Oct./Nov. 1998 Vol.9 Embedded PCs for Automation Embedded PCs for Automation Embedded PCs for Automation Embedded PCs for Automation Embedded PCs for Automation ADVANTECH CO., LTD. www.advantech.com/epc E-Mail:epc@acl.advantech.com.tw Tel:886-2-2218-4567 Fax:886-2-2218-3875 WHAT�S INSIDE TINY PC/104 CPU MODULE BREAKS SIZE BARRIERS §§§§§ Advantech Intro- duces Its Revised Multimedia SBC (p. 2) §§§§§ Popular LVDS Demo Kit Now Available (p. 3) §§§§§ Advantech’s IDE Flash Module Upgraded (p. 3) §§§§§ Product Upgrades & Information (p. 4) §§§ Application Stories §§ (p. 5) §§§ Marketing §§ Kaleidoscope (p. 6) Advantech’s New PCM-3345 PC/104 CPU Module Advantech’s new PC/104 module, the 486 DX 66 MHz equivalent from ST PCM-3345, is truly an all-in-one CPU Thompson (STPC). It’s unique for a board, yet its form factor is only that of a 486-based CPU in that its front side bus standard PC/104 module (90 x 96 mm). runs at 66 MHz, instead of only 33 MHz This makes it one of the smallest com- like Intel 486 CPUs. Also, since it’s plete SBCs on the market. integrated on board, there is no need to configure CPU frequency or voltage. Also All On Board! included on board is 8 MB of SO DIMM (with a 16 or 32 MB option). Extra memory Even though this module is so tiny, it still comes in handy because of this board’s contains everything that a full-fledged shared VGA memory capability. computer requires. Its on-board CPU is a See PCM-3345 on page 2 PCM-3345 from page 1 Product Upgrade There’s More... Advantech Introduces Its Revised This module supports ATX power (allowing for remote Multimedia SBC power-on) and watchdog timer protection. Its small size doesn’t limit the number of ports or connectors, either. Advantech has recently upgraded its PCM-5862E/5862EL On board, there are two serial and one parallel ports, Pentium MMX SBC (with VGA/LCD, Ethernet and op- tional audio), which now has several advantages over the earlier PCM-5862/5862L. The most important modi- fication is an upgrade in Ethernet speeds from 10Base- T to 100Base-T, allowing for faster and more versatile communication options. An ATX power supply allows for PCM-3345 one FDD connector and one IDE connector, allowing for as much peripheral expansion as most much larger size PCM-5862E/5862EL SBCs. This board also supports one compact Flash card for use as an emulated HDD (any CFA approved power control signaling and automation, unlike other compact Flash card can be used). Advantech provides power supplies. Lastly, the PCM-5862E/5862EL employs several size options of compact Flash cards (up to a new, improved chipset, the RTL 8139A. 40 MB). Add-on Possibilities Other Improvements Important Too The PCM-3345 has on-board VGA support for CRTs, but if your application requires LCD, you can purchase Another important modification is a more flexible switch- Advantech’s newly upgraded PCM-3521 Flat Panel/CRT ing power supply. Whereas before only 4 voltage levels VGA PC/104 module. To increase the usable distance were selectable, now 15 are available (from 2.1 V to 3.5 of your LCD, you can consider using Advantech’s V in 0.1 V increments), allowing for freer selection by PCM-3540T/R LVDS transmitting and receiving modules the user of CPU brands and speeds. Also, tempera- for ranges of up to 12 meters (see story on next page). tures should be lower due to the appropriate use of Increasing the range of LCD displays from 30 cm to 12 voltage settings. meters opens up a whole new range of application pos- Application Possibilities sibilities. This powerful, compact SBC promises nearly unlimited Now Accepting Orders application possibilities. Multimedia applications such as Engineering samples of the PCM-3345 will become information kiosks, internet terminals, interactive maps, available in October. If you are interested in acquiring a airport and train station information or control systems, sample for evaluation purposes, or inquire about more etc. Feel free to discuss application options and product information on the PCM-3345, please consult your information more in-depth with Advantech’s many repre- Advantech sales representative. Advantech always strives sentatives and/or application engineers. to satisfy its customers. 2 New Product Popular LVDS Demo Kit Now Available At Advantech’s 15th Anniversary Global Business Development Conference in July, many attendees expressed interest in an LVDS long distance LCD support demo configuration on display there. It linked an Advantech CPU card (PCA-6153 586-based CPU card) to an XGA LCD (Sharp’s 13.8" 36-bit XGA LCD) over 12 meters away by employing Advantech’s PCM-3540T and PCM-3540R modules. Because of the strong interest expressed in this system, EPC has decided to detail it here for your information. This is a complete set, and all components can be purchased from Advantech. The LCD used is a Sharp 13.8" TFT LCD with 36-bit XGA capability. The CPU card is a Pentium- processor based half-size SBC equipped with the C&T 65550 chipset. For more product names and ordering item numbers, please refer to the information and diagram below. If you are interested in this particular setup, or in LVDS Demo Configuration any similar combination, please don’t hesitate to contact an Advantech sales representative. Product Upgrade