System-on-a-Module withstands harsh industrial conditions.
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Press Release Summary:
Measuring 71 x 149 mm, EM05 Embedded System Module combines 800 MHz Transmeta TM5900 Crusoe processor with extended temperature range for embedded industrial PC applications in harsh conditions. Plug-on module runs Windows or Linux OS, has on-board 250,000-gate Altera Cyclone FPGA, and accommodates multiple CAN controllers, UARTs, and audio I/O functions. It comes with 2 Ethernet ports, 2 serial interfaces, and on-board memory options.
Original Press Release:
New System-on-a-Module Brings High Performance to Harsh Industrial Conditions
Dallas, February 24, 2004 - A new system-on-a-module from MEN Micro (www.menmicro.com) combines the high performance of a Transmeta TM5900 Crusoe processor with high reliability and extended temperature range for deeply embedded industrial personal computer (PC) applications in harsh conditions, such as control systems in trains, planes, buses and other transportation vehicles.
The new Embedded System Module (ESM) from MEN, the EM05, takes advantage of the Crusoe's 800 MHz processing speeds, its compact size and significant power efficiency. The EM05 is a full PC on a small 71 x 149 mm plug-on module that will run either the Windows or Linux operating system (OS).
"Because it is an ESM, the EM05 is extremely versatile and it can be quickly integrated into a new system design," said Ernest Godsey, president of MEN Micro, Inc. "The EM05 can be plugged onto an open bus carrier card, such as Compact PCI or VMEbus cards, or it can be plugged onto a carrier card specifically designed for the application. In addition, to accelerate system development even faster, the EM05 can be combined with other mezzanine cards like PC/104-Plus modules."
The TM5900 Crusoe processor from Transmeta includes a fully integrated Northbridge. It can be rated for extended temperature operation and it has an extended availability program for as long as five years.
"The new EM05 Embedded System Module from MEN is a compelling design that is ideal for use in rugged environments and is based on our new ultra-compact Crusoe TM5900 processor," said Chris Russell, European operations manager for Transmeta. "MEN's embedded solutions closely mirror the features that have made Crusoe successful, a robust compact design and long-term availability combined with a great price/performance ratio."
Extreme Flexibility
With an on-board 250,000-gate field programmable gate array (FPGA), the functionality of the EM05 can be enhanced with a wide variety of application-specific I/O. The standard version of the EM05 starter kit has several functions already integrated into the FPGA, including drivers for a TFT monitor, USB and IDE interfaces, as well as ports for a floppy disk drive, keyboard and mouse.
In addition to these functions, the EM05's Altera Cyclone FPGA can also accommodate multiple CAN controllers, multiple UARTs and various audio I/O functions. Physical interfaces for the FPGA I/O functions are implemented on the module's carrier card.
Other On-Board Resources
The EM05 comes with two Fast Ethernet ports and two serial interfaces. The module also has options on the front panel for RS232, RS422 or RS485 ports. On-board memory options include a slot for an SO-DIMM memory module for up to 512 megabytes of 133-MHz DDRAM and a CompactFlash slot. Graphics and other functions from the EM05 are made available through the module's J2 system connector to the carrier card.
Pricing and Availability
The EM05 is available now from MEN Micro, Inc. Pricing starts at $850 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. For more information on the EM05, this press release, a product photo and collateral materials are available at men.de/products/press.
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·MIP 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 Nürnberg, 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.
