April 2015
29
E
MBEDDED
C
OMPUTING
All-in-One Single Board Computer
based on Pico-ITX format
By Martin Danzer,
congatec
There is rising demand for compact
industrial computers, such as those
based on the Pico-ITX form factor,
that can execute tasks reliably and
handle connectivity from field use up
to management level. Standardization
enables high volumes across a wide
range of applications while ensuring
that devices offering industrial
reliability remain affordable.
Because modern computer architectures
provide an extensive set of features and pow-
erful interfaces such as PCI Express, Serial
ATA or USB 3.0, mass-produced standard
single-board computers (SBCs) can o en ful-
ll developer requirements. However, what
may at rst glance appear cost-e ective can
quickly prove to be an expensive solution
when considering full system costs. Compo-
nents that are optimized for inexpensive mass
production o en fail to meet the demanding
requirements for 24/7 use in harsh industrial
environments. In addition, as soon as the next
chip generation is introduced – which hap-
pens every twelve months or sooner - these
components tend to become obsolete. When
that occurs the costly choice is to either stock
up on components or to continuously adapt
products to the latest chip generation. Any-
one who also requires support for customiza-
tion, such as special industrial protocols, will
quickly nd himself le to his own devices.
It is much more e cient to use boards that
provide a relevant range of integrated inter-
faces and functionalities, supplemented by
optional pre-integrated legacy ports and spe-
cial embedded features such as a real-time
clock (RTC), and available for purchase for
many years with exible logistics. at this
is indeed possible has been proven quite suc-
cessfully in recent years by the manufacturers
of standardized computer modules (COMs).
So, what is better than to transfer the bene-
ts of standardization from the world of com-
puter modules to SBCs?
While the familiar Mini-ITX form factor with
a footprint of 170x170mm dominates in the
desktop processor market for the middle and
upper power range of up to 65 watts ermal
Design Power (TDP), many modern applica-
tions require only a TDP of 10 watts or less.
is requirement can be adequately addressed
by the latest ultra-e cient embedded proces-
sors. e well-known Qseven standard has
shown that a footprint of 70x70mm is large
enough to produce extremely reliable com-
puters in this performance class. When fac-
toring in some extra space for the additional
external connectors required for SBCs, the
100x72mm footprint of the Pico-ITX stan-
dard seems virtually ideal.
congatec, a leading COM manufacturer and
co-founder of the Qseven standard, has for
some time been providing professional all-in-
one (AiO) SBCs based on in Mini-ITX in
addition to COM Express and Qseven mod-
ules. Leveraging the synergies with the corre-
sponding module standards even more fully,
the company recently added the Pico-ITX for-
mat to its o ering, thereby combining years of
experience in building high-quality COMs for
24/7 industrial use for periods up to ten years
with the cost advantages of high-volume SBC
production.
e new conga-PA3 Pico-ITX SBC is
equipped with embedded processors ranging
from the single-core Intel Atom E3815 with
5 watts TDP up to the quad-core Intel Cele-
ron N2930 with 7.5 watts TDP. Both proces-
sors are from Intel 64-bit Bay Trail family and
are full system-on-chips (SoCs), which are
characterized not only by high e ciency, but
also by a very good price/performance ratio.
Additional CPUs can easily be implemented
as customized versions, given the appropriate
production quantities.
e integrated Intel Gen7 HD graphics runs
at a constant speed of 400 MHz with the Intel
Atom E3815 and, depending on the load,
between 688 MHz and 854 MHz with the
Celeron N2930. It also supports two indepen-
dent displays in Full HD resolution (1x LVDS,
2x24bit via an internal connector; 1x DP++;
and HDMI 1.4). e hardware supports or
directly accelerates DirectX 11.1, OpenGL 3.2
and OpenCL 1.2.
e RAM memory is soldered directly to the
SBC. e Atom E3815 options include 1, 2 or
4 GB of DDR3L-1067, for the Celeron J1900 it
is 2 or 4GB DDR3L-1333. Depending on the
Figure 1. congatec’s new
industrial Pico-ITX single board
computer based on the Intel
Atom E3800 series
