Ibase announced an in-vehicle PC designed for video capture or digital signage applications. The I-VC5 accepts four channels of video input, sports eight serial ports and ten USB 2.0 ports, and has both dual Mini PCI Express slots and a PCI-104 slot, the company says.

According to Ibase, its I-VC5 can operate fanlessly in temperatures ranging from 32 to 140 deg. F, can work off a 6VDC power supply, and is designed to withstand shock and vibration. Applications include infotainment, navigation, tracking, high-speed 3G internet access, database access, incident reporting, and fleet management, the company says.

Ibase's I-VC5
(Click to enlarge)

The I-VC5 (above) employs Intel's 1.66GHz Atom N450 CPU and ICH-8M I/O controller, and accepts up to 1GB of RAM via a single SODIMM slot, according to Ibase. Mass storage is provided by a bay for 2.5-inch SATA hard disk drives, a removable 2.5-inch tray, and a CompactFlash slot.

As the images above and below show, the I-VC5 is festooned with ports on both front and back. According to Ibase, the device's two camera inputs accept four video channels in all, with a maximum resolution of 640 x 480 and a maximum frame rate of 30fps.

Ports on Ibase's I-VC5
(Click to enlarge)

Video output may be sent to an LVDS connector on the device's front panel, or to a VGA port on its rear panel. Ibase cites a total of 10 USB 2.0 ports, though only four of these (two front, two rear) appear to feature external Type A connectors.

Ibase says the I-VC5 has eight serial ports — six RS232 and two RS232/421/485. (Although the data sheet doesn't say, it seems that one of the RS232 ports is served up internally via a header.) Other connectivity, meanwhile, includes a gigabit Ethernet port, digital I/O (four in, four out), and audio (mic in, line in, line out), according to the company.

Internally, the I-VC5 has a PCI-104 slot and two Mini PCI Express slots, according to Ibase. It's said the latter may be used to add 802.11b/g wireless networking and a Cinterion HC25 module that provides both GPS and GSM cellular connectivity.

According to Ibase, other options for the I-VC5 are an accelerometer module and a UPS. Touchscreen capabilities may be added via USB when an appropriate LVDS screen is connected, the company adds.

Features and specifications listed by Ibase for the I-VC5 include:

• Processor — 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450
• Chipset — ICH-8M
• Memory — up to 1GB of DDR2 RAM via single SODIMM slot
• Storage — internal 2.5-inch bay, removable 2.5-inch tray, CompactFlash slot
• Expansion:
  • 2 x Mini PCI Express
  • 1 x PCI-104
• Networking — gigabit Ethernet
• Other I/O:
  • 1 x VGA
  • 1 x LVDS
  • 2 x camera inputs (accept 2 video channels apiece)
  • 10 x USB 2.0 (4 external)
  • 8 x serial (2 x RS232/422/485; 5 x external RS232; 1 x internal RS232)
  • digital I/O (4 in, 4 out)
  • audio — mic in, line in, line out
  • UPS connector
• Power requirements — 6~35VDC
• Operating temperature — 32 to 140 deg. F (0 to 60 deg. C)
• Dimensions — 8.85 x 8.18 x 2.75 inches (225 x 208 x 70mm)
• Weight — n/s

Further information

Operating system support was not specified by Ibase, though the I-VC5's common chipset should be welcome to Linux. The device appears to be available now, and more product 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.