Fanless PC offers 16 serial ports

By Jonathan Angel
2010-07-09

Article Rating:

/ 1

Rate This Article:

Add This Article To:

Habey announced a fanless, Intel Atom-based industrial computer that sports sixteen serial ports. The BIS-6640 accepts up to 2GB of RAM, has room for a 2.5-inch hard disk drive and a CompactFlash slot, and includes six USB 2.0 ports as well as a parallel port, the company says.

While it's billed as new, the BIS-6640 doesn't exactly appear to be a daisy-fresh design. After all, it uses Intel's 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor, with the usual 945GSE/ICH7M chipset. Also, we note that the same device is being sold by Norco, Habey's parent company, with both BIS-6640 and AFC-65672 model numbers.

Be that as it may, the BIS-6640 offers something different from the norm, since it sports 16 serial ports -- 14 RS232 and 2 RS232/422/485. The device's I/O, which all resides on the side pictured below, also includes a parallel port (with DB25 connector) and six USB 2.0 ports, Habey says.

Habey's BIS-6640
(Click to enlarge)

According to Habey, the BIS-6640 has two gigabit Ethernet ports, dual PS/2 ports, plus audio I/O (mic in, speaker out, line out). Also cited are both a VGA port and an LVDS connector, though no mention is made of support for dual displays.

Like other N270-based products, the BIS-6640 expands to a maximum 2GB of DDR2 RAM, in this case via a single SODIMM slot, says Habey. Persistent storage, meanwhile, may be provided by either a 2.5-inch SATA hard disk drive or by a Type II CompactFlash slot, the company adds.

The BIS-6640 is passively cooled via heat sinks Habey refers to as a proprietary "ice fin" design, and the device is described as dust-proof and vibration-resistant. The PC operates in temperatures from 32 to 140 deg. C and accepts DC input power ranging between 12 and 24 Volts, says Habey.

Features and specifications listed by Habey for the BIS-6640 (and by Norco for the AFC-6572) include:

Processor -- 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270
Chipset -- Intel 945GSE northbridge and ICH7M southbridge
Memory -- up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM via single SODIMM slot
Storage -- bay for 2.5-inch SATA hard disk drive; Type II CompactFlash slot
Networking -- 2 x gigabit Ethernet
Other I/O:
- 16 x serial (14 isolated RS232; 2 RS232/422/485)
- 6 x USB 2.0
- 2 x PS/2
- 1 x parallel
- 1 x VGA
- 1 x LVDS
- audio -- mic in, line out, speaker out
Power -- 12 to 24VDC input via AC adapter
Operating temperature -- 32 to 140 deg. C (0 to 60 deg. C)
Dimensions -- 12.59 x 7.87 x 4.15 inches (320 x 200 x 105mm)
Operating systems -- Linux, Windows XP Embedded, Windows XP, Windows CE 5.0/6.0

Further information

Habey did not release pricing information, but the BIS-6640 appears to be available now. More information may be found on the Habey website, here, while Norco's product page for the similar AFC-6572 may be found here.

Related stories:

	Discuss Fanless PC offers 16 serial ports

	>>> Be the FIRST to comment on this article!



	>>> More News Articles >>> More By Jonathan Angel

Email Article To Friend ♦ Print Version Of Article ♦ PDF Version Of Article

FUEL Database on MontaVista Linux
Whether building a mobile handset, a car navigation system, a package tracking device, or a home entertainment console, developers need capable software systems, including an operating system, development tools, and supporting libraries, to gain maximum benefit from their hardware platform and to meet aggressive time-to-market goals.

Breaking New Ground: The Evolution of Linux Clustering
With a platform comprising a complete Linux distribution, enhanced for clustering, and tailored for HPC, Penguin Computing¿s Scyld Software provides the building blocks for organizations from enterprises to workgroups to deploy, manage, and maintain Linux clusters, regardless of their size.

Data Monitoring with NightStar LX
Unlike ordinary debuggers, NightStar LX doesn¿t leave you stranded in the dark. It¿s more than just a debugger, it¿s a whole suite of integrated diagnostic tools designed for time-critical Linux applications to reduce test time, increase productivity and lower costs. You can debug, monitor, analyze and tune with minimal intrusion, so you see real execution behavior. And that¿s positively illuminating.

Virtualizing Service Provider Networks with Vyatta
This paper highlights Vyatta's unique ability to virtualize networking functions using Vyatta's secure routing software in service provider environments.

High Availability Messaging Solution Using AXIGEN, Heartbeat and DRBD
This white paper discusses a high-availability messaging solution relying on the AXIGEN Mail Server, Heartbeat and DRBD. Solution architecture and implementation, as well as benefits of using AXIGEN for this setup are all presented in detail.

Understanding the Financial Benefits of Open Source
Will open source pay off? Open source is becoming standard within enterprises, often because of cost savings. Find out how much of a financial impact it can have on your organization. Get this methodology and calculator now, compliments of JBoss.

Embedded Hardware and OS Technology Empower PC-Based Platforms
The modern embedded computer is the jack of all trades appearing in many forms.

Data Management for Real-Time Distributed Systems
This paper provides an overview of the network-centric computing model, data distribution services, and distributed data management. It then describes how the SkyBoard integration and synchronization service, coupled with an implementation of the OMG¿s Data Distribution Service (DDS) standard, can be used to create an efficient data distribution, storage, and retrieval system.

7 Advantages of D2D Backup
For decades, tape has been the backup medium of choice. But, now, disk-to-disk (D2D) backup is gaining in favor. Learn why you should make the move in this whitepaper.