Ampro Computers has developed a family of single board computers (SBC) to specifically address the needs of cost-sensitive applications which do not require the rugged reliability of Ampro's traditional LittleBoard and CoreModule products.
According to the company, the ReadyBoard family, starting at less than $300 in low volumes with a Pentium-class processor, is the best value for commercial applications that do not require extended operating temperature, extended product lifecycles, resistance to shock and vibration or an extended warranty. Yet, it says, ReadyBoard products are full-featured, supporting high performance Via Eden and Intel PentiumIII/Celeron processors, four serial ports, dual 10/100BaseT Ethernets, and high-performance video.
Unlike some low-cost boards, Ampro says its ReadyBoard products are configuration-controlled, ensuring the same product is delivered time after time. Customers are notified in advance of any changes which affect form, fit or function of the board.
The ReadyBoard family is a suitable platform for applications such as user interface terminals for equipment, building automation, kiosk/point-of-information, industrial applied computing, uncertified medical devices, and many other commercial applications that benefit from fully-featured, fanless, embedded solutions. They are designed with PC-style connectors along a single edge to mount easily against a back panel or bulkhead with little or no cabling.
ReadyBoard products come with an Ampro embedded BIOS, offering features such as serial console, customisable splash screen, and battery-free boot. Should the on-board battery fail, the board will continue to boot normally, using the correct stored CMOS settings. ReadyBoard products are application-ready, delivered with support for WindowsXP, XP Embedded, Linux, VxWorks, QNX, and Windows CE .NET.
ReadyBoard products are also said to be the first commercially-available SBCs that comply with the new EPIC form factor standard, an open standard created by Ampro and four other innovators in standards-based embedded computing. This assures OEMs that the form factor is well supported in the industry and has long-term availability.
ReadyBoard 550 and 700
The ReadyBoard 550 single board system is based on Via's Eden ESP family of low power processors, including the ESP 3000 running at 300 MHz, the ESP 5000 running at 533 MHz, and the ESP 10000 running at 1 GHz. These processors contain 128 kB Level 1 cache and 64 KB Level 2 cache.
The ReadyBoard 700 single board system is based on Intel's Tualatin-based ultra low voltage (ULV) Celeron processor running at 400 and 650 MHz, and Low Voltage PIII processor running at 933 MHz. Tualatin-based Celeron processors contain 256 KB Level 2 cache, while Tualatin-based PIII processors contain 512 KB Level 2 cache.
Both products support up to 1 GB SODIMM SDRAM, dual 10/100BaseT Ethernet ports, four RS232 serial ports, four USB ports, eight general-purpose I/O, EPP/ECP parallel port, PS/2 keyboard and mouse interfaces, floppy and Enhanced Ultra DMA 33/66/100 Synchronous IDE disk interfaces, a Type II CompactFlash socket, IrDA, AC97 sound ports, and high-performance AGP 4x video with built-in support for LVDS, TFT, and STN LCD and flat panel displays. Both boards measure 115 x 165 mm and operate fanless from 0°C to 60°C.
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