OM44 Single Board Computer Leaving a Low Carbon Footprint

by Erez Gordan Internet Marketing

SOM from Variscite

The single board computer is also known as SBC and is created with a single circuit board having memory, IO, one or more microprocessors, and other such features necessary for proper functioning of a computer. The SOM (System on Module) is a sort of SBC, or an embedded computer system. It is an extension of the concept of a SoC or System on Chip, and can be considered as something between a full computer and a microcontroller. It leaves behind the smallest footprint and is also cost efficient. It is an easy and ideal choice for custom system designing. It is also suitable for several industrial as well as consumer applications.

Variscite is an Israeli organization that specializes in producing embedded systems. They announced the VAR-OM44 CustomBoard, which is a system on module or SOM. The SOMs from Variscite are full computers that are built on a single circuit board. The design is done on a single microprocessor and has all the other features needed for a functional computer. However, it is slightly different from a Single Board Computer, as the COM module does not have the regular connectors and input and output peripherals cannot be attached to the board directly. The wiring is usually done through board connectors. It has to be mounted on a baseboard. The package offered by Variscite SOM can be used in specific applications that need lower consumption of power. It is also useful when a small size is required, such as those required in embedded systems. The SOMs can be used as building blocks that can be flexibly integrated into embedded solutions, offering facilities of low power consumption along with high performance. The interface range is also extensive, and they offer communication protocols that can be run on several embedded operating systems, namely Windows Embedded CE or Linux.

Features and Specifications

This custom board is based on the processor TI OMAP4460, which is a Cortex A9 dual core, and features a USB 2.0; microSD socket; DDR2 and SDRAM of 512 MB; a 3D camera as well as HDMI. The custom board is a board that can be tailor made to suit requirements or specifications of a customer. It is offered along with a complete developmental kit, the VAR-DVK-OM44. Evaluation and development of application can be done with a touch screen. It is a response to the increase market demand for fast processing.

· The display is an LCD interface that supports 24bpp resolutions – till WXGA. It has an HDMI interface that supports 1080pixels and a four wire touch screen panel.

· The CPU is an OMAP 4460 processor from Texas Instruments with 1.2 to 1.5 GHz and a dual core ARM; Cortex A9 MP Core.

· Its GPU is a PowerVR with SGX540 graphics core and 384 MHz.

· It has a micro SD socket that is built in.

· The Audio consists of a line in; a digital microphone; an S/PDIF Out and a Stereo Head phone out.

· Network specifications consist of a Bluetooth V2.1 + EDR; Ethernet controller of 10/100/1000 Mbps and a Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n.

· The expansion is three times SD/MMC/SDIO interfaces and a USB two times HS USB 2.0.

· The Camera interface consists of 2CSI; CPI: and a main camera of 20 megapixels with 12 megapixels stereo and dual cameras.

· The serial interfaces consist of a wire or HDQ; 3 UARTS, which is up to 3.6 mega bps; an SPI and 12C interface.

· The power supply is a single DC-IN of 3.3.

· The dimensions are: 38.5mm x 67.8mm x 3.7 mm ( WxLxH).

Advantages of OM44 from Variscite

The important features of the VAR-OM44 CustomBoard consist of 2 HDMI output with an Ethernet port of 1 GBit and two USB ports. The development kit offers support for one more Ethernet port and consists of a camera sensor and a touch screen interface with provision of a serial interface and an LVDS video output. It is an ideal solution for several applications, especially those requiring rich functionalities of multimedia along with superior processing power. It is compact and cost-effective, and it offers a good performance that is equal to an Intel Atom. It is ideal for mobiles and other devices that are power sensitive and require advanced multimedia features. It offers cutting edge performance in multimedia by leveraging the proprietary system on Chips of Texas Instruments. The advanced graphics along with video capacities is combined with a high processing capability. It is compact and power efficient as well. It introduces a high level of performance that was not available in previous embedded solutions using ARM. It is a groundbreaking addition to the SOM portfolio, with a winning combination of special interface flexibility along with advance management of power. It is an ultimate solution for a wide range of applications. As it is ARM base, the power and battery needs are also low.