Ibase announced a “5.25-inch” single board computer (SBC) that supports Intel's 2.53GHz Core i7-610E or 2.13GHz Core i3-300E. The IB957 offers up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, HDMI and DisplayPort video outputs, four SATA II ports, and a Mini PCI Express expansion slot, according to the company.

The 5.25-inch SBC format, actually measuring 8.0 x 5.75 inches, is relatively uncommon compared to the smaller 3.5-inch format, which is also favored by Ibase. Last January, Advantech announced its PCM-9593, which combined the larger form factor with Intel's then-new, embedded-oriented Core processors, and we now have another such offering.

Ibase's IB957
(Click to enlarge)

Like the PCM-9593, Ibase's IB957 (above) uses Intel's QM57 Express chipset (block diagram, here). The board is said to be offered with a choice of two soldered-on CPUs: the 2.53GHz Core i7-610E, with dual cores and 3.2GHz TurboBoost speed, or the dual-core, 2.13GHz Core i3-330E.

According to Ibase, the IB957 accepts up to 8GB of DDR3 memory via two DIMM sockets, and it also sports four SATA II ports, allowing attached drives to be configured in RAID 0 or RAID 1 arrays. Other interfaces on top of the board (below) include two 18/28-bit LVDS connectors and four USB 2.0 pin headers, the company says.

Details of the IB957

Ibase didn't picture the IB957's coastline from the side, nor is the company's data sheet specific, but it would appear that the edge of the board has four "real world" video ports: VGA, DVI-D, HDMI, and DisplayPort. Also apparently on the edge are a gigabit Ethernet port, four Type A USB 2.0 ports, plus 3.5mm audio jacks.

The IB957 is additionally said to include four serial ports (one RS232/422/425 and three RS232 ports. Ibase further cites a parallel port, two PS/2 ports (for keyboard and mouse), and digital I/O (four in, four out).

According to Ibase, the IB957 has a Mini PCI Express expansion slot and a 256-level watchdog timer. The i7-610E version offers Intel's Active Management Technology 6.0, the company adds.

Features and specifications listed by Ibase for the IB957 include:

• Processor — 2.53GHz Core i7-610E or 2.13GHz Core i3-300E
• Chipset — QM57 Express
• Memory — up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM via two DIMM slots
• Storage — 4 x SATA II ports
• Expansion — Mini PCI Express slot
• Networking — gigabit Ethernet
• Other I/O:
  • VGA
  • DisplayPort
  • HDMI
  • DVI-D
  • 2 x LVDS (via headers)
  • 8 x USB 2.0 (4 via headers and 4 Type A connectors)
  • digital I/O (4 in, 4 out)
  • 4 x serial (1 x RS232/422/485; 3 x RS232; connector types not detailed)
  • 1 x parallel (apparently via header)
  • 2 x PS/2 (apparently via header)
  • audio I/O (apparent 3.5mm jacks; not detailed)
• Power requirements — n/s
• Operating range — 32 to 140 deg. F
• Dimensions — 8 x 5.75 inches

Further information

Ibase did not spell out pricing, operating system support, or availability for the IB957, but the device appears to be on sale now. More information may be found on the company's website, here.

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.