Portwell announced a COM Express module that offers Intel's recently introduced “Arrandale” Core i7/i5/i3 processors or the even newer Celeron P4505 CPU. The PCOM-B216VG-VI includes up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, supports up to four SATA devices, and drives three DisplayPort displays, the company says.

Using the 4.9 x 3.75-inch (125 x 95mm) COM Express format, Portwell's PCOM-B216VG-VI is available with six different processors, ranging from 1.06GHz to 2.53GHz in clock speed. Detailed in the chart below, they include some of the embedded-specific "Arrandale" Core i7/i5/i3 CPUs introduced by Intel in January, plus the 32nm Celeron P4505 the chipmaker quietly released in April.

According to Portwell, the PCOM-B216VG-VI employs Intel's QM57 Express chipset (block diagram, here), and accepts up to 8GB of DDR3 800/1066MHz) memory via two SODIMM sockets. Mass storage is catered for three SATA 300 ports and one eSATA port, the company adds.

Portwell's PCOM-B216VG-VI

Portwell says the PCOM-B216VG-VI has three DisplayPort interfaces — driving HDMI/SDVO, DVI/HDMI, and DVI/HDMI respectively — that support resolutions up to 2560 x 1600 pixels. The module also has seven PCI Express x1 lanes, LPC and SPI interfaces, gigabit Ethernet, and eight USB ports, the company says.

Features and specifications listed by Portwell for the PCOM-B216VG-VI include:

• Processor — see chart earlier in this story for details
• Chipset — QM57 Express
• Memory — Up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM via two SODIMM slots
• Display — Three DisplayPort interfaces support HDMI/SDVO, DVI/HDMI, and DVI/HDMI
• Storage — 3 x SATA and 1 x eSATA
• Expansion — 7 x PCI Express x1; LPC and SPI
• Networking — gigabit Ethernet
• Other I/O — 8 x USB 2.0 ports
• Operating temperature — 32 to 140 deg F (0 to 60 deg. C)
• Power requirements — "TBA"
• Dimensions — 4.9 x 3.75 inches (125 x 95mm)

Like other COM Express modules, the PCOM-B216VG-VI needs a baseboard to share its signals with the outside world. Portwell did not nominate any particular board for this purpose, but one candidate might be the company's ATX-format PCOM-C210, pictured below.

Portwell's PCOM-C210 baseboard
(Click to enlarge)

As the photo above shows, the PCOM-C210 provides a bevy of real-world connectors and expansion interfaces, though we're not sure all of these are usable with the PCOM-B216VG-VI. Portwell says the baseboard has six PCI Express x1 slots, four PCI slots, and a PCI Express x16 slot, but notes that their availability may vary according to what COM Express module is on board.

Similarly, the PCOM-C210 includes two PS/2 ports, four USB 2.0 ports, a gigabit Ethernet port, a parallel port, and a serial port, as pictured above. PS/2 support and parallel functionality are not cited on the PCOM-B216VG-VI's data sheet.

Be that it may, the PCOM-C210 is also said to include four SATA ports and an IDE connector, a Type II CompactFlash slot, and an LVDS port. The board also includes a watchdog timer and an onboard Award BIOS, which may be used instead of the BIOS of the CPU module, Portwell adds.

Availability

Portwell did not release information about pricing or operating system support for the PCOM-B216VG-VI, but the device appears to be available now.

More information on the module may be found on the company's website, here, and more information on the baseboard mentioned may be found here.

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