Advantech CPU board/card: PCA-6153-02A2 (Half-size Pentium CPU card with Advantech’s IDE Flash Module 2 MB video RAM) Upgraded LVDS module: Advantech’s PCD-1230A is a new upgrade of its popular Transmitter: PCM-3540T-00A1 PCD-1230 IDE Flash disk module. This module, like its (including one 44-pin LCD predecessor, has both the advantages of Flash disks cable) (fast and rugged) and IDE HDDs (easy interface and Receiver: PCM-3540R-00A1 configuration). Cable (12 m): PCM-10354-1200 Worthy Improvements Flat panel cable (from PCM-3540R to LCD): Utilizing TSOP instead of LCC packaging for the Flash FPC for Sharp LQ14X03E memory chip, the PCD-1230A is now even more reliable Rev.A101-1 in harsh environments. Another improvement is the in- (Item No.: 1906000002) creased amount of memory supported. This upgrade now LCD: 36-bit XGA TFT LCD, supports Flash disk sizes of 4, 8 and 16 MB, verses Sharp LQ14X03E the previous version’s 2, 4 and 8 MB. One can get all of this now for an even lower price than the original (Item No.: 1304002730) version. For more information, or to place orders, please contact your local Advantech representative today. You may need to modify your CPU BIOS to operate the Sharp LQ14X03E LCD. Please contact Advantech’s Customer Service Department for the modified BIOS. 3 Product Upgrades & Info. Product Information New Features on Upgraded Phase-in/Phase-out List for EPC Pentium POS Board Products Advantech’s newly upgraded POS-560 Rev.B1 Pentium Because of the fast development pace of the computer in- MMX has several advantages over the earlier POS-560 dustry in general, embedded PC products are continually Rev.A1. The most important modification is, similar to being upgraded to take advantage of these new improved, the PCM-5862E/5862EL, a more flexible switching power and often cheaper, technologies. Also, as with the computer supply. Whereas before only 4 voltage levels were se- industry, individual 3rd party chips and other products are lectable, now 15 are available (from 2.1 to 3.5 V), allow- continually being phased-in and phased-out, based on mar- ing for freer selection by the user of CPU brands and ket demand and evolving technologies and standards. Below speeds. Also, temperatures should be lower due to the is a list of Advantech products that have, or are soon to be, appropriate use of the switching power supply. Another phased out, as well as their corresponding replacement important improvement is the use of built-in polyswitches models, most of which have additional or more flexible fea- for COM1-4 voltage protection, verses the previously used tures and often a lower price than the original, phased-out fuses. model. If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to Other Improvements Important Too contact your local Advantech representative. Other improvements include a fixed voltage setting of 5 V Phased-out Phased-in or for SIMMs and 3.3 V for DIMMs (setting jumpers is no Model Replacement Model longer necessary), lithium vs. Ni-MH batteries (safer at PCM-5860-0000 PCM-5862L PCM-4824-0000 PCM-4825L high temperatures and more environment friendly), and PCM-4822-0000 PCM-4823L more versatile keyboard and mouse connectors. Now, in- PCM-4820-0000 PCM4825L/4823L stead of dedicated connectors, the first connector can be 1 PCM-5862E/L used for either keyboard or keyboard and mouse (with a PCA-6151-0002 PCA-6154/L Y-cable) and the second connector can connect to a PCA-6144V-0000 PCA-6145B/L PCA-6143P-0000 PCA-6144S mouse or a keyboard (by jumper setting). Contact PCA-6134P-4100 PCA-6135L Advantech for more details. POS-460-00A1 POS-460-00A2 POS-460-0400 POS-460-40A2 PCA-6154/L Passes CE Certifica- POS-560-00A1 POS-560-00B1 POS-562/L tion PCM-3290-0000 PCM-3290A-0100 PCM-3200 N/A Because quality and safety are extremely important to PCM-3420 N/A Advantech, its policy demands that all products get CE PCM-3510 N/A approval. That being the case, Advantech is happy to PCM-3410 N/A announce that its PCA-6154/L Half-size Pentium MMX PCM-3110 PCM-3110A PCM-3330 PCM-3335 CPU card has officially passed CE approval. Both the 2 PCM-3810-00A2 PCM-3810A-00A1 certificate and the report are available by request (report PCM-3820 PCM-3840 numbers 87072210 for CE and F87072210 for FCC). 3 4 PCM-3520-0000 PCM-3521-00A1 PCM-3920-0000 N/A PCM-3920V-0000 N/A PCD-896 PCD-897 PCD-1230 PCD-1230A 5 PCM-3345 6 PCM-3540 T/R 7 POS-815-0000 POS-810/POS-808 1 Available 10/15/1998 2 Last buy date: 12/31/1998 3 Last buy date: 1/31/1999 4 Available 10/31/1998 5 Available 11/15/1998 6 Available 9/30/1998 7 Last buy date: 10/31/1998 4 Application Stories Industrial PC & Scale Integrated Advantech Inside European into an Affordable Solution Automated Roulette Machine A long-term Advantech partner has chosen the PCA-6153 A European company has combined a range of (Pentium-processor based half-size CPU card with PCI, Advantech SBCs and expansion modules to build an LCD/CRT interface) as the heart of its multirange indus- unmanned roulette machine. Automation saves a lot in trial PC and scale. The highly-precise scale is designed overhead wages in the mid- to long-run, since traditional for use in laboratories or supermarkets, and its pairing roulette tables require eight employees (this one only with a Pentium-level