Advantech launched a flotilla of seven Linux-ready devices using Intel's new, embedded-oriented Core i7 processor. The products include two Mini-ITX motherboards (the AIMB-270 and AIMB-280), a microATX board (AIMB-580), an ATX motherboard (AIMB-780), the PICMG-format PCE-5125, the PCM-9593 “5.25-inch” SBC (single board computer), and the SOM-5788 COM Express module.

Though specific processor support varies by model, Advantech's seven new devices — six of which are shown at right — are all designed to take advantage of the new embedded-specific Core CPUs Intel announced last week, along with the QM57 Express or Q57 Express chipsets. According to the chipmaker, advantages of the new parts include "Turbo Boost" technology that varies clock speed upon demand, integrated graphics cores adequate for "mainstream and casual gaming," plus advanced power-saving that can selectively shut down CPU cores.

Franz Wei, VP of Advantech, stated, "We have taken advantage of such technology to furnish a series of products that can meet multiple requirements such as fanless or compact systems. We have confidence that the new Intel Core i7 processor-based series of Advantech products will stand out from the crowd."

Advantech touts its new Core i7-based devices as "high-end platforms [that] provide targeted performance for multi-tasking and high-quality digital media solutions, adding that "they serve a wide range of applications that include telecom, factory automation, military, medical and gaming." As noted above, there are two new Mini-ITX motherboards, a microATX motherboard, an ATX motherboard, a PICMG (PCI Industrial Manufacturers Group) 1.3 board, a 5.25-inch SBC, and an COM Express module.

Mini-ITX boards

Advantech says its AIMB-270 (below) uses the 6.7 x 6.7-inch Mini-ITX format, includes the QM57 Express chipset, and supports Intel Celeron, Core i5, or Core i7 processors with clock speeds ranging from 1.86GHz up to 2.4/2.66GHz. Two 204-pin DIMM sockets allow memory expansion up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, and the board offers both Mini PCI Express and PCI Express slots, according to the company.

Advantech's AIMB-270

As pictured above, the AIMB-270's "coastline" includes VGA and DVI ports, two Ethernet ports, four USB 2.0 ports, audio (mic in, line out, line in), two serial ports, and two PS/2 ports, says Advantech. Internal connectors add four more USB ports, four more serial ports, four SATA ports, 8-bit digital I/O, plus LVDS and a second DVI output, the company adds.

More information on the AIMB-270 may be found on the company's website, here. We couldn't find a data sheet there, but what appears to be an official copy of same is hosted on the RuggedPCReview website, here.

Advantech's AIMB-280 (below), meanwhile, is another Mini-ITX board that, this time out, uses Intel's Q57 chipset. The board supports Pentium, Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 CPUs ranging in speed from 2.66GHz to 3.33GHz, and offers memory expansion to 4GB of DDR3 RAM (via a single 240-pin slot) plus a PCI Express x16 expansion slot, the company says.

Advantech's AIMB-280

On the AIMB-280's coastline, there are VGA and DVI ports, two Ethernet ports, four USB 2.0 ports, audio connectors (mic in, line out, line in), two serial ports (1 x RS232, 1 x RS232/422/485), and two PS/2 ports. Internal connectors add four more USB ports and four SATA ports, the company says.

More information on the AIMB-280 may be found on Advantech's website, here. The data sheet for the device includes a block diagram, as do those for the other products listed.

microATX motherboard

Advantech's AIMB-580 (below) uses the 9.6 x 9.6-inch microATX (µATX) format, which, as you might expect, gives the motherboard added room for memory and expansion boards. Again, the Q57 Express chipset is employed, with processor support that's said to embrace Pentium, Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 at clock speeds from 2.66GHz to 3.33GHz.

Advantech's AIMB-580

The AIMB-580 has four 240-pin DIMM slots that accept up to 16GB of DDR3 RAM, plus one PCI Express x 4 expansion slot and one PCI Express x 16 slot, according to Advantech. Other internal expansion includes six USB 2.0 ports, two serial ports (1 x RS232, 1 x RS232/422/485), six SATA ports, plus parallel and floppy connectors. The coastline, meanwhile, sports VGA and DVI ports, two Ethernet ports, four USB 2.0 ports, two serial ports, two PS/2 ports, plus audio connectors (mic in, line out).

More information on the AIMB-580, including a data sheet and block diagram, may be found on Advantech's website, here.

