Kontron is shipping a passively cooled, Linux-ready mini-ITX motherboard with a soldered-down BGA (ball-grid array) Intel processor and long-term availability. The 886LCD-M/mITX(BGA) has a 600MHz mobile Celeron processor, and targets cost-sensitive, low-power applications, such as POS… (point-of-sales/service), gaming, banking, measurement, medical, and industrial computing.

(Click for larger view of 886LCD-M/mITX(BGA))

VIA originally created Mini-ITX to showcase its products for computing hobbyists. However, the 6.7-inch (170 mm) square form-factor has since been adopted for a wide range of commercial applications, due to the proliferation of commodity cases and low-wattage power supplies. Mini-ITX is also the smallest motherboard form-factor that works with ATX cases and power supplies.

Kontron has previously shipped several mini-ITX boards, including the 786LCD/mITX, based on a 733MHz Pentium M chip, and 886LCD/mITX, based on a Pentium 4. The new board is Kontron's first mini-ITX board with a ball-grid array (BGA) processor, however. BGA packaging uses solder balls rather than pins, to decrease packaging size.

The 886LCD-M/mITX(BGA) is based on an ultra-low voltage Mobile Intel Celeron Processor clocked at 600MHz, along with an Intel 855GME/6300ESB embedded chipset. It supports both VGA and LCD (LVDS) displays, including dual-independent LCDs, Kontron says. Other features and I/O includes:

• AMI BIOS
• ACPI 2.0, APM 1.2
• 400MHz front-side bus
• Up to 1GB PC2700/DDR333 SDRAM (incl. ECC)
• 1 x 32-bit/33MHz PCI slot
• 2 x SATA 150 (serial ATA) with soft RAID-0/1 support
• 1 x ATA 100
• 4 x USB 2.0 ports (two external)
• Standard PS/2 port headers
• 3 x 10/100/1000 Realtek Ethernet ports
• 4 x RS232 NS16C550 serial ports with FIFO (one external)
• 1 x parallel/floppy interface
• 400MHz FSB (front-side bus)
• Intel Extreme 2 graphics
  • Hardware assisted DVD/MPEG2 decoding
• AGP/DVO slot for external graphics cards
  • 2nd LVDS, DVI and TV-out via ADD-Cards (option)
• VGA and dual-channel LVDS (low-voltage differential signalling) interfaces
  • Resolutions: CRT 2048×1536, LVDS 1600×1200, DVI 1600×1200
• Dual independent Display Support (incl. 2x LCD by optional ADD-Card)
• Compact Flash Type I/II socket on board
• AC-97/DD5.1 sound including on board stereo amplifier

Availability

The 886LCD-M/mITX (BGA) is shipping now, priced at 238 Euros (~$278). Available accessories include a CD with Linux and other drivers, a heatsink, cables, 100W DC/DC converter with an ATX cable, 12-Volt ATX power supply, and an approved two-slot butterfly PCI riser card.

 
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