computer allows for flexible and requires 0.3!). This machine can support up to eight extensive software application support for nearly any players at any one time. Each player is equipped with project you are working on. a multilingual display (8 languages), a keyboard, and bill and credit card acceptors (optional). Why Advantech? Advantech’s PCA-6153 was chosen because it comes with LCD interface and is designed for Pentium processors. Advantech Inside Maybe an even more important reason why Advantech was chosen over its competitors was because of pre- and Each roulette machine uses nearly two dozen Advantech post-sales service. The quality and reliability of this ser- components. Each of the eight player ’terminals’ uses a vice has been important, not only for this project, but also PCM-3864 386-based SBC with VGA/LCD interface in con- for an on-going project (based around Advantech’s junction with a PCD-1230 IDE Flash disk module with 2 PCM-4862) and possible future projects (based around MB of memory. Each of these ’terminals’ is connected to Advantech’s PCM-4823 and Windows CE). a ’server’ by means of an RS-485 connection. This server is composed of a PCM-4825 486-based SBC with VGA/ Alternative Application Ideas LCD and audio, also in conjunction with a PCD-1230 IDE Besides this example, there are several similar kinds of Flash disk module with 2 MB of memory. By exploiting applications in which Advantech products can be used 386-based boards for terminals and 486-based boards as efficiently and effectively. Temperature or pressure mea- servers, a significant cost savings was achieved. Using suring systems and lab- or factory-based sensor moni- IDE Flash modules also makes the system more rugged toring networks are only a few examples. and tolerant of the bumps and vibrations inherent in pub- licly operated devices. Your Total Solution Alternative Application Ideas These kinds of applications only touch the tip of the ice- berg of potential uses for Advantech’s large array of in- Beside using this setup simply as a roulette table, virtu- dustrial grade computing products. These powerful, flex- ally the same configuration could be used in any multiple ible, yet inexpensive components can serve as the solu- player games or other multiple user applications. For ad- tion for nearly any systems integration problem that you ditional ideas and/or ordering information, contact your may have. Contact your Advantech representative for more local Advantech representative today. detailed information. 5 Announcement EPC’s Volume 91 Master Catalog Goal of Leadership in Automation Available in Decenber Emphasized at Conference Advantech EPC group’s new Master Catalog, volume 91, From July 14 through 16, Advantech held its Global Busi- will contain all of EPC’s popular products, as well as doz- ness Development Conference to celebrate its 15th year ens of new products developed to meet the needs of an anniversary. The conference was held at Tashee Resort, a expanding embedded PC marketplace. With this guide, 5-star resort located not far from Taipei. Hundreds of guests Advantech hopes to ease the product selection process for its customers, with whom we wish to create new busi- ness possibilities and partnerships. The pilot run is set for the end of Oct. 1998. On Oct. 30, EPC will begin to take customized version orders. Mass printing will be avail- able by the end of December. AE Training in D�sseldorf on Sept. 28-29 Each year, the EPC group holds three Application Engi- neering training sessions for its regional distributors, rep- resentatives, and customers: one in the U.S., one in Asia, and one in Europe. This year’s European AE training ses- sion will be held in D�sseldorf on Sept. 28-29. attended, including Advantech’s overseas vendors, manufac- turers, distributors and customers, as well as many interna- Product Searches Are Now a tional and local members of the media and other industry VIPs. Representatives from Intel, Microsoft, Sharp and Snap on EPC’s Web Site Intellution gave well-received keynote speeches. Finding exactly the kind of product with the right This meeting was the first where all of Advantech’s division specifications for your needs is now just a few mouse groups (IC, IA, EPC and PPC) were represented. The theme clicks away. By accessing EPC Web site’s new search page, one can identify the individual features required in an easy, step-by-step fashion. Simply click on the Product Search icon on EPC’s home page to access this function. We welcome you to try it for yourselves at the follow internet address: http://www.advantech.com.tw/epc EPC Q4 Trade Show Schcdule Show Name Region Preiod Embedded System Conf. London/UK Sept. 7-9 was how to build on the experience of Advantech’s first 15 Comdex/Asia Singapore Sept. 23-25 years to become a leader in industrial automation in the 21st World PC Expo'98 Japan Sept. 30-Oct. 3 century. After the first day’s speeches and receptions, at- PC Developers' Conf. & Expo Paris/France Oct. 5-8 tendees met in group-specific conferences to discuss and share issues and experiences with each other. Everyone con- Electronica Munchen Nov. 1 0-1 3 sidered both the content and the location of this conference Comdex/Fall Vegas/US Nov. 1 6-20 as excellent. 6