide unmatched fanless operation over temperature extremes, resistance to shock and vibration, conformal coating, embedded BIOS, and a long product life reputation. The products continue to distinguish itself as an Extreme Rugged™ product for a multitude of applications.

The ADLINK EPIC high-performance, feature-rich SBC have been used stand-alone or as a base with stacked electronics for long lifecycle embedded applications, requiring extreme ruggedness, reliability, high-performance processing, networking and video; such as medical equipment, networked systems, building automation, kiosks, gaming, industrial applied computing and control devices.

Industrial motherboards and SBC

The embedded market is now transitioning from traditional fixed-function and isolated embedded systems to a new category of intelligent systems, offering vastly enhanced user experience while dramatically increasing the flow of information between cloud systems and data centres. ADLINK’s intelligent computing platforms provide a core for intelligent systems, maximizing flexibility of Intel processors, and enhancing productivity, safety, and efficiency.

Outstanding Performance

• Superior multitasking with quad-core Intel® core™i7 processor, fanless operation
• With ADLINK MSDK+ support, increase 250% speed in transcoding and offload 76% CPU loading

Superior Manageability

• Hardware ready for Intel® vPro™ technologies, reducing management costs
• ADLINK SEMA enabled, monitoring health and access to management utility

Reliable Security

• Surge protection for GbE and COM ports for outdoor applications
• 3 internal storage devices w/ RAID 0/1/5 for data integrity

Optimized Connectivity

• Extra power for USB 3.0 ports, easy connection with higher power consumption devices
• 4 COM ports and 2 Intel® GbE ports with surge protection
• 3 independent displays, includes 2 DisaplayPort and 1 DVI-I
• 2 mPCIe for mobile module usage

Extreme Rugged™

Our Extreme Rugged boards and systems are designed for harsh environments from the ground up. To support the extremes of shock, vibration, humidity, and temperature, care is given to component selection, circuit design, PCB layout and materials, thermal solutions, enclosure design, and manufacturing process. Robust test methods, including Highly Accelerated Life Testing (HALT), ensure optimal product design phases and meet stringent requirements such as -40°C to +85°C operating temperature range, MIL-STD, shock & vibration, and long-term reliability.

Rugged™

Our Rugged products achieve a middle ground between industrial and Extreme Rugged applications that experience less shock and vibration and operate within a -20°C to +70°C temperature range. PC-style connectors are used to simplify cabling because shock and vibration are minimal. Thermal solutions and other system components are designed for indoor and light outdoor environments.

Diamond Systems product range

Single Board Computers

Diamond System’s line of compact, rugged single board computers (SBCs) are based on a variety of power/performance microprocessors, ranging from the 800MHz Vortex86SX to Intel’s latest Atom and Core2 Duo CPUs.

These products conform to popular embedded form-factors like PC/104, PC/104-Plus, EMX, EPIC, EBX, COM Express, and ETX. Built-in interfaces include standard functions, such as VGA/LCD graphics, USB, Ethernet, serial ports, parallel, IDE, SATA, floppy, keyboard/mouse, and audio.

2-in-1 SBCs from Diamond Systems combine the core computing capabilities of a typical embedded SBC with a complete analogue and digital data acquisition sub-system, resulting in a thinner, lighter, more rugged, and easier to assemble embedded computing platform. All our 2-in-1 SBCs offer I/O expansion using industry standard expansion modules for access to even more functionality.

Some of our SBCs feature conduction cooling through the use of heat-spreaders for improved ruggedness and reliability. Most products support -40ºC to +85ºC and +5V-only operation as standard features, and all of our SBCs are fanless for enhanced reliability.

COM-Based Single Board Computers

Diamond Systems is the pioneer of small form factor COM-based single board computers using industry standard computer-on-modules (COMs), full featured I/O baseboards, and integrated thermal solutions.

Benefits of COM-Based SBCs:

• Scalable CPU performance and long life
• High feature density
• Access to the latest CPU technology
• Compact size
• Single vendor solution
• Reduced time to market
• Reduced purchasing/logistics/total cost of ownership

Since virtually all of today’s embedded processors offer limited lifecycles of 5-7 years, any long-life product dependent on a single-board computer (SBC) is guaranteed to require redesign sometime during its lifecycle. Typical industrial product lifecycles of 10-20 years (as is common in military, transportation, and medical products) may call for 2, 3, or even 4 such redesign efforts. Such efforts can be extremely costly, not only in terms of the actual design activity but in terms of inventory management, documentation management, manufacturing changeover, and after-market service as well.

When (not if) the COM reaches the end of its life, it can be replaced with a newer COM with relative ease, while the rest of the system, including the I/O, power supply, connectors, cabling, and physical dimensions remain exactly the same. In this way long lifecycles are much more easily supported. In addition, customers can create multiple configurations of their systems, selecting a different COM for each one based on price, performance, and power considerations.

A COM-based SBC combines the high-performance processing and leading-edge system I/O capabilities of COMs with the modular expansion flexibility of stackable single board computers, all within a single compact, rugged, reliable, pre-integrated module. Additionally, the modules’ large thermally-conductive baseplate provides both an efficient cooling solution and a standardized mounting-hole pattern that ensures interchangeability for alternate features or performance upgrades.

These SBCs consist of three layers, as illustrated below. The central core is its COM layer. Below the COM layer is the thermally-conductive baseplate layer. Above the COM layer is the application layer, which provides I/O interface connectors, expansion module sockets, and in many cases additional functionality.

This innovative design provides optimal thermal management, and makes it possible to integrate complete embedded-PC functionality plus a full set of peripheral interface header connectors, stackable I/O expansion, a variety of expansion sockets, an on-board flashdisk, and extra features such Ethernet interfaces, serial ports, and an on-board DC/DC power supply — all within compact, industry standard small form factors such as COM Express or ETX.

These highly integrated board-level subsystems can be used as plug-and-play embedded components or as platforms for application development and reference designs.