BVM Limited announced an eight-inch panel PC that's available with either resistive or capacitive touchscreens. The AFL-F08A includes a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, a 2.5-inch hard disk bay and a CompactFlash slot, a webcam, plus both 802.11b/g wireless networking and Bluetooth, the company says.

BVM's AFL-F08A joins a growing number of panel PCs that are available with capacitive touchscreens. Capacitive screens offer multi-touch support, when supported in software, and are said to be significantly more damage-resistant than their resistive equivalents.

According to BVM, the projective capacitive touchscreen (PCT) technology used in the AFL-F08A is stronger than steel, and the display's glass surface is resistant to damage from fingernails or even knives. This makes the AFL-F08A suitable for applications in kitchens, museums, restaurant tables, offices, and other high-traffic locations, the company says.

Unlike many panel PCs, the AFL-F08A includes a VGA-resolution webcam, appropriate for videoconferencing or intercom use, says BVM. The company also touts the device's "zero-bezel" design, which avoids crevices by spreading glass across its full width.

Whether fitted with capacitive or resistive touch, the AFL-F08A provides an eight-inch screen with a resolution of 800 x 600 pixels, a 250-nit brightness rating, and a 500:1 contrast ratio, BVM says. LED backlighting is employed, with a rated MTBF (mean time before failure) of 30,000 hours.

According to BVM, the AFL-F08A delivers fanless operation via use of a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, along with the equally familiar 945GSE northbridge and ICH7M southbridge, and maximum DDR2 memory expansion of 2GB. Storage, meanwhile, is provided by a 2.5-inch bay for SATA devices, and by a Type II CompactFlash slot, the company adds.

The AFL-F08A's bottom-mounted ports

Wireless interfaces on the AFL-F08A include both 802.11b/g wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0. The former is provided via an internal Mini PCI Express slot and the latter provided via an internal USB interface, BVM says. Wired interfaces are said to include two serial ports (one RS232, one RS232/422/485), two gigabit Ethernet ports, two USB 2.0 ports, an eSATA port, and line audio output.

Specifications listed for the AFL-F08A include:

• Processor — Intel Atom N270 clocked at 1.6GHz
• Chipset — 945GSE northbridge and ICH7M southbridge
• Storage — 2.5-inch bay for SATA drive; Type II CompactFlash
• Display — 8-inch display with 800 x 600 pixel resolution; available in resistive and capacitive (multi-touch) versions
• Camera — VGA-resolution webcam
• Expansion — Mini PCI Express slot (occupied by WLAN card)
• Networking — 2 x gigabit Ethernet
• Other I/O:
  • 2 x serial (1 x RS232, one x RS232/422/485)
  • 2 x USB 2.0
  • 1 x eSATA
  • Audio — line out
• Operating temperature — 32 to 104 deg. F (0 to 40 deg. C) with SATA HDD; 14 to 122 deg. F (-10 to 50 deg. C) with CompactFlash or SATA SSD (solid state disk)
• Power requirements — 12VDC via 48W AC adapter (accepts 90 to 264VAC inputs)
• Dimensions — 9.56 x 6.96 x 1.68 inches (234 x 177 x 43mm)
• Weight — 3.96 pounds (1.8kg)

Availability

BVM did not cite pricing or availability for the AFL-F08A, but says the device runs Linux, Windows 7, Windows XP Embedded, and Windows CE. 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.