Nuremberg / San Jose / Paris, April 4, 2006: Right on time for the ESC Embedded Systems Conference in San Jose and for RTS Embedded Systems in Paris, MEN presents the new single-board computer D6, a CompactPCI board in double Eurocard format. The Pentium M-based D6 uses the latest Intel server chipset 7520 and offers thus access to new technologies like SATA and PCI Express. This enables completely new applications with high communication speed and computing performance requirements. Long-term availability until at least 2011 and RoHS conformity guarantee that the user’s project is future-safe.
HIGH RELIABILITY AND FLEXIBILITY – LOW LOSSES
The D6 is a 64-bit/66-MHz system slot board in double Eurocard format based on a high performance Pentium M processor with 2MB level 2 cache, 533MHz front side bus and up to 2GHz clock frequency. It requires only one CompactPCI slot. The new 7520 Intel server chipset offers inter alia four PCI Express lanes (4×4 or 2×4 and 1×8) for fast communication needs and two SATA Interfaces. The D6 uses one PCIe lane for each of the two Gigabit Ethernet interfaces at the front. The other PCIe lanes are used for connection of one or two XMC modules. PCI-Express meets higher communication requirements which are most important for server applications. For example, 12 Gigabit Ethernet connections are supported without performance losses.
The D6 is equipped with two serial ATA connections for mass storage as well as with PATA for connection of an on-board hard disk or CompactFlash and offers, in addition, various memory options like 2GB DDR2 DRAM with ECC, as well as non-volatile FRAM and SRAM for safety-critical applications.
In addition to typical PC functions like USB, UARTs and GPIO, the D6 is equipped with an FPGA which enables the configuration of customer-specific I/O functions like serial interfaces, graphics, field buses, digital I/O etc. For example, contrary to other server blades the D6 does not incorporate a short-lived graphics controller because a simple visualization function is instead included in the FPGA. The standard IP core offers 2D graphics with a resolution of up to 1,280 x 1,024 pixels, which can be realized by VGA at the front or by LVDS via rear I/O.
Especially for applications in a safety-critical environments the D6 is equipped with a CPU-independent IPMI controller for control of all management and monitoring functions on the board including temperature supervision.
In combination with a specially developed heat sink, the D6 version with the Celeron M 1GHz processor is suitable for use in an extended temperature range. To provide high resistance to shock and vibration, the board has no socketed components. In addition the card is prepared for coating, for use in humid and dusty environments.
COMMUNICATION, COMMUNICATION, COMMUNICATION
Being a single-board computer for typical Wintel or Linux applications with multiple fast communication and computing requirements, the D6 is suitable for a wide range of telecommunication and data communication appliances like base stations, routers, switches, gateways and other communication-specific control systems. Other typical applications comprise testing, diagnosis and processing of complex real-time algorithms as well as safety-critical appliances like railway control.
Main target markets also comprise telecoms, medical engineering, transportation including stationary railway or airport applications, and aviation and defence.