Future applications are growing for Intel’s low-power Atom processor. On March 2, Intel announced four unique versions of Atom processors and two system-controller hub additions to the company’s embedded business division product line-up. Yesterday, American Portwell Technology Inc and ADI Engineering separately announced new products supporting the Atom in industrial and related applications.
The new offerings for the Intel Atom processor Z5xx series include industrial-temperature options, as well as different package-size choices suited for in-car infotainment devices, media phones, eco-technologies, and other industrial-strength applications, Intel reported.
"With the addition of these new products, we can bring the benefits of Intel processors to new applications, devices and customers who develop products used in unconstrained thermal environments with low-power in mind," said Intel's Doug Davis, vice president, Digital Enterprise Group and general manager, Embedded and Communications Group, in a press statement. "Meeting the needs of embedded environments and new market segments will play a large role in delivering the connectivity and functionality necessary as the number of devices connecting to the embedded Internet is expected to grow to an estimated 15 billion devices by 2015," Davis added, citing a January report by IDC’s John Gantz titled "The Embedded Internet: Methodology and Findings."
Yesterday, American Portwell introduced the PEB-2738 board for use in a range of segments, such as in-vehicle entertainment as well as medical, military, and industrial-automation and -control markets. Designed to operate at a low power consumption of less than 10W at full loads, the PEB-2738 conforms to the Intel ECX form factor (105 x 146 mm) and supports the latest options of the Intel Z5xx series Atom processor and the Intel US15W system controller hub, including operation over the industrial temperature range.
“Lots of customers require embedded systems with a wide operating temperature range, such as transportation, medical, government, and medical,” said Edgar Chang, president of Portwell, in a statement. The new board can be used in fanless environments. “PEB-2738 is the first off-the-shelf product for industrial temperature operating applications, and it can be a mission-critical solution and a reference board for customer evaluation,” he said.
Also yesterday, ADI Engineering, supplier of single-board computers with embedded architecture, introduced its Cinnamon Bay computer (SBC), measuring 88 x 110 mm and based on the Intel Atom processor Z5xx platform for embedded applications in industrial controls, digital signage, interactive kiosks, military systems, medical equipment, gaming devices, and point-of-sale terminals. The unit was designed for a -40ºC to + 80ºC extended temperature range to meet the rigors of harsh environments.
In other efforts to expand Atom availability to a wider range of applications, this week Intel and TSMC announced an agreement that would see Atom processor CPU cores ported to the TSMC technology platform including processes, IP, libraries, and design flows.
