Colmek announced a tactical mission computer featuring an Intel Atom and 128GB of SSD (solid state disk) storage. The “Stinger” runs Linux, sports a wealth of interfaces, operates at high altitude, and meets military standards for resisting shock, vibration, and EMI (eletromagnetic interference), says the company.

(Click here for a larger view of Colmek's Stinger)

The Stinger measures 5 x 5 x 3 inches, and comes in an aluminum alloy chassis that is said to be corrosion- and splash-resistant. According to Colmek, the device meets MIL-STD-810F and MIL-STD-461E environmental standards, MIL-STD-704E power supply standards, and the MIL-STD-461E standard for resistance to EMI (electromagnetic interference). As a result, the Stinger shrugs off dust and liquids, can operate on input power from 9VDC to 32VDC, and works without problems even aboard jets and helicopters, Colmek says.

Passively cooled, the Stinger is claimed to be operable over temperatures ranging from -40 to 158 deg. F (-40 to 70 deg. C). The device is capable of operating at altitudes up to 60,000 feet, withstands shocks of up to 15G while operating, and can safely survive a crash impact of up to 40G, the company adds.

The DuraCor 810-Duo (Click image for further information)

Like other mission computers, such as the recently announced DuraCor 810-Duo (right) from Parvus, the Stinger has a distinctive appearance, thanks to three circular Glenair Series 801 “Mighty Mouse” connectors, which connect the computer to the outside world. The device's many interfaces are said to include gigabit Ethernet, eight USB ports, seven RS232/422 serial ports, LVDS and SDVO video, four GPIOs, and four SATA ports. As if that weren't enough, the Stinger's connectors also provide PCI Express and LPC expansion interfaces, Colmek adds.

According to Colmek, the Stinger uses a 1.4GHz Intel Atom processor and the chipmaker's SCH US15W companion chip. We presume the device actually employs the Z520, which runs at 1.33GHz, but Colmek could also be underclocking the 1.6GHz Z530.

Either way, the device includes 2GB of soldered-on RAM — the maximum quantity now supported by the SCH US15W — plus a 128GB SSD. There's no word of any room for additional storage internally, but thanks to the four SATA ports mentioned above, the device would apparently have no problem connecting to appropriately housed external drives.

Features and specifications listed by Colmek for the Stinger include:

• Processor — Intel Atom clocked at “1.4GHz”
  
• Memory — 2GB of soldered-on DDR2 RAM
  
• Storage — 128GB SSD
  
• Networking — Gigabit Ethernet
  
• Other I/O (all via Glenair 801 connectors):
  • 4 x SATA
    
  • 8 x USB 2.0
    
  • 4 x GPIO
    
  • 7 x RS232/422
    
  • 1 x LVDS
    
  • 1 x SDVO

• Expansion (also via connectors):
  • PCI Express
    
  • LPC bus

• Operating temperature — -40 to 70 deg. C (-40 to 158 deg. F)
  
• Power — 9VDC to 32VDC (28 VDC nominal)
  
• Dimensions — 5 x 5 x 3 inches, including permanently attached mounting rails
  
• Weight — n/s

According to Colmek, the Stinger runs Linux, Windows XP Embedded, Windows CE, or VxWorks. Pricing and availability were not released, but the device appears to be available now.

More information on the Stinger may be found on the Colmek website, here.

 
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