Vecow announced six fanless PCs that support Intel's “Sandy Bridge” range of Core processors. The EC-5500 devices include dual drive bays and CFast slots, three or five Ethernet ports, Mini PCI slots, eSATA ports, plus options such as removable disks and digital I/O, according to the company.

Earlier this year, Vecow announced the EC-3000, a fanless computer that featured Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, had an operating range of -4 to 157 deg. F, and was aimed at a "broad range of embedded applications." All this could describe the company's new EC-5500 too, except it switches from the formerly used 2010-model "Nehalem" processors to  2011-model "Sandy Bridge" Cores.

Vecow's EC-5500
(Click to enlarge)

The EC-5500 changes to a different case, whose heat sink-bedecked top is now flat instead of rounded, but it offers much the same functionality, As we'll explain later, there are actually six models, with a varying number of Ethernet ports and other differences.

According to Vecow, the EC-5500 uses Intel's QM67 chipset and supports the following processors:

• the Core i7-2710QE (four cores, 2.1GHz clock speed, 3GHz TurboBoost frequency, 6MB cache, 45-Watt TDP)
• the Core i5-2510E (two cores, 2.5GHz clock speed, 3.1GHz TurboBoost frequency, 3MB cache, 35-Watt TDP)
• the Core i3-2330E (two cores, 2.2GHz clock speed, 3MB cache, 35-Watt TDP)
• the Celeron B810 (two cores, 1.6GHz clock speed, 2MB cache, 35-Watt TDP)

The device's two 204-pin SODIMM sockets allow it to accept up to 16GB of RAM, according to the company. Common elements on all six versions, meanwhile, are said to include:

• a CFast expansion slot
• six front-panel USB 2.0 ports
• dual rear-panel video outputs (DVI-D and VGA)
• four DB9 serial ports (2 x RS232, 1 x RS232/422/485; all on rear panels)
• dual eSATA ports
• 2 x 6Gbps SATA ports and a 3Gbps SATA port (both internal)
• and two Mini PCI expansion slots

From there, the model proliferation takes off. According to Vecow, its EC-5500-3G and EC-5500-5G include everything listed above, but feature three or five gigabit Ethernet ports, respectively. (Three are on the front panel, and the additional two get added to the rear.)

Then, there's the EC-5500-5GD and the EC-5500-5GDE, both featuring five gigabit Ethernet ports. These two models both add digital I/O (eight in, eight out), and the "E" further provides SUMIT A and B expansion connectors, Vecow says.

Finally, Vecow offers the EC-5500-3R and EC-5500-5R, which are the same as the EC-5500-3G and EC-5500-5G, except that they include front-accessible, removable trays for disk drives. (The other four EC-5500 models provide dual 2.5-inch drive bays as well, but they're internal.)

All models accept input power ranging from 6 to 36 Volts and are optionally supplied with 90-Watt AC adapters, says Vecow. They feature watchdog timers, and the EC-5500-5Gx and EC-5500-5R models support Intel's AMT (Active Management Technology) 7.0, the company adds.

Specifications listed by Vecow for the EC-5500 devices include:

• Processor:
  • the Core i7-2710QE (four cores, 2.1GHz clock speed, 3GHz TurboBoost frequency, 6MB cache, 45-Watt TDP)
  • the Core i5-2510E (two cores, 2.5GHz clock speed, 3.1GHz TurboBoost frequency, 3MB cache, 35-Watt TDP)
  • the Core i3-2330E (two cores, 2.2GHz clock speed, 3MB cache, 35-Watt TDP)
  • the Celeron B810 (two cores, 1.6GHz clock speed, 2MB cache, 35-Watt TDP)
• Chipset — Intel QM67 Express
• Memory — up to 16GB of DDR3 RAM via two SODIMM slots
• Storage — dual 2.5-inch bays (externally accessible on EC-5500-3R and EC-5500-5R models); CFast slot
• Expansion:
  • 2 x Mini PCI slots
  • 2 x SUMIT slots (EC-5500-5GDE only)
• Networking:
  • 3 x gigabit Ethernet (-3 models)
  • 5 x gigabit Ethernet (-5 models)
• Other I/O:
  • 3 x RS232
  • 1 x RS232/422/485
  • 6 x USB 2.0
  • 2 x eSATA
  • 8 x DI and 8 x DO (EC-5500-5GD and EC-5500-5GDE only)
  • audio — mic in, line in, line out
• Power — 6~36VDC; optional 90-Watt AC adapter
• Operating range — -4 to 157 deg. F
• Dimensions — 10.2 x 6.9 x 3.1 inches
• Weight — n/s

Further information

Vecow did not release pricing for the EC-5500 systems, but the devices appear to be available now. More information may be found on the company's EC-5500 product pages.

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

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