Micro PCs suit decentralized control applications.

Press Release Summary:



Measuring 165 x 110 x 46 mm, MICROSPACE® PCs MPC21 Series is based on 3.5 in. SBC MSB800. MPC21 has 2 COM ports and PCI/104 slot, while MPC21A has 4 COM ports, 4 relay outputs, and 4 optically isolated inputs. MPC21B has 2 COM ports and 2 CAN ports with galvanic isolation. Units feature 1 LPT interface, passive cooling, 12/24 V or 110/220 V power supply, -25 to +70°C operating temperature, and consume 10 W. Main memory can be equipped with DDR RAMs from 256 MB to 1 GB.



Original Press Release:



Micro PCs for Decentralized Control Applications MICROSPACE MPC21/21A/21B



With the MICROSPACE® PCs MPC21 series, the Luterbach/Switzerland-based company DIGITAL-LOGIC is offering ultra-compact computer systems for decentralized control applications. The Micro-PCs are based on DIGITAL-LOGIC's 3.5" single board computer MSB800 with all its interfaces. In addition to the functions of the MSB800, the MPC21 has two COM ports (1x external, 1x internal), one LPT interface and a PCI/104 slot available. The video input allows to connect a camera. A MiniPCI socket permits the integration of WLAN or field busses. In addition to the functions of the MSB800, the MPC21A system features four COM ports, one LPT interface, four relay outputs, and four optically isolated inputs. As an option, COM3/4 can be fitted with a galvanized, isolated RS422/485 interface. The MiniPCI socket also serves for the integration of WLAN or field busses. Beyond the functions of the MSB800, the version MPC21B has two COM ports, one LPT interface and two CAN ports with galvanic isolation. In this model the MiniPCI socket allows the integration of WLAN. All computers are able to boot from CompactFlash, LAN, USB or the optionally integrated 2.5" 40 GB hard drive.

Housed in robust metal cases, the miniature computer systems are remarkable for their small dimensions of only 165mm x 110mm x 46mm (W x D x H). The systems require no cooling fan; instead they rely solely on passive cooling techniques. This makes them the ideal solution for reliable, cost-effective long-term operation in industrial and commercial applications. Typical applications of the MPC21 are cost-effective information terminals, communication over COM1 and LPT, measuring instruments and video implementation. The MPC21A is suitable for machine control, Soft SPS, building automation, point of sale systems and control computers. For decentralized control computers for CAN I/O, control of interactive devices and firewalls the MPC21B represents the ideal solution.

MPC21/21A/21B run with all PC compatible operating systems, such as Windows® XP, QNX®, Linux, etc. and work with any application software written for PCs. Power is supplied directly with 12/24V or with a 110/220V power supply. Designed for low power consumption (typically 10 watts), the systems operates within the temperature range of -25°C to +70°C.

The MSB800 board contains an AMD Geode LX800® processor with passive cooling. The processor runs at 500 MHz and obviously provides a performance equivalent to that of an 800-MHz chip. As chip set the SBC uses the Geode CS5536. The main memory of the SBC can be equipped with DDR RAMs from 256MB up to 1GB. The 3.5" SBC provides all common PC interfaces, two 100/10Base-T-Ethernet LAN ports, four USB 2.0 interfaces and VGA. In addition, there are a stereo I/O and a P-ATA hard disk interface. For display, the systems use the video controller which is integrated within the LX800 processor. This controller has a 16MB (UMA) video memory and supports VGA resolutions. The video input supports resolution of up to 704 x 288 pixels with eight frames per second. The interfacing is carried out with a coax connection.

For shipments of 100 or more units DIGITAL-LOGIC offers the MPC21 at prices beginning at 335.00 Euros per unit plus VAT. The MPC21A starts at 423.00 and the MPC21B at 492.00 Euros per unit plus VAT for shipments of 100 or more.

About DIGITAL-LOGIC

Luterbach/Switzerland-based DIGITAL-LOGIC, one of the world's leading companies in the embedded computer market, was established in 1992 and is involved in the development, manufacture and international marketing of highly-integrated embedded PC's. The group has subsidiaries in Germany and France, and currently employs around 130 specialist staff world-wide. DIGITAL-LOGIC has received many awards and knows how to be at the cutting edge of technology with innovative, reliable products and realises economical PC solutions for demanding applications. The ISO9001 certified company develops miniature computer systems based on the x86 architecture from AMD Élan(TM) SC520 and Geode LX800 up to Intel® Core(TM) Duo processors. The product range comprises the standard products with embedded computer modules (smartModules) and boards (PC/104, PC/104-Plus, PCI/104-Express, EPIC, EBX, Slot-PC), as well as customized embedded computers and computer systems. Further Information at www.digitallogic.com

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