Nuremberg, Germany - February 24, 2006: On the occasion of Embedded World 2006 and as one of the first manufacturers, MEN presents for the first time a new single-board computer based on the Intel® Core™ Duo processor and the mobile Intel 945GM Express chip set. With the F15 MEN’s high-performance, Intel-based low-power product line is continued in order to make Intel’s new dual processor technology and fast serial data transfer with PCI Express also available to applications in harsh industrial environments. Long-time availability at least until 2011 and RoHS conformity guarantee that the user’s project is future-safe.
"We regard MEN Mikro Elektronik as a highly qualified member of the Intel Communications Alliance. With their long experience in the development and qualification of embedded hardware for harsh environmental conditions MEN gains new Intel customers in this demanding segment of the embedded solution market," says Stefan Zeilner, Business Development Manager Embedded EMEA at Intel GmbH, Germany.
FROM COMPACTPCI TO COMPACTPCI EXPRESS
The F15 is a 32-bit/33-MHz system-slot or stand-alone single Eurocard and needs only one slot on the CompactPCI bus. The core of the board is formed by the new dual processors of the Intel Core Duo processor family. Both the 1.66GHz variant with 15W and the 2.0GHz variant with 31W offer the advantage of high computing performance with relatively low power dissipation. The new Intel Mobile 945GM Express chip set in the F15 allows for six PCI Express and two SATA lines for fast communication needs besides the conventional PC functions.
On the one hand, the F15 is a system slot board for CompactPCI systems with the bus connectors J1 and J2. On the other hand, the same computer board can be used as a system slot board in a CompactPCI Express system in combination with a PCI Express-compatible side card. For that purpose, some of the available PCI Express lanes are conducted from the F15 to the side card via a board-to-board connector. This side card is equipped with the two newly defined ADF-HF and the eHM connectors. The hybrid backplane for this concept was developed in close cooperation by the rack expert and MEN partner Schroff. The two companies have thus created an uncomplicated and cost-effective solution for the migration from CompactPCI to CompactPCI Express.
The memory of the F15 comprises a DDR2 DRAM with up to 2GB. Unlimited memory space is offered by a CompactFlash slot that can alternatively be equipped with a 1.8GB hard disk.
The standard I/O available at the front panel of F15 includes graphics on a VGA connector, two PCI-Express-driven Gigabit Ethernet interfaces as well as two USB 2.0 ports. The F15 can be extended by different side cards for the use in 6U CompactPCI systems and the realization of additional I/O functions.
Several watchdogs for the monitoring of the processor and board temperature as well as rear I/O support complete the functions of the F15. The board comes with board support packages for Windows, Linux, VxWorks and QNX.
RELIABILITY IN HARSH INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS
The F15 is suitable for a wide range of industrial applications including monitoring, visualisation, control, testing and measuring. Together with a dedicated heat sink the F15 can be used in an extended temperature range. Because of the high requirements regarding shock and vibration the board has no plugged components. The main memory in particular is soldered. In addition the card is prepared with a coating for use in humid and dusty environments. The robust design of F15 together with the low-power processor types of the Intel Core Duo family also allows implementation inside vehicles.