Diamond will sample in Q2 an EPIC-form factor SBC (single-board computer) targeting data acquisition applications requiring high performance. The Poseidon is based on a 1 or 2 GHz Via Eden processor, and runs Linux, among other embedded operating systems.

(Click here for larger image)

When it ships in Q3, the Poseidon board could be among the first available EPIC boards based on Via's CX700 “single-chip chipset,” which integrates north- and south-bridge functions into a single chip. The board will be available with Via's Eden ULV (ultra-low voltage) processor, clocked at 1.0 GHz, or its desktop C7 processor, at 2GHz. Both chips offer 256 KB of on-chip cache and a 400 MHz front-side bus (FSB), Diamond notes.

To meet data acquisition requirements, the Poseidon will offer 32 16-bit, 250 kHz analog inputs; four 12-bit analog outputs; 24 programmable digital I/O lines; and two counter/timers. The analog inputs are designed to automatically autocalibrate without user intervention whenever the ambient temperature changes, explained company president Jonathan Miller, “assuring the highest level of accuracy across the entire extended operating temperature range of the board.”

Integrating data acquisition into an SBC, Miller said, “saves space and weight, reduces cost and improves reliability in embedded applications requiring high CPU performance and data acquisition capability such as military systems, transportation systems, in-vehicle control, sophisticated medical instruments and industrial control systems.”

Other hardware features of the Poseidon include:

• 256 or 512 MB of 533 MHz DDR2 RAM, soldered onboard
• IDE and SATA storage interfaces
• 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
• Four USB 2.0 ports
• Two RS232 serial ports
• Two RS232/422/485 ports

With the 1.0 GHz VIA Eden ULV processor, Poseidon operates fanless across an extended operating temperature range of -40 to +85 degrees C, according to Diamond. With the 2.0 GHz VIA C7 processor option, Poseidon operates with a fan from -20 to +70 degrees C.

In addition to running Linux, Poseidon supports Windows CE, XP Embedded, 98/NT/XP/2000, RTLinux, QNX, and VxWorks, Diamond says.

Availability

Poseidon will be available for initial delivery this quarter, Diamond says, with production shipments beginning in Q3, 2006. Prices start at under $700 in small quantities, according to the company.

 
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.