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Rugged in-vehicle computer boasts smart power management

Oct 1, 2009 — by Eric Brown — from the LinuxDevices Archive — views

Acrosser is shipping a fanless, dust-resistant, in-vehicle computer that supports Intel's Core 2 Duo. The AR-V5430FL offers “intelligent power management,” dual gigabit Ethernet ports, VGA and DVI video, plus optional PCI-104, GPS, GPRS, and WiFi modules, says Acrosser.

Aimed at applications including fleet management, telemetrics, and "location globalizing," the AR-V5430FL offers Socket M support for Intel Core 2 Duo, Core Duo, and Celeron M processors, says Acrosser. Further equipped with 1GB of DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 2GB, the vehicle PC offers an Intel 945GME northbridge and ICH7 southbridge. The device supports simultaneous VGA and DVI displays, the company adds.

A shock-mounted, 2.5-inch hard disk drive (HDD) bay is available, and storage expansion is offered via a CompactFlash slot, SATA II port, and IDE interface. Dual gigabit Ethernet ports are supplied, along with four USB 2.0 ports, one of which is internal and devoted to an optional WiFi module. Similarly, four serial ports are offered, but with two internal ports devoted to an optional GPS and GPRS module, respectively. The computer offers 8-bit GPIO, as well as an optional PCI-104 expansion module.


Acrosser AR-V5430FL, back and front

(Click to enlarge)

Acrosser touts the computer's "Intelligent Power Module" equipped with an unnamed, customizable embedded microcontroller, which is said to support DC power input of 9V to 32V. The power module is said to offer the following features:

  • System off delay time with eight user-selectable presets
  • Power on/off retries, attempting three boot-ups before shutting down in face of failure
  • Power input monitoring of DC input voltage to prevent accidental car-battery drain, with boot-up restriction if battery voltage is lower than 11.2V, and automatic shutdown if lower than 10.8V
  • LED indicators representing system status
  • Remote control options to power on or shut down the system by car ignition or supplied remote control device

In addition to the shock-mounted storage, the AR-V5430FL offers a number of ruggedization features, including compliance with IEC shock and vibration standards, says Acrosser. Operating temperatures for the fanless computer are said to range from 32 to 122 deg. F (0 to 50 deg. C).

The 11.0 x 6.9 x 2.6-inch computer provides a choice of fixed mounting or a removable option. The latter uses two fixed rings on either side of the unit that enable easy installation and detachment, says the company.

Specifications listed for the AR-V5430FL include:

  • Processor — Socket M supports Intel Core 2 Duo (up to model T7400), Core Duo, and Celeron M
  • Chipset — Intel 945GME + ICH7
  • Memory — 1GB (expandable to 2GB) DDR2 SDRAM (533/667MHz) via 200-pin SODIMM socket
  • Storage:
    • 1 x CompactFlash Type II socket
    • 1 x IDE (44-pin)
    • 1 x SATA II port
    • 2.5-inch anti-shock drive bay for HDD
  • Video/graphics:
    • Intel GMA950 graphics controller
    • 1 x VGA port
    • 1 x DVI port
    • Dual display support
  • Networking — 2 x gigabit Ethernet (Broadcom BCM5787)
  • Other I/O:
    • 4 x USB 2.0 (3 x external; 1 x internal for WiFi option)
    • 4 x RS-232 (2 x DB9, 2 x internal RS-232 for GPS and GPRS options)
    • 8-bit GPIO (4 x in, 4 x out)
    • Mic-in
    • Speaker-out
    • PS/2 (keyboard and mouse)
  • Expansion — 1 x PCI-104 module (optional)
  • Other features — Remote control; antenna holes for GPS, GPRS, and WiFi
  • Ruggedization:
    • Vibration resistance meets IEC 60068-2-64 5~500Hz, 2GRMS for CF, 3GRMS for SSD
    • Shock resistance meets IEC 60068-2-27 50G-500m/s -11ms
    • Operating temperature 32 to 122 deg. F (0 to 50 deg. C)
    • EMark 13 compliance
  • Power — AR-PW0932V "Intelligent Power Module" with smart ATX (system delay, on/off, voltage monitoring, retry); changeable fuse design with 15A for 12V, 0.5A for 24V fuse I/O
  • Dimensions (without bracket) — 11.0 x 6.9 x 2.6 inches (279 x 176 x 67.2mm)
  • Operating system — Linux FC67, Windows XP Embedded

Availability

The AR-V5430FL is available now for Linux and Windows XP Embedded, says Acrosser, which did not reveal pricing. A data sheet may be downloaded from this partially completed page, here.


This article was originally published on LinuxDevices.com and has been donated to the open source community by QuinStreet Inc. Please visit LinuxToday.com for up-to-date news and articles about Linux and open source.



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