For an optimum communication between host machine and peripherical devices serial interfaces became the number 1 choice for most of the manufacturers especially for Kiosk and touch screen applications. With the latest development of wh Münzpüfer Berlin GmbH interfacing of payment devices for these applications is a fast and easy task. During the Kiosk show in Essen the ccTalk USB Hub CCT 900 was presented for the first time. The CCT 900 connects all payment devices easily to any PC application. All common ccTalk devices can be plugged into the board and are connected via an USB interface directly to the PC. Furthermore other components such as anti pin systems, escrows without ccTalk interface and mdb change givers can be integrated via this board. A class library and a Windows DLL is available for easy implementation of the single components and is part of the standard delivery content.
The latest additions to BVM's extensive range of embedded computer boards are a range of industrial long-life ATX motherboards that support a broad performance spectrum, allowing the user to optimise the chipset and CPU combination to best suit the application. Pentium 4, Pentium D and Core 2 Duo chipset families can be combined with the 915, 945 and the latest 965 Intel chipsets; all motherboards include graphics with VGA and LVDS connection.
The industrial motherboards differ from typical desktop machine versions in that they are fitted with PCI expansion slots, enabling a direct interface for both standard and specialist industrial I/O cards, frequently only produced in PCI format. Another important feature for industrial applications is the inclusion of a watchdog timer to reset the system in the event of a software crash.
The motherboards are designed with long life components wherever possible, providing manufacturing repeatability for three to five years from product launch. With the PC market so fast moving, it is only through careful initial design and component selection that any particular design of board can continue to be available for a reasonable period of time. A selection of rack mount chassis and I/O cards completes the line-up, allowing bespoke systems to be created with minimum time and effort.
BVM Limited has now added a fully RoHS compliant 17in Pentium M fanless panel PC to its ultra-slim WLP Series for multimedia, kiosk, POI, medical and automation applications. The large screen with 1280 x 1024 resolution is ideal for information display, while a touch screen is built in for HMI applications, and a IP65/NEMA4 front bezel and vibration damper for the HDD equip the WLP-7820-17 for industrial applications.
The slimmest of their kind on the market, WLP Series PCs cover a range from 10.4in to 17in screen size. Even at the top end, front-to-back measurement is only 68mm including bezel.The WLP-7820-17 features a high-brightness, high-resolution display and 8-wire resistive touch screen. Silent, fanless cooling, the high-reliability motherboard, and thermal management are specifically designed for systems operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Security of unattended operations is assured by a watchdog timer which automatically reboots in the event of a software lock-up. The PXE boot capability allows update of networked PCs from a remote server. Boot from CF or DoM is an option for embedded operation system requirements.
The WLP-7820-17’s engine is a Pentium M 1.8G CPU with chipsets integrated with the Intel Extreme Graphic Two solution. I/O options are all arrayed on one side of the PC and include four USB2.0 ports, three serial ports, a LAN port, audio ports, mouse and keyboard interfaces. A VGA connector allows a second display if required. The PC can be equipped with a miniPCI wireless card. Other options include a 40GB HDD and tempered glass screen. The PC operates from a 12 to 24V DC supply or via the external mains power adapter. BVM can supply the WLP-7820-17 complete with Windows XP embedded or Professional pre-installed.
Other models in the same family range from 10" to 17" with a variety of optional features.
BVM announces the addition of a new Pentium M based rugged PC to its range of embedded systems. The WPC-762 system is based-on the high performance and low power consumption of the Pentium M. It is designed for such applications as Point of Sale (POS) Terminals, KIOSK, ATM, thin servers, in-vehicle displays, outdoor entertainment, gaming, multimedia system and building automation. With its low voltage input power and carefully engineered cooling arrangement, the WPC-772 offers a silent maintenance free solution. The 40GB HDD is shock mounted providing added resilience for mobile applications. The fanless design also increases reliability in dirty or dusty environments.
The VGA or DVI outputs are driven by the Intel Extreme 2 graphics solution, which is targeted at multimedia-intensive applications. In addition all the usual interfaces are available including 10/100Mbps Ethernet, a PCMCIA or CompactFlash socket, 4 USB 2.0 and 3 serial ports. Options include the addition of a Mini-PCI wireless network card and Flash disc with boot capability. The WPC-762 can be supplied ready configured with Windows XP or XP Embedded pre-installed
BVM the Southampton based Embedded board supplier has extended the range of products it supports with Windows XP Embedded. Various options are offered ranging from an off-the-shelf image on CompactFlash to a fully customised locked down image for deeply embedded applications.
The standard Windows XPE "Advanced Set Top Box" (ASTB) image includes the drivers and services required for everyday applications. Applications such as Windows Media Player, Internet Explorer, USB devices, and TCP/IP networking with file sharing are included together with device and display drivers, serial and parallel ports. This provides a solid starting point for most embedded applications and allows systems to be developed from a known good starting point.
The latest release with Service Pack 2 and Feature Pack 2007 add extensive control of the write filter; a feature required on Flash based systems, to avoid wearing out the flash devices when they are configured as the system disc.
Standard releases are available for most of the Mini-ITX and mini-boards in CompactFlash or memory stick format. In addition to providing standard ports BVM is able to customise system configurations. Customers fill in a simple form specifying which devices and services they require to be included. In this way it is possible for users to bolt down their system allowing only approved programs and drivers to be installed. For example in a public kiosk application it is essential that only approved applications are allowed to run and that users cannot install their own applications.
