Aaeon announced a 1U, 19-inch rackmountable industrial communications server with eight power-isolated serial ports and a wide power input range. The GCS-1100i is equipped with a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270, and offers four gigabit Ethernet ports, four USB 2.0 ports, and a 2.5-inch HDD bay, says the company.

The GCS-1100i is aimed at electric power management, smart grid, and building management applications, says Aaeon. The fanless server is said to be ideally suited "for integration in a generator room to deal with heavy loading and multitasking," says the company.

Although the company touts the device as being a "Green Communications Server," with environmentally-friendly manufacture, packing materials, and Energy Star compliance, it does not list power consumption figures except for the 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU (2.5 Watt TDP). The server is notable for power-related features in other ways, however, offering a wide range of DC power input (9V to 32V) as well as eight power isolated serial ports.

Aaeon GCS-1100i
(Click to enlarge)

The GCS-1100i supports up to 2GB of DDR2 400/533/667 memory via a 240-pin SODIMM, says the company. The device is said to be equipped with a SATA II interface and a 2.5-inch hard disk drive (HDD) bay, while a CompactFlash slot is optional.

I/O includes four gigabit Ethernet ports, four USB 2.0 ports, plus the aforementioned eight power isolated RS-232/422/485 ports, says Aaeon. A keyboard/mouse port and 8-bit programmable DIO are also said to be available. Displays are supported via a VGA port and DVI port, although there is no claimed dual-display ability.

GCS-1100i, front (top) and back (bottom)
(Click to enlarge)

The 1U, 19-inch device is equipped with front-facing LED indicators, and can be rackmounted on a 48U chassis, says Aaeon. The passively cooled system can operate at up to 32 to 113 deg. F (0 to 45 deg. C), and offers resistance to vibration and shock, says the company.

Features and specifications listed for the GCS-1100i include:

• Processor — Intel Atom N270 with Intel 945GSE + ICH7M chipset; EMB-9459T Rev.B main board
• Memory — up to 2GB DDR2 400/533MHz via 240-pin SODIMM
• Expansion — optional CompactFlash Type II socket
• Storage — 2.5-inch HDD bay with SATA2 interface
• Display — 1 x VGA port; 1 x DVI port
• Networking — 4 x gigabit Ethernet ports (PCI-Express)
• Other I/O:
  • 4 x USB 2.0 Host ports
  • 8 x power-isolated serial ports
  • 8-bit DIO (4 x in and 4 x out)
  • KB/MS port (Mini-DIN)
• Other features — watchdog timer; hardware monitoring; LEDs (HDD, power, 2 x LAN, 8 x COM)
• Power — 9~32V DC-in
• Operating temperature — 32 to 113 deg. F (0 to 45 deg. C)
• Anti-vibration/shock — 0.5g/ 5~500Hz for vibration with 2.5-inch HDD; 10 G peak acceleration (11 m/sec duration) for shock
• Dimensions — 16.9 x 11.8 x 1.73 inches (430 x 300 x 44mm); 1U, 19-inch
• Weight — 17 lbs (7.7 kg)

Stated CY Juan, product manager of Aaeon's Industrial System Division, "This Green Communication Server has a compact outfit and is easily mountable to a 48U rack."

Availability

Aaeon offered no information on pricing, availability, or operating system support for the GCS-1100i, although Linux and Windows are likely supported. More information may be found here.

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