Starter Kit facilitates embedded system development.
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Press Release Summary:
Embedded System Module Starter Kit features ESM mezzanine card, universal ESM carrier card for power and I/O interfaces, and all cables and linking connectors needed to start development. Kit can be ordered with ESM based on Motorola PowerPC or one of several Intel x86 processors. Module includes memory, system I/O, and I/O connectors. Carrier card on which ESM is mounted provides additional I/O, 9-pin port, floppy disk connector, and TFT display port.
Original Press Release:
ESM Starter Kit Accelerates Embedded System Development, Reduces Design Risk
Dallas, February 23, 2004 (National Manufacturing Week, Booth 5002) - Embedded system designers can get a jump on development by starting with the new Embedded System Module (ESM) Starter Kit from MEN Micro. With the new kit, developing the system's firmware and application software, as well as specifying the system's processor and input/output requirements can proceed in parallel with hardware development, reducing overall development time significantly and accelerating time-to-market.
The ESM Starter Kit features one of MEN's new ESM mezzanine cards (which is a complete computer on a module), a universal ESM carrier card for power and I/O interfaces not already on the EMS card, and all of the cables and linking connectors needed to start development immediately.
"Any system development project will be completed faster if as many aspects of the system as possible are developed simultaneously," said Ernest Godsey, president of MEN Micro, Inc. "But aside from faster time-to-market, another factor that's just as critical is reducing design risk. By starting with a fully functioning computer, potential difficulties can be identified and corrected more quickly, mitigating the impact they might have on the success of the project."
The Starter Kit can be ordered with an ESM based on any one of several Intel x86 processors or based on a Motorola PowerPC. The ESM itself includes memory (DRAM and CompactFlash), system I/O including Ethernet, serial interfaces, graphics and others, I/O connectors, and, in some cases, a programmable FPGA for additional functionality.
The carrier card on which the ESM is mounted is in the small, space-saving ATX format motherboard that includes a variety of additional I/O, such as a USB port, a nine-pin port that can be configured for RS232, RS422 or RS485, an IDE interface, a floppy disk connector, a TFT display port and a VGA graphics port with touch screen capabilities. Four other serial interfaces can be implemented with optional MEN SA-Adapters. I/O cables and linking connectors for stacking PC/104-Plus modules are also included in the ESM Starter Kit.
Because of its versatile mounting options, the Starter Kit's ESM and carrier card assembly can be installed in a standard PC or a variety of other types of chassis. Three PCI slots are available on the carrier card so that standard PCI I/O adapters and other modules can be used to expand the capabilities of the ESM Starter Kit. And additional expansion can be accomplished by stacking PC/104-Plus modules on the ESM card.
Board Support Packages (BSP) for the most prevalent operating systems (OSs), including Windows, Linux, and many of the most popular real-time OSs are available for the ESM Starter Kit.
Pricing and Availability
The ESM Starter Kit is available now from MEN Micro, Inc. Pricing starts at $1,158 for single units. In the United States, MEN Micro products are sold through a national network of technical manufacturer's representatives. For sales information, call 972 939-2675, send faxes to 972 939-0055 or email sales@menmicro.com.
MEN's ESM Concept
Unlike other mezzanine cards or processor modules, which may have limited functionality, an ESM is a complete PC or RISC computer system on a mezzanine card. The ESM specification, which was developed by MEN Micro, defines the mechanical,
electrical and environmental characteristics of both ESMs and carrier cards, although an ESM can function as a standalone computer without a carrier card. Each ESM consists of
a CPU chipset, main memory, mass storage connection, essential I/O ports and an onboard BIOS or monitor firmware. MEN also supplies board support packages (software support) for various operating systems.
MEN has product plans for ESMs with a wide variety of microprocessors, including PC and PowerPC architectures, but the specification makes it possible to use almost any
general-purpose processor, including ARM, XSCALE and MIPS RISC processors. Each ESM is electrically compatible with all versions of the PCI bus. All ESMs share the same mechanical specifications, including the 71 x 149 mm footprint. The 149 mm depth is compatible with the depth of the Eurocard form factor. The 71 mm width means that two PCM modules can be installed on a 6U Eurocard carrier card along with an ESM. Front panel connector types are not specified, but an ESM has room on its front panel for a variety of connector types, including four RJ45 or two 9-pin D-Sub connectors.
ESM carrier cards can be designed with a wide variety of functionality, from a simple passive board for the power supply connection to a complex carrier board that support
other types of mezzanine cards such as PMC, PCoMIP or M-Modules. For this reason, the different types of systems where ESMs can be cost-effectively implemented is practically limitless. For example, ESMs can be mounted on 3U or 6U carrier cards containing additional I/O in CompactPCI or VME systems. ESMs can even be stacked with PC/I04-Plus I/O cards. And they can be mounted on almost every conceivable type of carrier card to create a complete embedded system.
About MEN Micro
MEN designs, manufactures and sells board-level industrial real-time and embedded computer products. The flexibility inherent in MEN's standard products allows system platforms to be custom configured for a wide range of applications. In addition, the company develops custom boards and systems for OEMs, end users and system integrators. MEN's products include VMEbus and CompactPCI compute platforms with Intel Pentium, Motorola 68000 or PowerPC processors, and a wide selection of M-Module or PC-MJIP mezzanine I/O modules. The MEN product lines support the most widely used operating systems, including Windows NT, VxWorks, OS-9, QNX and Linux.
MEN was founded in 1982 in Nurnberg, Germany, as MEN Mikro Elektronik GmbH. The company has subsidiaries in France, MEN Mikro Elektronik SA, the United Kingdom, MEN Micro, Ltd., and the United States, MEN Micro, Inc. A network of technical distributors services and supports the rest of the world.
