GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms (GE Fanuc), a unit of GE Enterprise Solutions, has introduced a new bCOM2-L8000 COM Express module and the mITX-945S-ED motherboard. These new platforms can provide the foundation for systems builders, integrators or end users, to create embedded solutions that provide PC functionality in various applications where low power consumption and minimal heat dissipation are required without compromising on I/O capability.
The new platforms are the first from GE Fanuc to feature the Intel Atom processor. Applications that can make use of these new products are likely to be characterized by small size, light weight, and portability, and might include medical, industrial control, security, imaging, digital signage, manufacturing, and gaming where fanless operation may be preferred to minimize noise and/or power consumption and/or maximize reliability. Such applications are often battery- powered, or are reliant on passive cooling. However, those same applications will typically require more I/O functionality than the competing low-power platform solutions available today.
“These new products provide an ideal combination of functionality, price/performance and low power consumption,” said Wayne McGee, general manager, commercial products at GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms. “They extend and complement the solutions we can offer customers and open up new opportunities for system integrators in environments and applications that are presently not well-served. With a superior feature set when compared to alternative low power offerings, they deliver lower power consumption than existing solutions.”
At the heart of both new products is the Intel Atom processor, which was designed specifically by Intel for simple, affordable mobile devices, and which includes numerous features that minimize power consumption and therefore heat dissipation. The bCOM2-L8000 and mITX-945S-ED are both based on the 1.6 GHz version of the Atom, delivering exceptional throughput potential.
The bCOM2-L8000, which is a basic form factor, Type 2 pinout module, features a typical power envelope of only 10 – 12 watts and provides an alternative to the bCOM2-L1000 COM Express module which features higher performance but at the cost of greater power dissipation. Similarly, the mITX-945S-ED complements GE Fanuc’s existing broad range of products based on the Mini-ITX form factor and the Intel Core2 Duo CPU (with which the Intel Atom processor is compatible), but provides an alternative combination of price/performance, I/O functionality and heat dissipation.
The bCOM2-L8000’s extensive I/O capability includes one Gigabit Ethernet port, two Serial ATA interfaces, support for up to two IDE devices and eight USB 2.0 ports, while expansion can be achieved via three PCI Express lanes, with support for up to four devices via the PCI bus – making it a highly flexible choice. Support for up to 2 GBytes of memory, together with audio and graphics (up to SXGA+ resolution) is also provided, giving system integrators a wide range of possibilities for deploying the board.
The mITX-945S-ED is equally well provided with I/O functionality, and includes two Gigabit Ethernet ports, PCI Express and PCI expansion slots, a COM port, two Serial ATA ports, support for up to two IDE devices and four (optionally expandable to eight) USB 2.0 ports. Support for graphics (up to SXGA+ resolution) and audio is also provided. Importantly, the mITX-945S-ED features a 12-volt DC input, eliminating the need for an ATX power supply, and therefore minimizing size, cost and heat even further.