Lippert is shipping a MIPS-Linux powered PCI-104 board targeting remote sensor gateway applications. The “Cool MoteMaster” is powered by a 500MHz Alchemy Au1550 processor, has an onboard 802.15.4 transceiver, and was designed with input from RUNES (Reconfigurable Ubiquitous Network Embedded Systems).

(Click for larger view of the Cool MoteMaster)

Mote networks use 802.15.4, a protocol optimized for use in extremely low-power networks comprised of devices capable of running from batteries for several months or years. Potential applications include farm soil moisture monitoring, motion detecting perimeter security networks, and other distributed sensing applications.

RUNES is an industry group investigating the convergence of embedded networks with the Internet. Lippert joined RUNES about a year ago.

The Cool MoteMaster is based on the PC/104 Consortium's PCI-104 specification, a PCI-only version of PC/104. In addition to a PCI-104-style board-to-board connector, it features a mini-PCI slot for wireless LAN cards, Lippert says.

The MoteMaster is based on a passively cooled AMD Alchemy Au1550 clocked at 500MHz. Additional features and specs include:

• 128MB soldered-down RAM
• 256MB NAND Flash
• 16MB NOR Flash
• 10/100 Ethernet
• Two USB host ports
• One USB device ports
• three serial ports
• Analog and digital I/O
• Consumes 2.5 Watts
  • 5V from PC/104 connector
  • Supports PoE
• Comes with Yamon bootloader and a 2.6.13 kernel from Linux-MIPS.org

Availability

The Cool MoteMaster is shipping now, in normal and extended temperature-range versions.

Lippert also offers a Linux-friendly Pentium M PCI-104 SBC, the Cool RoadRunner 4.

 
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