Portwell announced an entry-level, rackmountable network appliance featuring Intel's Atom D510, D410, or N450 CPUs. The CAR-1000 comes with six gigabit Ethernet ports, hard disk or CompactFlash storage, a Mini PCI Express slot, and a reset button for quickly loading default settings, the company says.

Portwell's CAR-1000 appears to be the entry-level model in a series of rackmountable network appliances that has previously included more upscale devices — the CAR-3000 and CAR-5000, for example. The company says its new baby employs Intel's ICH-8M I/O controller and supports the three "Pineview" Atom CPUs shown in the chart below.

Resulting power consumption varies, as the chart makes very clear. According to Portwell, when the D510 or D410 are used, the CAR-1000 supports up to 4GB of RAM via its two DIMM slots, but the N450 supports only 2GB. (In compensation, the N450 permits fanless operation, whereas the higher-power processors do not.)

All three CPUs include onboard graphics capabilities, but the CAR-1000 doesn't tap into these except when an optional VGA port is installed. The device includes an RJ45 connector for a serial console, which is its normal mode of operation.

Portwell's CAR-1000
(Click to enlarge)

The CAR-1000 (above) otherwise offers six gigabit Ethernet ports (two with LAN bypass), two front-mounted USB 2.0 ports, and the option of two more USB ports on its rear panel. The appliance also has LEDs to monitor power and hard disk status, plus what — though it wasn't mentioned by Portwell — appears to be a backlit character display.

Internally, the CAR-1000 is capable of supporting a 2.5- or 3.5-inch SATA hard disk drive, and also includes a CompactFlash socket, according to Portwell. The company's data sheet also cites a Mini PCI Express slot, but does not list the half-height, half-size PCI slot that is twice touted in a separate PR release.

"Unlike commercial motherboard-based systems," the PR release also claims, the CAR-1000 includes a reset button that can be used to return the device to the manufacturer's default settings. Equipped with an 80-Watt power supply, the device works in temperatures ranging from 41 to 104 deg. F, the company adds.

Features and specifications listed by Portwell for the CAR-1000 include:

• Processor — Intel Atom D510, D410, or N450
• Chipset — ICH-8M
• Memory — 2 DIMM slots support 4GB of DDR2 RAM with D510/D410, or 2GB with N450
• Storage — HDD bay supports 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch SATA drives; 40-pin IDE connector; CompactFlash slot
• Expansion:
  • Mini PCI Express slot
  • PCI slot (claimed by PR but not on data sheet)
• Networking — 6 x gigabit Ethernet (2 with LAN bypass)
• Other I/O:
  • 2 x USB 2.0 on front panel
  • 2 x USB 2.0 on rear panel (optional)
  • RJ45 port for serial console
  • VGA port (optional)
• Power — 80W power supply
• Operating temperature — 41 to 104 deg. F (5 to 40 deg. C)
• Dimensions — 16.83 x 10.04 x 1.73 inches
• Weight — n/s

Further information

Portwell did not detail operating system support or pricing for the CAR-1000, but the device appears to be available now. More information may be found on the company's website, here.

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