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Type 6 COM Express module features Sandy Bridge Cores

Jan 10, 2011 — by LinuxDevices Staff — from the LinuxDevices Archive — 2 views

RadiSys announced a Type 6 COM Express module featuring embedded-specific versions of Intel's “second-generation” Core processors. The Procelerant CEQM67 offers up to 16GB of RAM, five video interfaces, four SATA ports, seven PCI Express x1 ports, and a PCI Express x16 interface, the company says.

Last week Intel announced a bevy of what it called its "second-generation Core products", previously known by their collective "Sandy Bridge" code name. The new processors include a new microarchitecture, a 256-bit instruction set known as AVX (advanced vector extensions), enhanced GPUs (graphics processing units), and dedicated silicon for tasks such as transcoding video from one format to another, according to the chipmaker.

Our Jan. 3 coverage (and Intel's two-days-later press release) listed 15 new mobile offerings and 14 new desktop CPUs in the Sandy Bridge range. Subsequently two more Sandy Bridge CPUs came to light: the Core i7-2715QE (where the "QE" stands for "quad-core embedded") and the Core i5-2515E ("E" is for "embedded").

According to Intel:

  • the Core i7-2715QE has a 2.1GHz clock speed and 3GHz TurboBoost frequency, four cores, 6MB of cache, and a 35-Watt TDP
  • the Core i5-2515E has a 2.5GHz clock speed and 3.1GHz TurboBoost frequency, two cores, 3MB of cache, and a 35-Watt TDP

Eurotech quickly announced a COM Express module, the Adbc8034, that is offered with either of these processors. Kontron then joined the party too with the ETXexpress-SC, offered only with the Core i7-2715QE.

RadiSys' new Procelerant CEQM67 is offered with both the Core i7-2715QE and the Core i5-2515E, along with Intel's QM67 Express "mobile" chipset. Like one version of the Kontron device, it also features a Type 6 pinout, which means that PCI Expansion is sacrificed but there's the potential for up to three DDIs (digital display interfaces).

According to RadiSys, the CEQM67 includes all three DDIs (supporting DisplayPort, HDMI, or SDVO devices), plus dual LVDS interfaces that support resolutions up to 1920 x 1200 pixels. Expansion includes seven PCI Express x1 ports and a PCI Express x16 interfaces, the company adds.

RadiSys says the CEQM67 supports up to 16GB of DDR3 memory in two DIMM slots, plus RAID storage (levels 0, 5, and 10) courtesy of four SATA ports. Also cited are eight USB 2.0 ports via the Type 6 pinout, plus a build option that delivers four more USB 2.0 interfaces via headers.

Other interfaces are said to include LPC, SMbus, I2C, and eight GPIOs. The module offers both a watchdog timer and a Nuvoton (Winbond) WPCT210A trusted platform module, according to RadiSys.

Specifications offered by RadiSys for the Procelerant CEQM67 include:

  • Processors:
    • Core i7-2715QE — 2.1GHz clock speed, 3GHz TurboBoost frequency, four cores, 6MB of cache, 35-Watt TDP
    • Core i5-2515E — 2.5GHz clock speed, 3.1GHz TurboBoost frequency, two cores, 3MB of cache, 35-Watt TDP
  • Chipset — QM67 Express
  • Memory — up to 16GB of DDR3 memory
  • Storage — 4 x SATA ports (support both 1.5 and 3.0Gbps operation; RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10)
  • Display interfaces:
    • 3 x DDI
    • 2 x LVDS (18-bit or 24-bit)
  • Expansion:
  • 7 x PCI Express x1 1 x PCI Express Graphics x16
  • Networking — gigabit Ethernet
  • Other I/O:
    • 8 x USB 2.0 ports (build option provides additional 4 x USB 2.0 via headers)
    • SMbus
    • I2C
    • 8 x GPIO
  • Power — +12 power rail; supports 9~16VDC
  • Operating temperature — 32 to 140 deg. F (0 to 60 deg. C)
  • Dimensions — 4.9 x 3.7 inches (125 x 95mm)

Lorraine Orcino, a product line manager for RadiSys, stated, "RadiSys was a founding author of the original COM Express 1.0 specification and a leading contributor in the revision process for COM Express 2.0. We have reinforced our position as an industry leader by advancing industry standards and designing the RadiSys Procelerant CEQM67 to fit our customers' needs for a COM Express product that transitions their platforms to the next generation processor, graphics and I/O requirements."

Further information

According to RadiSys, the Procelerant is sampling now, with volume production scheduled for the second quarter. Operating system support includes Linux (Red Hat Enterprise and Fedora), as well as Windows 7, Windows XP, and Windows XP Embedded, the company adds.

Further information may be found on the Procelerant CEQM67 product page.


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.



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