Product category:
Embedded Computing and Control
News Release from: Ampro Computers | Subject: Ampro ETX 550
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 21 January 2005
Rugged module embeds full PC
functionality
Ampro Computers has created the rugged Ampro ETX 550 computer-on-module (COM) as a lower cost alternative to the Intel CPU-based Ampro ETX 700.
Ampro Computers has created the rugged Ampro ETX 550 computer-on-module (COM) as a lower cost alternative to the Intel CPU-based Ampro ETX 700 Ampro offers system OEMs a choice of 300MHz Via Eden ESP 3000, 533MHz Eden ESP 5000 or 1GHz Eden ESP 10000 processors
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 21 May 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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The Ampro ETX 550 has the same capabilities as other Ampro rugged products including 2.4mm thick circuit board (PCB) for rigidity, extended temperature operation from -40 to +85C, conformal coating option for moist and corrosive environments, resistance to shock and vibration and Ampro's industry leading embedded BIOS extensions.
Equally unique to Ampro ETX products is the choice of short or tall module connectors, which allows baseboard components to be placed under the module without violating connector specifications.
This announcement extends the Ampro ETX product line from 300MHz Via Eden to 1.4GHz Low Voltage Pentium M 738 (with performance equivalent to a 2GHz Pentium 4).
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"Ampro is proud to broaden its rugged ETX product offering, while other ETX suppliers continue to fail to deliver a solution that meets the needs of ETX users who require extended temperature operation and rugged resistance to shock and vibration", said Joanne Mumola Williams, President and CEO of Ampro.
"Ampro's long-term experience with wide temperature support, conformal coating, and HALT testing can fix the problems that military, transportation, industrial, and medical OEMs are experiencing with desktop grade ETX modules that are not suitable for rugged applications".
One of the techniques Ampro employs in its rugged ETX 700 modules is the use of a 50% thicker PCB, the same thickness as its LittleBoard and EnCore products.
The thicker board provides extra rigidity needed to avoid flexing the board during installation on a baseboard as well as extra copper to smoothly dissipate heat throughout the module.
Ampro uses temperature and voltage margin testing early and throughout the design phase to ensure that Ampro ETX modules meet the demands of rugged applications.
Besides board thickness, Ampro has re-used other techniques from its earlier single board computer designs to achieve ruggedness.
A white paper describing how Ampro's proven approach to rugged design is applied to ETX modules can be found on the Ampro website.
The Ampro ETX 550 module features a choice of Via Eden processors plus all the component subsystems expected in a state-of-the-art COMs module.
The module includes a 10/100BaseT Ethernet controller and an advanced AGP 4X video controller with CRT and flat panel support through the standard baseboard LVDS interfaces.
Other onboard controllers provide AC97 sound, four USB ports, two full modem TTL serial ports (RS232/422/485 transceivers are added on the baseboard) and all standard PC architecture elements.
Full PCI and ISA expansion capability are provided to the baseboard.
Embedded enhancements added by Ampro include watchdog timer, battery-free boot (in case the battery for CMOS settings fails or is not installed for harsh environments), USB boot, serial console, and BIOS recovery.
Optional LAN Boot supports loading the operating system over the Ethernet port using protocols such as PXE or DHCP.
Ampro offers a 3-year warranty that covers optional extended temperature testing and conformal coating.
The Ampro ETX 550 is available for evaluation, with production quantities available beginning in late January.
Prices start at under $300 in production quantities.
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