"All-In-One” Gaming Board integrate Digital I/O, Non-Volatile memory, ccTalks, iButton, Software Security, and Hardware Random Number Generators, Jamma.
With the move to Electronic Medical Records (EMR), hospitals now implement increasingly complex wireless network infrastructures for their medical staff. Data from medical devices and patients can be seamlessly stored to a cloud datacenter through wireless networks. This setup allows hospitals to reduce costs, increase staff efficiencies and improve patient outcomes through continuous monitoring.
Acrosser Technology recently introduced a new microbox network appliance, the AND-J180/J190. At only 234.6 x 151.4 x 43.5 mm, its small size allows it to be stored anywhere in the hospital without taking up space used by other important medical equipment. AND-J180/J190 utilizes the Intel Bay Trail J1800/1900 System on Chip (SoC), and provides serious performance at an attractive price. AND-J180/J190 also comes with up to six gigabit RJ-45 Ethernet LAN ports to link up with networking devices around the hospital. It has 3 pairs of LAN ports (up to two of which are capable of LAN-Bypass) allowing uninterrupted network traffic. In addition, the unit has a mini-PCIe expansion slot for Wi-Fi Module that supports the latest 802.11ac standard.
Compact Design The small form factor microbox is ideally suited for space-constrained environments such as patient rooms and nursing stations
Wireless Connectivity AND-J180/J190 supports 802.11ac with compatible WiFi modules. In addition, the unit can be used with two antennae for better signal, wider reach, and more robust coverage.
Low Power Consumption Use of the low power J1800/1900 Intel processor with low Thermal Design Power (TDP), helps to reduce power costs for hospitals.
LAN Bypass LAN Bypass allows continued network operation even if another unit were to shut down. This creates greater reliability and uninterrupted network traffic to mission-critical medical equipment.
Featured Product AND-J180/J190 ◎Compact x86 Network Appliance with Intel Bay Trail Platform (J1800/J1900) ◎Microbox form factor ◎J1800/J1900 CPU ◎1 x DDR3L SODIMM memory up to 8GB ◎6x RJ-45 GbE LAN ports ◎1x USB 3.0 ◎2x USB 2.0 ◎1x CF card slot ◎1x mini-PCIe for Wi-Fi connectivity ◎2x antenna holes
The global market of self-driving and Internet of Vehicles will reach 800 billion US dollars in 2030. At present, many manufacturers in the world have invested in the development of technology in the field of self-driving vehicle platforms, including Intel and IBM.
A self-driving car, also known as an autonomous car, or driverless car, is a vehicle that is capable of sensing its environment and moving with little or no human input. An automated driving system is a complex combination of various components that can be defined as systems where perception, decision making, and operation of the automobile are performed by electronics and machinery instead of a human driver.
Automated driving systems combine a variety of sensors to perceive their surroundings, such as radar, computer vision, Lidar, sonar, GPS, odometry and inertial measurement units. Furthermore, this kind of complicated system includes handling of the vehicle, destination, as well as awareness of surroundings. While the automated system has control over the vehicle, it allows the human operator to leave all responsibilities to the system. Advanced control systems interpret sensory information to identify appropriate navigation paths, as well as obstacles and relevant signage.
Introducing an automated driving system is of great benefit for transportation businesses in several perspectives, for example, it would reduce operating costs, traffic collisions, and needs for parking space, but it would increase safety, mobility, customer satisfaction, the fuel efficiency of the vehicles, and optimized insurance costs. All benefits are significant to organizations and businesses.
Because automated driving systems are so complicated and sensitive, the automated driving system integrators need partners with years of experiences in network appliance and in-vehicle computer. Acrosser technology, founded in 1987, is a pioneer in the evolution of industrial computing. For several decades, ACROSSER has provided innovative network appliances and in-vehicle computer solutions to over thousands of customers, helping them reducing the time-to-market and gaining higher competence to win the market.
