Kontron’s ETX® miniBaseboard: the first extremely compact

Eching/Germany, August 17, 2006 − Kontron introduces the ETX® miniBaseboard, an extremely compact ETX baseboard for ETX 3.0-compliant designs, with a mere 130 mm x 155 mm footprint. It serves as a universal development platform for ETX 3.0 modules and is completely backward compatible with its ETX predecessors. All of the state-of-the-art interfaces are dedicated, which accelerates application testing on this target platform with freely scalable processor performance and so saves time and expense. OEM customers also can use the Kontron ETX miniBaseboard as a standard product for their end applications. As with all of Kontron’s ETX products, OEM customers benefit from long-term availability, robust construction, function-tested design, and are highly future-proof – all thanks to ETX 3.0 compliance.

At 130 mm x 155 mm, the new, RoHS-compliant miniBaseboard is barely larger than an ETX module (95 x 125 mm). As a result, it can be integrated as an extremely compact baseboard in almost any embedded application, easily and simply. The integrated communication interfaces are: 1x 32 bit PCMCIA slot, 4x USB, 1x 32 bit PCI slot, 4 serial interfaces, and 2x Ethernet interfaces with 10/100/1000 or 10/100 Mb.
Moreover, storage media can connect to ETX 3.0-compliant ETX modules via 2 SATA interfaces. Furthermore, one CF card slot and two IDE interfaces are offered. Flat panels are controlled via a standardized LVDS interface. Additional graphics are connected through a VGA output (SUB-D). 1x LPT (SUB-D), 2x PS/2, and stereo audio I/O via a 3.5mm plug complete the feature set.

About ETX 3.0
Compared to earlier specifications, ETX 3.0 offers an additional 2x Serial ATA, with no change to the pins for the ETX plug. Kontron and the members of the ETX Industrial Group (www.etx-ig.org) support the new ETX 3.0 specification and are committed to keeping ETX viable until at least 2010, offering a reliable and pure computer-on-module form factor for embedded solutions. Additional modules for dual-core and other processors from Intel®, AMD®, and VIA® will come onto the market during the course of this year. A copy of the ETX 3.0 specification is available for download online at that ETX Industrial Group website (www.etx-ig.org) and from your local Kontron office.


Baseboard designs inclusive as needed
OEMs that use computer-on-modules (COMs) from Kontron, but also want to outsource all their hardware design (including carrier boards) can rely on Kontron board & MORE custom solutions and services. Here, experienced developers are busy implementing the latest interface technology on carrier boards for COMs and developing customized single board computers. Hundreds of layouts already have been successfully implemented and mass-produced in recent years. In many cases design risks can be avoided, and customer-specific designs can be made ready for serial production significantly faster. Confident familiarity with COMs, for example in signal sequencing on the baseboard, is as much a matter of course for the developers as the implementation of economical designs in the smallest space, or consistent use of components with long-term availability. Professional project management services from specifications to serial production to redesigns and lifecycle management round out the range of offerings from Kontron under the boards & MORE program. To learn more, contact your local Kontron office.

Reader Inquiries – EMEA:
Kontron AG
Oskar-von-Miller-Straße 1
85386 Eching/Munich, Germany
Tel.: 49(8165)77-777
Fax: 49(8165)77-279
Email: sales@kontron.com
Web site: www.kontron.com

About Kontron
A global leader in embedded computer technology and mobile rugged solutions, Kontron supplies a diversified customer base of OEMs, system integrators, and application providers in the: automation, test and measurement, communications, medical, gaming and entertainment, military, aerospace, transportation, and energy markets. The company helps its customers considerably reduce their time-to-market and gain a competitive advantage with products including: high-performance open computer platforms and systems, single board computers, human-machine interfaces, and mobile rugged computers and displays. Kontron employs more than 2,300 people worldwide and has manufacturing facilities in Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific. The company is listed on the German TecDAX 30 stock exchange under the symbol "KBC". Kontron is a Premier member in the Intel® Communications Alliance which means earliest access to leading-edge Intel technologies and privileged engineering support. For additional information on Kontron, please visit www.kontron.com.

This release was published on openPR.