Artila Electronics announced a Linux 2.6.38-ready 3.5-inch ARM9 industrial single board computer (SBC), notable for its support for up to 1280 x 860-pixel touchscreens. The M-505 is equipped with a 400MHz Atmel AT91SAM9G45 processor, 128MB of DDR2 SDRAM, 128MB NAND flash, plus Ethernet, USB, and serial I/O.

The 5.75 x 4.0 inch M-505, — which updates earlier models like the circa-2008, Atmel AT91SAM9G20-based M-508 — is Artila's first SBC to move up to the 400MHz Atmel AT91SAM9G45. The processor integrates a memory management unit (MMU), and supports DDR2 memory, 100Mbps+ data rates, and LCD touchscreens, says Atmel. It also supports 3.3 V power, and offers a 480Mbps USB interface.

Artila's M-505

The SAM9G45's improved video support enables the M-505 to better serve HMI (Human Machine Interface) applications than its earlier SBCs, says Artila. The SBC stands out by offering VGA output via a real-world coastline port, as well as its support for up to 1280 x 860-pixel LCD and touchscreen displays, says the company.

The M-505 offers 128MB DDR2 SDRAM, 128MB NAND flash, and 2MB data flash for system backup, says Artila. A microSD socket is available for expansion, and there's an option for adding SRAM for battery backup, says the company.

M-505 port detail
(Click to enlarge)

A 10/100Mbps Ethernet port is available on the coastline, and as far as we can see from the detail images above and below, it appears that all of the four USB 2.0 host ports and the lone USB 2.0 device port are real-world coastline ports, as well.

The single RS-232/422/485 port is on the coastline, while three RS-232/485 interfaces are available internally. The board also supplies 16-bit GPIO, internal audio I/O, a real-time clock, and a watchdog timer, says the company.

M-505 dimensions and more internal detail
(Click to enlarge)

Artila touts the M-505 for its recent Linux 2.6.38 distribution, which is preinstalled along with Busybox utilities, the Lighttpd web server, and various hardware device drivers. The GTK+ tool kit and Nokia's Qt 4.0 Embedded are included for developing graphic user interfaces (GUIs), says the company. In addition, a GNU C/C++ cross compiler is said to be available.

Features and specifications listed for the M-505 include:

• Processor — Atmel 400MHz AT91SAM9G45 (ARM9)
• Memory:
  • 128MB DDR2 SDRAM
  • 128MB NAND flash
  • 2MB data flash
  • optional SRAM for battery backup
  • internal microSD slot
• Display:
  • VGA port
  • 24-bit TTL/CMOS interface
  • up to 1280 x 860 TFT resolution
  • 4-wire touchscreen controller
• Networking — 10/100Mbps Ethernet with RJ-45
• Other I/O:
  • 4 x USB 2.0 host ports up to 480Mbps
  • USB 2.0 device/client
  • 3 x RS-232/485 ports
  • RS-232/422/485 port
  • 16-pin GPIO
  • audio I/O
• Other features — watchdog; RTC with buzzer
• Power — 5VDC; 370mA consumption
• Operating temperature — 32 to 158 deg. F (0 to 70 deg. C)
• Dimensions — 5.75 x 4.0 inches (146 x 102mm); 3.5-inch compliant

Availability

No pricing or availability information as provided for the M-505. More information on the M-505 and other Artila SBCs may be found on the company's SBC web page.

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