y nl t O rin e P gl in r S Fo ©2007 OpenSystems Publishing. Not for distribution. y nl t O rin e P gl in r S Fo ©2007 OpenSystems Publishing. Not for distribution. RSC# 2 @ www.smallformfactors.com/rsc y nl t O rin e P gl in r S Fo ©2007 OpenSystems Publishing. Not for distribution. RSC# 3 @ www.smallformfactors.com/rsc www.smallformfactors.com www.pc104online.com Volume 11 • Number 3 COLUMNS FEATURES 8 Focus on Form Factors HARDWARE: Big trends in small SBCs CompactRIO: shift for embedded system design By Todd Dobberstein 12 PC/104: making room for greater performance 10 European Technology By Steve Potocny and Cliff Moon, Kontron America On the way to sports, boards, and boats By Hermann Strass 16 Designing a marine control and HMIy computer 46 Editor’s Insight By Kjell Brunberg, Hectronic l Hello PC/104 Consortium? We’ve gotta talk n By Chris A. Ciufo O TECHNOLOGY:t Graphics solutions DEPARTMENTS 20 Multimedia,n not just graphics, display capability By iManish Singh, Genesis Microchip 36 Editor’s Choice Products r By Don Dingee P 26 Network display technology breaks through 42 New Products VGA/DVI limitations By Chad Lumsden e gl By Jason Slaughter, DisplayLink in E-CASTS S SPECIAL: Driving flat panels 30 Connecting flat panels with the Embedded Panel Interface IMS and IP network r By Martin Danzer, congatec August 15, 2 p.m. EST o Software-definedF radio: what you need to know August 21, 2 p.m. EST PRODUCT GUIDE www.opensystems-publishing.com/ecast 38 Nonbackplane SBCs EVENTS Freescale Technology Forum June 25-28 • Orlando, FL E-LETTER www.freescale.com Summer: www.smallformfactors.com/eletter Getting off the bus to expand I/O On the cover: By Earle Foster, Sealevel Systems Small Form Factor (SFF) modules such as PC/104 and many others form the core of various consumer appliances like this airport kiosk used in the iPoint Travel Network VIA Pico-ITX form factor: “small is beautiful” (a collaboration of Clear Channel Airports and Impart Media Group). The embedded By VIA Technologies electronics need to provide PC-like capabilities, including networking, human-machine interface, and most importantly, eye-popping graphics. In this month’s issue, we feature a bevy of articles relating SFFs to graphics, imaging, and displays. (Image courtesy of Impart Media Group, www.impartmedia.com.) WEB RESOURCES Subscribe to the magazine or E-letter at: www.opensystems-publishing.com/subscriptions Industry news: Published by: OpenSystems Publishing™ Read: www.smallformfactors.com/news Submit: www.opensystems-publishing.com/news/submit © 2007 OpenSystems Publishing © 2007 PC/104 and Small Form Factors All registered brands and trademarks in PC/104 and Small Form Factors are property of their respective owners. Submit new products at: www.opensystems-publishing.com/vendors/submissions/np 4 / Summer 2007 PC/104 and Small Form Factors ©2007 OpenSystems Publishing. Not for distribution. y nl t O rin e P gl in r S Fo ©2007 OpenSystems Publishing. Not for distribution. A N O PEN S Y S TEM S P UBLIC A TI O N Military & Aerospace Group n DSP-FPGA.com Resource Guide n DSP-FPGA.com n DSP-FPGA.com E-letter n Military Embedded Systems n Military Embedded Systems E-letter n PC/104 and Small Form Factors n PC/104 and Small Form Factors E-letter n PC/104 and Small Form Factors Resource Guide n VME and Critical Systems n VME and Critical Systems E-letter Group Editorial Director Chris Ciufo [email protected] Contributing Editor Don Dingee [email protected] Associate Editor Jennifer Hesse [email protected] Senior Editor (columns) Terri Thorson O [email protected] Assistantt Editor Sharon Schnakenburg nCopy Editor Robin DiPerna Europeani Representative Hermann Strass r [email protected] P Art Director Steph Sweet Senior Web Developer Konrad Witte e Graphic Specialist David Diomede RSC# 601 @ www.smallformfactors.com/rsc l Circulation/Office Manager Phyllis Thompson g [email protected] n OpenSystems i Publishing™ OpenSystems Publishing S Editorial/Production office: r 16872 E. Ave. of the Fountains, Ste 203 Fountain Hills, AZ 85268 o Tel: 480-967-5581 n Fax: 480-837-6466 F Website: www.opensystems-publishing.com Publishers John Black, Michael Hopper, Wayne Kristoff Vice President Editorial Rosemary Kristoff Communications Group Editorial Director Joe Pavlat Assistant Managing Editor Anne Fisher Senior Editor (columns) Terri Thorson Technology Editor Curt Schwaderer European Representative Hermann Strass Embedded and Test & Analysis Group Editorial Director Jerry Gipper Editorial Director Don Dingee Technical Editor Chad Lumsden Associate Editor Jennifer Hesse Special Projects Editor Bob Stasonis European Representative Hermann Strass ISSN Print 1096-9764, ISSN Online 1550-0373 Publication Agreement Number: 40048627 Canada return address: WDS, Station A, PO Box 54, Windsor, ON N9A 615 PC/104 and Small Form Factors is published five times a year by OpenSystems Publishing LLC, 30233 