Modular approach cuts custom controller costs

A new range of products and services, aimed at those developing embedded-PC display solutions, is now available from Anders Electronics.

A new range of products and services, aimed at those developing embedded-PC display solutions, is now available from Anders Electronics.

By allowing developers to choose from a wide range of product options, coupled with extremely high levels of support, Anders offers an approach to customised SBC (single board computer) development, offering significantly reduced cost (even for small quantities) and time to market.

Today, the demand for dedicated SBC solutions, providing customised functionality, I/O and software support in the minimum of space, is increasing rapidly, especially in areas such as datacomms, telecomms, retail and advertising, consumer electronics, medical equipment, industrial control, transportation and avionics.

To develop such solutions, with the required functionality, operating system and physical connections, developers often use standard SBCs.

However, this usually results in an overspecified (and therefore unnecessarily expensive) solution, due to the prohibitive component and development cost of customising a board in small quantities.

The new offering from Anders addresses these issues.

Based on a range of extremely small high-performance PC-on-chip processor modules ("core modules") and baseboards (which implement the functions of the core module), the new Anders range allows customers to choose from many different options, enabling them to cost-effectively meet their exact requirements for quantities down to a single SBC.

The range of core modules, with speeds from 400 to 1260MHz, are designed for piggyback attachment to a custom application via miniature high-density connectors, and offer a wide choice of memory and I/O.

Operating systems such as DOS, Linux, VxWorks, Windows CE or Windows 98/NT are supported, and BIOS and O/S packages are available.

Solutions based on these products will prove particularly useful for companies needing to develop a custom SBC to meet, for example, a restrictive form factor.

Because Anders' core modules are approximately matchbox-sized, they are small enough to fit onto almost any size and shape of custom baseboard.

Anders also offers a range of compatible baseboards, ready to connect to the module, which offer many options on memory and I/O.

Anders also offers a uniquely high level of support.

Unlike most SBC manufacturers, who do not enjoy a strong reputation for software support (particularly for porting applications and operating systems onto the boards), Anders offers a complete support service.

This includes operating system support, BIOS software, software drivers and LCD panel support.

Anders also offers evaluation kits for development purposes.

Through Anders' core modules and baseboards, developers have access to a level of performance and cost-effective flexibility that is unavailable through other approaches.

Unlike most other suppliers of low-cost SBCs, Anders offers not just an SBC but a hardware platform complete with flat panel, touch screen, cables and software drivers, ready to run the developer's applications code immediately.

This frees developers to focus on their own applications and market opportunities.

Anders' software and systems support will ensure that the transition from development to production is fast and easy.

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