To know more information about Acrosser advanced solutions for network appliances and in-vehicle computers, please contact us directly via online inquiry: http://www.acrosser.com/inquiry.html
Identity and access management at the application are finally getting the attention that they deserve, but they are not new embedded computer concepts. With a growing importance on stronger authentication, cloud providers need to increase the number of authentication factors they consider. The typical two-factor authentication approach – typically a Common Access Card (CAC) in embedded computer – is not enough; they need to add additional factors based on the risk associated with certain data. We are focusing on ‘fine-grained entitlements’ in applications and how to secure everything with a lot of fidelity at the application level and data level. This also includes new approaches and technologies to securing data at rest.”
Virtualization trends in commercial computing offer benefits for cost, reliability, and security, but pose a challenge for military operators who need to visualize lossless imagery in real time. 10 GbE technology enables a standard zero client solution for viewing pixel-perfect C4ISR sensor and graphics information with near zero interactive latency.
For C4ISR systems, ready access to and sharing of visual information at any operator position can increase situational awareness and mission effectiveness. Operators utilize multiple information sources including computers and camera feeds, as well as high-fidelity radar and sonar imagery. Deterministic real-time interaction with remote computers and sensors is required to shorten decision loops and enable rapid actions.A zero client represents the smallest hardware footprint available for manned positions in a distributed computing environment. Zero clients provide user access to remote computers through a networked remote desktop connection or virtual desktop infrastructure. Utilizing a 10 GbE media network for interconnecting multiple computers, sensors, and clients provides the real-time performance and image quality required for critical visualization operations. The cost of deploying a 10 GbE infrastructure is falling rapidly and 10G/40G has become the baseline for data center server interconnect. Additionally, deploying common multifunction crew-station equipment at all operator positions brings system-level cost and logistics benefits. The following discussion examines the evolution to thinner clients and the path to a real-time service-oriented architecture, in addition to looking at zero client benefits and applications.
Evolution to thinner clients
For military C4ISR, capabilities provided by legacy stovepipe implementations are being consolidated into networked multifunction systems of systems. To accomplish this, open standards and rapidly advancing technologies for service-oriented architectures are being leveraged (Figure 1). For crew-station equipment, this drives an evolution from dedicated high-power workstations toward thinner client equipment at user locations. Computing equipment is being consolidated away from the operators into one or more data centers. This leaves the crew station with a remote connection to system resources, but does not ease the requirement for high-performance access to visual information. 10 GbE provides the client/server connection performance necessary for real-time remote communication.
Figure 1: Client/server evolution: Increasing communications bandwidth enables more service-oriented computing and “thinner” clients.
Workstations at operator positions normally run software applications locally and provide dedicated resources for data and graphics processing. Server-based data processing and networked sensor distribution systems have moved much of the application processing away from the operator. This can simplify the job of system administration and maintenance and enables multiple users to access the same capabilities. However, much of the processing for presenting images to operators can be unique to the individual needs for varying roles at each position.
Thin clients can be utilized to provide dedicated graphics and video processing horsepower for user-specific visualization operations such as windowing, rendering, and mixing multiple data and sensor sources. Dedicated local graphics processing power can be important for critical real-time operations or for interfacing to servers without high-performance graphics capabilities. This makes a thin “networked visualization client” a flexible option for multifunction crew stations that must interface with both legacy and newer service-oriented systems.
For commercial computing systems, a major push is underway to move high-performance graphics capability into the data center servers. This can be implemented via dedicated workstations for each crew station, virtualized compute engines with dedicated graphics for each crew station, or completely virtualized environments with networked image distribution. Virtualization provides a means to share CPU and GPU compute cycles between multiple users, gaining efficiency from higher utilization of system hardware resources. However, for mission-critical C4ISR systems, a deterministic Quality-of-Service level for performance, reliability, and security must be maintained.
For systems with both computing and graphics processing located away from the operator, zero clients provide network-attached displays with audio and user input devices (keyboard, mouse, and touch screen). Minimizing size, weight, and power at the operator position brings many benefits, but performance depends on the remote visualization processing capabilities and the communication channel. To match workstation performance, a consistent human-computer interaction latency of less than 50 ms must be provided.
