Product category:
Reference Designs
News Release from: Kontron UK | Subject: MARS
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 21 November 2006
Design shows route to efficient mobile
PSUs
Kontron facilitates the development and implementation of efficient power supplies for mobile applications with the new Kontron MARS modular development platform.
Kontron facilitates the development and implementation of efficient power supplies for mobile applications with the new Kontron MARS (Mobile Application platform for Rechargeable Systems) modular development platform The Kontron MARS is an optimised reference design for ETX, ETXexpress (COM Express-compliant), and microETXexpress solutions and is easily transferable into customer-specific designs
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 30 Jun 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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Apart from management interfaces for smart batteries, helpful power features such as extended input voltage ranges (ie industrial voltage ranges or voltage for in-vehicle PCs), connection possibilities for all ATX voltages, and backup battery support for battery replacement during operation are offered by the modular reference design.
In a first step, MARS will be available as a complete evaluationboard for Kontron's ETX-PM with an Intel Pentium M processor in connection with the ETX-eval starter kit in January 2007.
Additional board support packages for COMs from Kontron will follow in February 2007.
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The Kontron MARS reference design is supplied as an evaluationboard including IP (Intellectual Property) that is ready to use out of the box.
Kontron makes the MARS design layout and switching data available in Orcad format.
Simply copy and paste into the custom baseboard layout.
Customers thereby profit from an extremely short time to prototype.
The Kontron MARS reference design manages up to two smart batteries.
Depending on the application, the smart batteries can be operated with or without the support of the operating system.
Extended energy management can be programmed via the standard SM bus accesses.
Via the Kontron MARS, important data such as state of charge and temperature for the smart batteries, current MARS states, and much more information can be analysed for energy management.
The smart battery system manages the charging and discharging processes of up to two smart batteries in parallel (10% more yield) or serial operation.
Transfer of the SBS state data, eg state of charge and temperature, is done via an SMbus on ETX, ETXexpress and microETXexpress baseboards.
The input buck-boost convertor extends the input voltage range to 5-28V and enables power supply with an ATX power supply unit or DC voltage.
An ATX-compliant power supply is available, through a dual buck convertor, for ETX, ETXexpress and microETXexpress COMs.
It supplies voltages of 5V, 5V_STB, and 12V as well as connection options for - 5V and - 12V or +3.3V via a DC/DC switching controller.
The buck-boost convertor increases the battery output voltage if a backup battery with Vmin below 12V is used.
An evaluation board for the connection of two smart batteries, a manual including functional descriptions, and one SM bus and two ATX power cables are included are included in every Kontron MARS package.
The MARS starter kit from Kontron will be available in January 2007. Request a free brochure from Kontron UK ...
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