ATX motherboard

Advantech's AIMB-780 steps up to the venerable ATX format (12 x 9.6 inches), which gives it room not only for 16GB of DDR3 memory (four 240-pin DIMM slots), but also for four expansion boards (1 PCI, 1 PCI Express x1, 1 PCI Express x 4, and 1 PCI Express x16). Here, the chipset can be either the Q57 Express or the 3400, according to the company. In the latter case, the board supports the 2.53GHz Xeon X3450 introduced last September, while it otherwise supports Pentium, Core i3, Core i5, or Core i7 CPUs at speeds from 2.66GHz to 3.33GHz.

Advantech's AIMB-780

According to Advantech, the AIMB-780's coastline (above) includes both VGA and DVI ports, two Ethernet ports, four USB 2.0 ports, two RS232 ports, two PS/2 ports, and audio connectors (mic in, line out). Meanwhile, internal connectors are said to include ten additional USB 2.0 ports, two more serial ports (1 x RS232 and 1 x RS232/422/485), six SATA ports, plus floppy and parallel connectors.

More information on the AIMB-780 may be found on Advantech's website, here.

PICMG 1.3 board

Moving down in size, Advantech's PCE-5125 employs the PICMG 1.3 format (7.3 x 4.8 inches), which is intended to plug into a passive backplane. This board, too, is available either with the Q57 Express chipset, or with another (the 3450 [PDF link, here]) that supports a quad-core, 2.93GHz Xeon CPU. With the Q57, the board supports Pentium, Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 processors, according to Advantech.

Advantech's PCE-5125

The PCE-5125 (above) accepts up to 8GB of DDR3 memory via two 240-pin DIMM sockets, and has onboard DVI and VGA connectors, plus six SATA ports, according to Advantech. Two gigabit Ethernet ports with RJ45 connectors are also present, plus a PS/2 port that supports both a keyboard and mouse via an included Y-cable, the company adds.

Advantech says the PCE-5125 has parallel and floppy interfaces, two serial ports with pin headers, and thirteen USB 2.0 ports, four of which are connected to the backplane. Speaking of the latter, the device connects four PCI Express x1 busses and four 32-bit, 33MHz PCI masters to the backplane, the company adds.

More information on the PCE-5125 may be found on the Advantech website, here.

5.25-inch SBC

The "5.25-inch" PCM-9593 SBC (below) actually measures 8.0 x 5.75 inches, includes the QM57 Express chipset, and comes with the Intel Core i7 processor clocked at either 1.06GHz or 2.0GHz, according to the company. The SBC supports up to 8GB of memory via two SODIMM slots, and includes three SATA ports, a Type I/II CompactFlash slot, plus two Mini PCI Express slots, Advantech adds.

Advantech's PCM-9593

Interfaces are said to include:

• 2 x gigabit Ethernet
• 6 x serial ports (4 RS232, 2 RS422/485)
• 2 x PS/2 ports
• 6 x USB 2.0 ports
• audio connectors (line in, line out, mic in)
• 1 x parallel

According to Advantech, the SBC also offers external HDMI and DVI-I connectors, plus an internal connector for LVDS displays. Two simultaneous displays are supported, with resolutions up to 2048 x 1536 pixels, the company adds.

At the time of writing, Advantech's website featured neither a product page nor a data sheet for the PCM-9593. We are indebted, therefore, to RuggedPCReview, which is hosting what appears to be an official copy of the latter on its website, here.

COM Express module

Finally, Advantech announced a COM Express module, the SOM-5788, which includes the QM57 Express chipset and supports either a 2.4GHz Core i5 processor or Core i7 processors in 1.06GHz, 1.86GHz, and 2.66GHz speeds. As usual for this 4.9 x 3.75-inch format, there are no external connectors, all signals instead passing through the COM Express Type 2 pinouts to an optional carrier board.

Advantech's SOM-5788
According to Advantech, the SOM-5788 (above) accepts up to 8GB of DDR3 memory via two 204-pin DIMM sockets. Interfaces are said to include eight USB 2.0 ports, four SATA II ports, one EIDE port, 8-bit GPIO, and high-definition audio. Meanwhile, the device also offers an LPC bus, six PCI Express x1 lanes, and one PCI Express Graphics x16 lane, the company adds.

The SOM-5788 additionally has a gigabit Ethernet port, plus the ability to support HDMI, DVI, VGA, and TV output, says Advantech. Maximum resolution is quoted at 2048 x 1526 pixels.

More information on the SOM-5788 may be found on Advantech's website, here.

Availability

Advantech did not release pricing or availability information for its new Core i7-based products, but the devices are all listed as "coming soon" on the product pages referenced above. The devices offer multiple operating system support, including Linux, Windows 7, and Windows XP Embedded, the company stated.

---

This article was originally published on LinuxDevices.com and has been donated to the open source community by QuinStreet Inc. Please visit LinuxToday.com for up-to-date news and articles about Linux and open source.