Path to a real-time service-oriented architecture
System architects need a graceful technology insertion path that leverages the benefits of thinner clients (Figure 2). One approach for centralizing computing equipment while maintaining performance is to simply move the workstations to the data center and extend the interfaces to the display and input devices. This maintains the dedicated computing resources for critical operations. Video and device interface extension can be accomplished via extenders or switch matrices to provide connections between operators and computers.
Figure 2: Crew-station evolution to a service-oriented architecture
A more flexible approach is to utilize a standard network to support highly configurable access to all workstation resources from any operator position. With this approach, any user can connect to any image source and user screens can be shared with collaborative remote displays or other users. This also enables growth to a service-oriented “cloud” architecture that follows the trend for general-purpose IT and data processing systems. However, commercial IT products do not always meet the performance, reliability, security, or logistics requirements for mission-critical C4ISR systems.
To leverage this computing trend for real-time applications, a standard 10 GbE media network can be utilized to connect multiple zero clients to multiple remote graphics and sensor sources. Lossless distribution is supported for high-quality text, dynamic 2D/3D graphics, HD video, radar, and sonar imagery. Compositing multiple sources onto a single screen can be performed at the zero client or by networked video processing services. Near-zero latency interaction and video distribution are now possible and support deterministic performance and real-time dynamic visualization at any operator position.
One full-resolution (1,920 x 1,200) loss-less channel at 60 Hz with 24-bit color requires 3.3 Gbps of bandwidth. Therefore, one 10 GbE connection can support a dual-head crew station at full frame rate with audio and USB support. However, many visual applications require no more than a 30 Hz update rate (including 1,080p/30 HD full motion video), which reduces the bandwidth to 1.7 Gbps per channel. This enables triple-head crew stations with audio and USB support over a single 10 GbE connection. Dual Ethernet ports at the zero client can also be provided to support more video channels, higher frame rates, and/or redundant connections.
Zero client benefits
Compared to workstations, zero clients provide several benefits, including lower TCO, reduced SWaP, higher system availability, and more system security and agility.
Reduced total cost of ownership
Zero clients provide the smallest, simplest, and most maintainable equipment available for the operator position. This means lower initial investment costs as well as lower operating and maintenance costs throughout the system life cycle. System modularity and standard interfaces support seamless technology refresh as new computing and display equipment becomes available. 10 GbE has been widely adopted for data centers and standard component costs are declining rapidly. When compared to legacy stovepipe systems, networked systems also greatly reduce the amount of dedicated cabling required.
Reduced size, weight, and power
Only video, audio, and USB encoding/decoding functions are required with a zero client. These are packaged as small dongles or integrated into the display. Small packaging enables new options for lightweight operator consoles with increased ergonomics, as well as reducing noise and the burden on cooling systems for manned areas.
High system availability
System uptime and reliability benefit from consolidating all computing elements into managed data centers. Common equipment at multiple operator positions and redundant network connections support rapid recovery from computer, client, or network equipment failures.
High system security
Security risks are reduced through centralized administration and access authentication at the data center. Additionally, stateless zero client equipment outside the data center and encrypted communications between all components assure system confidentiality and integrity.
System agility
Systems using common crew-station equipment can be reconfigured by software for different mission roles and objectives. Additional clients can be added quickly to extend the system. Also, as computing systems evolve with new virtual desktop infrastructures, today’s investment in zero client equipment is preserved through standard interfaces for video, audio, and user input devices including DVI, PC audio, and USB.
Applications of a zero client
In addition to the benefits of a zero client, the technology’s agility also enables a range of applications using common equipment. For example, remote crew stations can now be smaller, lighter, and more versatile, and operator equipment can be located at remote locations not previously possible. Noisy, heat-generating computing equipment can be moved away from operator positions.
Another application highly suited to zero client utilization is the multifunction crew station. Common crew-station equipment can be used to access multiple computers and sensor sources under secure software control. This supports the capability for dynamic access to multiple systems from a single location. Systems can be rapidly reconfigured for different mission objectives, operating roles, or failure recovery.
Collaborative and remote displays also benefit from zero client usage. Unmanned displays can be attached to the network for sharing real-time visual information for dissemination and collaboration. Large area displays for several viewers can receive multiple feeds with full performance. Additionally, selected sources can be compressed and transmitted through secure routers for wider area distribution.