Jefferson Ave., St. Clair Shores, MI 48082. Subscriptions are free upon request to persons interested in PC/104 and other small form factor single board computer technology. For others inside the US and Canada, subscriptions are $35/year. For 1st class delivery outside the US and Canada, subscriptions are $50/year (advance payment in US funds required). POSTMASTER: Send address changes to PC104 and Small Form Factors RSC# 602 @ www.smallformfactors.com/rsc 16872 E. Ave. of the Fountains, Ste 203, Fountain Hills, AZ 85268 6 / Summer 2007 PC/104 and Small Form Factors ©2007 OpenSystems Publishing. Not for distribution. y nl t O rin e P gl in r S Fo ©2007 OpenSystems Publishing. Not for distribution. RSC#RSC# 77 @@ www.smallformfactors.com/rscwww.smallformfactors.com/rsc Primary target applications: In-vehicle data acquisition, data logging, and control; machine condition monitoring and protection; embedded system prototyping; + high-speed machine control; custom multiaxis motion control; batch and discrete control Sponsors: National Instruments Year of specification release: 2004 Year of latest major update: 2007, new real-time controllers with 400 MHz Freescale MPC5200 real-time processor and Wind River’s VxWorks RTOS y Design and product information: www.ni.com/compactrio l Dimensions: n 4-slot system: 179.6 mm x 88.1 mm x 88.1 mm O (7.07" x 3.47" x 3.47") t 8-slot system: 274 mm x 88.1 mm x 88.1 mm (10.79" x 3.47" x 3.47") in Mounting: r n Screw mounting holes in chassis P n Panel, DIN-rail, and rack-mounting options Power input: le 9-35 Vdc on power-up, 6-35 Vdc during operation g Real-time controller features: n n 10/100BASE-T Ethernet port with built-in FTP/HTTPi servers and LabVIEW remote panel Web server S CompactRIO: shift for embedded system design n Full-speed USB host port for USB-based storage media r By Todd Dobberstein n Up to 2 GB of nonvolatile DiskOnChip storage n o CompactRIO product manager, National Instruments RS-232 serial port for peripheral devices F CompactRIO is an advanced embedded control and data acquisition system I/O modules feature direct connectivity to sensors and actuators, with designed for applications that require high performance and reliability. connection options including screw terminal, spring terminal, BNC, and With the system’s open architecture, small size, extreme ruggedness, and D-Sub connectors. An SD card module with two card slots for up to flexibility, engineers and embedded developers can use COTS hardware 4 GB of storage per module is available. Customers also can design to quickly build custom embedded systems. CompactRIO is powered and build custom I/O modules. by National Instruments LabVIEW FPGA and LabVIEW Real-Time technologies, giving engineers the ability to quickly design, program, and customize the CompactRIO embedded system with easy-to-use graphical programming tools for industries such as automotive, mil/aero, industrial and machine control, and embedded systems prototyping. CompactRIO combines a unique system architecture including an embed- ded real-time processor, high-performance FPGA, and hot-swappable I/O modules. The I/O modules contain built-in isolation, signal condition- ing, and connectivity and are connected directly to the embedded FPGA. Because each module is independently connected to the FPGA, engineers and designers can use the FPGA to perform custom timing, digital process- ing, and control on a per-module basis. CompactRIO rugged specifications: n -40 °C to +70 °C (-40 °F to +158 °F) operating temperature Both the real-time processor and FPGA are programmable with graphical n Up to 2,300 Vrms isolation (withstand) LabVIEW tools. While built-in graphical function blocks perform integer- based (FPGA) and floating-point (real-time processor) analysis, processing, n 50 g shock rating and control within LabVIEW, data mechanisms transfer data between I/O n International safety, EMC, and environmental certifications modules, the FPGA, and the real-time processor. Users can also leverage n Class I, Division 2 rating for hazardous locations and integrate existing C/C++ code on the real- n Dual 9-35 Vdc supply inputs, low power consumption time processor and VHDL code on the FPGA (7-10 W typical) within their LabVIEW code. 8 / Summer 2007 PC/104 and Small Form Factors ©2007 OpenSystems Publishing. Not for distribution. y nl t O rin e P gl in r S Fo ©2007 OpenSystems Publishing. Not for distribution. RSC# 9 @ www.smallformfactors.com/rsc PC/104 and Small Form Factors Summer 2007 / 9 On the way to sports, boards, and boats Small Form Factors (SFFs), which took event. Lane and direction signaling must 674 exhibitors displayed their products center stage earlier this year at one of the be coordinated with available parking and production processes to more than biggest trade shows in Europe, are stepping lots, freeway interchanges, and other 24,000 visitors from many countries.