Norco announced a fanless, ultra-compact PC that can simultaneously support Wi-Fi and dual 3G cellular modems. The BIS-6625 includes a choice of Intel Atom E6xx processors, dual Ethernet ports, five USB ports, and room for an SATA-interfaced hard disk drive or SSD (solid state disk), according to the company.

Announced Oct. 19, Norco's new BIS-6625 will doubtless be offered under the company's Habey brand too, as have the company's previous mini-PCs. News of the product was unfortunately unaccompanied by a product page or data sheet, but it seems clear that the device is related to the previously released BIS-6622.

The BIS-6222 appeared in September 2010, and was the first complete PC to adopt the Atom E6xx ("Tunnel Creek") processors Intel had announced the same month. It employed Intel's EG20T ("Topcliff") controller and was offered with three CPU choices: the 600MHz Atom E620, the 1.0GHz Atom E640, and the 1.3GHz Atom E660.

Norco then showed its talent for creating variations on a theme when, last June, it announced the BIS-6622II, BIS-6622III, and BIS-6622IV. These mini-PCs had the same internals as the original, but offered various permutations of back-panel ingredients (such as HDMI ports, serial console connectors, and multiple serial ports).

Varying derrieres on Norco's earlier BIS-6622III (left) and BIS-6622IV (right)
(Click either image to enlarge)

The new BIS-6625 (pictured later in this story) employs what appears to be the same 4.9 x 2.9-inch case as these other models, and we'd readily bet money that its motherboard is exactly the same. However, Norco has added an AFC-443V daughtercard (see block diagram, below) that provides the compact PC with two additional Mini PCI expansion slots.

A block diagram of Norco's BIS-6625
(Click to enlarge)

Now with triple Mini PCI slots, the BIS-6625 accepts a wireless local area networking card as well as two 3G cellular modems. This allows for "cellular redundancy and a more pervasive network," and is ideal for applications where reliability is critical, according to Habey.

The front (left) and rear (right) of Norco's BIS-6625
(Click either to enlarge)

Habey provided few other written details, but the above photographs make clear that the little PC's front panel has two USB 2.0 ports and audio I/O. The rear panel, meanwhile, has three more USB 2.0 ports, two gigabit Ethernet ports, a VGA output, and a serial console port.

The company's release also cited an HDMI port which, however, is nowhere to be seen on the images it supplied. Given that the BIS-6622 is orderable in variants with either type of video output, we assume the same is true of the BIS-6625.

No doubt, the BIS-6625 once again has a 1.8-inch bay, compatible with an SATA hard disk drive or SSD. We expect that operating range is still rated at 14 to 122 deg. F, too, though perhaps filling up all three Mini PCI slots would heat things up a little.

Specifications for the BIS-6625, listed by Norco and supplemented by us with BIS-6222 data, include:

• Processor — 600MHz Atom E620, 1.0GHz Atom E640, or 1.3GHz Atom E660
• Chipset — Intel EG20
• Memory — Up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM
• Storage — 1.8-inch bay for SATA devices
• Expansion — 3 x Mini PCI Express
• Networking — 2 x gigabit Ethernet
• Other I/O:
  • 5 x USB (2 front, 3 rear)
  • audio I/O (mic in and headphone out)
  • VGA
  • HDMI (apparently optionally available)
  • RJ45 port for serial console
• Operating temperature — 14 to 122 deg. F (-10 to 50 deg. C)
• Power consumption — 12VDC via AC adapter; under 10 Watts
• Dimensions — 4.92 x 4.92 x 1.77 inches (125 x 125 x 45mm)

Further information

As noted, no product page was available for the BIS-6625 at the time of writing. One should appear in due course on the Norco website.

Jonathan Angel can be reached at [email protected] and followed at www.twitter.com/gadgetsense.

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