Using zero client technology for networked multifunction crew stations enables the integration of legacy capabilities into a consolidated operating environment as well as the development of new concepts of operation. One example of this is Barco’s zero client technology, which brings the benefits of state-of-the-art computing architectures into mission-critical C4ISR systems involving advanced visualization.
Mission-critical solution
Leveraging commercial computing trends and standards provides significant cost and capability benefits. However, the level of real-time performance, mission assurance, and information assurance required for mission-critical C4ISR systems must be achieved. Zero client technology enabled by 10 GbE provides the necessary pixel-perfect viewing of graphics and sensor information for these demanding applications.
At Embedded Tech Trends 2013, Marc Couture, director of product gaming platform management at Mercury Systems, made this declaration: "We need to speed up without degradation. The connector is the key to unlocking speed!" Marc commented that current advances in connector and backplane technology will get the industry to 8 Gbaud and beyond, but that much more is needed from the connector suppliers for the next-generation fabric interconnects such as PCIe Gen 3, InfiniBand QDR, or 40 Gigabit Ethernet. Marc's thoughts are reflected throughout the industry as system designers struggle to find that perfect connector.
It is impossible to build a gaming platform without connectors. Chips, boards, and systems simply need to be connected in some gaming platform. But, as Marc mentioned, the connector is the key to speed, and unfortunately they have struggled to keep up with the advancements in processor and chipset bandwidth.
A recent example of smartphone tethering can be found in certain subcompactmodelsfrom U.S. auto manufacturer General Motors. Select Chevrolet models carry the “MyLink” in-dash infotainment system.
From both a cost and ease-of-use perspective, tethering a smartphone makes a lot of sense. But there’s another reason to consider. Some automotive manufacturers are nervous about being too dependent on Google – as Google is the sole provider and owner of the Android mobile platform. Android built into an IVI system is an 8- to 10-year commitment, and a lot can happen in that time regarding license fees or terms of use.
One organization promoting the use of the smartphone as an IVI in-dash system is the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC). The CCC provides standards and recipe books for tethering a smartphone to the infotainment head unit. The CCC members implement MirrorLink (Figure 2), a technology standard for controlling a nearby smartphone from thein-car infotainment systemscreen or via dashboard buttons and controls. This allows familiar smartphone-hosted applications and functions to be easily accessed. CCC members include more than 80 percent of the world’s automakers, and more than 70 percent of global smartphone manufacturers. The MirrorLink technology is compatible with Mentor Embedded’s GENIVI 3.0 specification Linux base platform solution.
ACROSSER has provided innovative embedded computer solutions and quality products to over thousands customers on helping them reduce the time-to-market to gain the higher competence and to win the market.
vGeneric multicore processors have been promoted as the solution to networking communication processing. In reality, they can’t address the scalability, determinism, and ease of programming required for next-generation networking infrastructure. An asymmetric multicore approach that blends multicore processors with networking-optimized accelerator engines and C-programmable libraries meets the challenges of next-generation networks.
Achieving deterministic performance is a key requirement for network operators to ensure reliability across wide variations of traffic profiles and applications. Multicore processors can meet performance challenges when running an application on a single, dual-core, or quad-core processor. However, when scaling to eight cores or beyond, performance scaling usually degrades. There are cases where eight cores deliver no better performance than four, and 16 cores actually run slower than eight.
Networking applications tend to be data-intensive, and generic multicore processors are highly susceptible to the impacts of memory latency on performance. The nonlinearities of memory latency (Figure 1) with regard to memory load combined with the nonlinearities of processor performance relative to memory latency can lead to unpredictable and unreliable performance. The innovative approach taken by LSI to solving this problem is asymmetrical multicore processors, which combine general-purpose processors with specialized accelerators for particular data-intensive tasks, resulting in an optimal, scalable solution.
Asymmetrical multicore processors improve performance predictability by combining general-purpose processors and accelerators to address the nonlinearities of memory latency.
