Fanless PC has two PCI slots

By Jonathan Angel
2010-03-11

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Avalue announced a fanless box PC that incorporates two PCI expansion slots. The EPS-AT270-2PCI includes an Intel Atom N270 processor and up to 2GB of RAM, room for a 2.5-inch hard disk drive, six serial ports, and an ExpressCard slot, the company says.

Avalue's EPS-AT270-2PCI uses Intel's well-known Atom N270 processor, along with the 945GSE northbridge and ICH7M southbridge, to achieve fanless operation. This is no longer a novelty, and Intel's "Pineview" N450 has effectively replaced the N270, offering onboard graphics and lower power consumption. What the EPS-AT270-2PCI has going for it, however, is its two PCI Expansion slots, which are said to support 32-bit, 33MHz cards with a maximum length of 6.5 inches (165mm).

According to Avalue, the EPS-AT270-2PCI also sports an ExpressCard/34 slot and a Type I/II CompactFlash slot. We presume a bootable embedded operating system could be installed via the latter, but the device is also said to have an internal 2.5-inch drive bay.

Avalue EPS-AT270-2PCI
(Click to enlarge)

Like the zillion other devices that have employed the Atom N270, the EPS-AT270-2PCI supports a maximum 2GB of DDR2 RAM, housed in this case via a single SODIMM slot. The device also provides two gigabit Ethernet ports via a Realtek 8111C controller, says Avalue.

The EPS-AT270-2PCI includes six RS232 ports, one of which may be BIOS-configured to support RS422/485 instead, Avalue says. The PC additionally has six USB 2.0 ports, audio line in/out connectors, and a VGA port, according to the company.

The EPS-AT270-2PCI includes a watchdog timer and is capable of operating in temperatures from 5 to 140 deg. F, and via DC power ranging from 9 to 32 Volts. A 60-Watt AC adapter is supplied with the system, which by itself weighs 7.8 pounds, says Avalue.

The PC incorporates technology to make it resistant to vibration and shock, Avalue adds. However, the system's shock resistance was not quantified.

Features and specifications listed by Avalue for the EPS-AT270-2PCI include:

Processor -- 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270
Chipset -- 945GSE northbridge and ICM7M southbridge
Memory -- Up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM via single SODIMM slot
Storage -- 2.5-inch drive bay
Expansion:
- 2 x 32-bit, 33MHz PCI (max. length 165mm)
- 1 x ExpressCard/34
- 1 x Type I/II Compact Flash
Networking -- 2 x gigabit Ethernet
Other I/O:
- 6 x RS232 (1 can be RS422/485)
- 6 x USB 2.0
- VGA
- Audio -- line in and line out
Power requirements -- 9 to 32VDC; 60W AC adapter accepts 100 to 230VAC
Operating temperature -- 5 to 140 deg. F (-15 to 60 deg. C)
Dimensions -- 8.66 x 8.46 x 4.96 inches (220 x 215 x 126mm)
Weight -- 7.8 pounds (3.5kg)

Availability

Avalue did not cite pricing, availability, or operating system support for the EPS-AT270-2PCI, but the device appears to be on sale now. More information may be found on the company's website, here.

Information on other fanless computers incorporating PCI expansion slots may be found via the links listed below.

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