Networking infrastructure applications tend to involve complex processing, intense memory utilization, and real-time, deterministic requirements. Asymmetric architectures address these challenges by seamlessly allocating the work between general-purpose multicore processors and specialized acceleration engines. These accelerators are specifically designed to tolerate memory latencies and perform predictably. This approach also enables the application to be built using fewer general-purpose multicore processors with far fewer lines of code. The asymmetric approach simplifies scaling challenges and delivers more deterministic performance at lower cost and power.
Networking applications demand a flexible approach to OSs. This flexibility is required not only to meet application requirements, but also to support the smooth migration of OEM legacy software and give designers the ability to choose the right OS for a particular application. It is important to simultaneously support multiple OSs on different cores without introducing overhead. At LSI, our hardware and software has been architected from the ground up with all this in mind, providing flexible support for the range of OSs used in networking applications.
Software tools such as compilers, simulators, and debuggers are required to support these processors. Simulators must be fast, support real-world throughput and traffic types, and perform accurately for software debugging. Ideally, tools are integrated to enable end-to-end software development in a single environment.
LSI has developed an integrated software development environment through six generations of communications processors. These tools have been hardened through many years of real-world deployment. LSI provides an Advanced Development Kit (ADK) consisting of highly scalable, customer-extensible modules that can be combined to enable quick and easy application development. These function-specific modules seamlessly enable rapid development of applications leveraging the asymmetric multicore architecture for wireless, wireline, and enterprise networking.
The ever-increasing performance demands of next-generation networks and applications, coupled with user expectations of reliability and quality of service, require purpose-built asymmetric multicore architectures to achieve wire-speed, deterministic performance at the lowest power and cost. LSI solutions for networking infrastructure applications are optimized with the right combination of multicore processors and accelerators to deliver scalable, reliable, and deterministic performance. We call this “Multicore Done Right.”
refer: http://embedded-computing.com/articles/an-multicore-done-right244/
Although embedded devices destined for industrial applications have a wide range of design requirements due to the diverse environments in which they are deployed, almost all systems need some form of wired or wireless communications capabilities. Stand-alone industrial embedded devices are relatively rare, as users now demand remote access for data collection, management, maintenance, troubleshooting, software updates, and system security. For example, businesses need to monitor and collect real-time operational or throughput statistics from individual devices to evaluate the performance of manufacturing systems and methods.
Complex embedded systems can automatically run maintenance and diagnostic routines to evaluate reductions in performance and remotely schedule hardware updates. Many remote systems also require some type of security or surveillance features to detect and possibly prevent physical or virtual attacks. The challenge for embedded designers is to find the right communications technologythat delivers reliable, high-performance connectivity in an industrial environment with possible noise, extended temperatures, shock/vibration, and interference.
In this issue of Industrial Embedded Systems, we asked contributors to take a look at the principal issues and trends affecting contemporary embedded design for industrial applications and found that connectivity was a major topic in most of the articles and interviews. For example, in the Computing section, Mike Holt of Semitech Semiconductor illustrates techniques to optimize power line communications for Machine-to-Machine (M2M) applications such as automatic meter reading or control and management of streetlights, vending machines, or solar panels. In the same section, Lantronix VP of engineering Daryl Miller offers suggestions for making smart grids smarter by integrating M2M communications features into legacy equipment to enable remote access, control, and troubleshooting capabilities. Andreas Johannsen of Vincotech describes another important design requirement for industrial equipment, especially systems that operate 24 hours a day: power efficiency. Andreas shows how electronic commutated motor drives contained in an integrated power module can be up to 90 percent more efficient than conventional motor drives in industrial applications.
In the Networking/Sensing section, connectivity is a central theme in discussions on applications ranging from building automation to smart parking technology. In a Q&A session, HomePlug Powerline Alliance President Rob Ranck explains the current state of broadband networking over existing AC wiring within the home and outlines new standards that support smart gridapplications, electric vehicle charging stations, and HD streaming for movies or gaming. In a technical article targeting Building Automation Systems (BAS), Louis-Nicolas Hamer, VP at SCL Elements, describes the industry’s slow progress due to poor interoperability among multiple automation protocols and highlights a new all-in-one embedded gateway controller that can solve this BAS divergence. Citing unprecedented grown in the M2M industry, Mike Ueland, VP and general manager at Telit Wireless Solutions North America, shows how companies are deploying remote monitoring to increase efficiency and cut costs in managing industrial assets and systems. And finally, in a completely different connectivity application, Alicia Asín of Libelium offers a unique solution for automobile parking management that could potentially eliminate billions of hours of lost productivity along with billions of gallons of wasted fuel due to motorists cruising around searching for parking spaces.
This issue also includes our annual Resource Guide with a large number of embedded products divided into dozens of categories to simplify your next industrial design project. You’ll find a wide selection of off-the-shelf industrial systems, small form factor modules, power sources, panel computers, enclosures, and specialized embedded components to solve your unique requirements. You’ll also find embedded support software including operating systems plus data acquisition andmotion control systems. Our aim is to provide a reference source of available products that match your future design projects. If you have suggestions or products for the next Resource Guide, please let us know.
The articles and interviews in this issue include an extensive look at the embedded industry from the industrial viewpoint and should serve as a valuable technical reference for your next design project. In addition to the topic of connectivity, you can gain a wide-ranging perspective on multiple industrial design issues from diverse vertical market areas. Our plan is to continually search the embedded community to deliver guidelines and techniques to keep you on the leading edge and ahead of your competition. Please give us your ideas on print technical articles and online updates that we can provide to support your design efforts.
REFER: http://industrial-embedded.com/articles/communication-reshape-embedded-technology/
Understanding and selecting analog IP can be risky, but engineers today have more choices and more control than they think. Knowing how to manage the IP selection process can help engineers effectively meet objectives and reduce risk.
As digital design has proliferated the electronics world, making designs faster, easier to test, and more robust, the analog portion of embedded designs is becoming a bottleneck. To meet requirements and timetables in the analog portion, engineers generally have three weapons at their disposal: utilize peripheral analog IC, build the functionality internally (make), or purchase the IP block from an external vendor (buy). Each option has its own merits and drawbacks, but none can launch a competitive advantage better or cause more frustrating confusion than analog IP.
Traditionally, these options only apply to ASIC builds, as FPGAs are not compatible with analog IP. However, this is changing quickly. Some IP companies now provide all Register Transfer Language (RTL)-based Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC), Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC), DC-DC converter controller, and clocking functions with robust performance.
To meet design objectives, engineers must understand the IP vendor’s strategy and incentives and match their offerings to what is required.
ACROSSER is releasing the special promotion for AR-ES5231FLCM1GZC.
ACROSSER chose the Intel® 910GMLE chipset and Celeron M 1GHz CPU. We believe it is a good choice for the customer seeking a low cost and average performance solution. It has passed CE/FCC pre-scans, along with ACROSSER’s strict thermal and vibration testing.
AR-ES5231FL includes one SO-DIMM socket for maximum of 1GB System Memory. It uses AC power adapter to furnish DC 12V. AR-ES5231FL’s fanless design reduces failures due to CPU and systems fans, thus increasing the product life and reliability significantly. With its small size (16.5 x 25 x 6.7 cm) and wall mounting kit, the unit easily fits into any application. Its PCI-104 expansion slot provides many options for all kinds of 104 modules to meet specific project needs.
OS support for Windows XP, XP embedded and Windows CE, Linux allows flexibility. 1~255 seconds software programmable watch dog timer can wake system from unexpected failures and save technical service loads.
1. 915GME with Pentium M/Celeron M 2. 29-bit Interruptible Digital Input 3. 43-bit High Current Output 4. JAMMA & 72-pin Golden Finger Interface 5. Dual 256KB Battery Backup SRAM with Battery Low Event Logger 6. 6W Stereo Amplifier 7. 4 x 16-bit Interruptible Timer
All together the ACE-S5290FL is the perfect Logic PC for multiple gaming applications. Using the Intel 915GME Chipset which supports both Pentium M and Celeron M Processors, the ACE-S5290FL system provides the perfect balance of both cost and performance.
