News

In the dynamic movement of medical technology, the demand for innovation is relentless. At FORTEC UK, we are acutely aware of the critical role that embedded systems play in this evolution, especially as the requirements for medical applications undergo significant transformation. Modern medical devices are not just expected to perform; they are required to excel in computational power, data processing capabilities, and security, all while maintaining a form factor that supports portability and energy efficiency.

The Evolution of Embedded Systems in Healthcare

Embedded systems are pivotal in the development of a wide array of medical devices, from handheld diagnostic tools to sophisticated imaging machinery. These systems are engineered to execute specific tasks within larger devices, providing the brains behind the operation. The advent of advanced processors, augmented memory capacities, and comprehensive connectivity solutions has propelled the capabilities of embedded systems, enabling them to process and relay data with unprecedented speed and accuracy. This evolution is critical for supporting the high-resolution, real-time imaging and seamless device operation necessary in today’s healthcare environment.

Showcasing Axiomtek’s Pioneering Solutions: mBOX602 and CEM561

Axiomtek’s latest innovations, the mBOX602 and CEM561, stand at the forefront of embedded system technology, specifically designed to meet the nuanced needs of medical applications.

mBOX602: The Industrial PC Powerhouse

The mBOX602 is engineered as a medical-grade powerhouse, ideal for a variety of smart healthcare applications. It harnesses the power of the latest 13th/12th Gen Intel® Core™ processors, ensuring that it can tackle the most complex medical software demands with ease. This system supports up to 64GB of DDR4 memory and boasts 4K UHD display capabilities, making it an excellent choice for high-resolution medical imaging and efficient data management. Its comprehensive connectivity features, including 2.5GbE LAN and versatile expansion options, render it perfect for an array of networked medical devices and telehealth platforms. The mBOX602’s blend of reliability and high performance makes it a prime candidate for applications ranging from medical diagnostics to patient monitoring.

Click here to find out more

CEM561: Tailored Excellence for Medical Device Innovation

The CEM561 module is a testament to flexibility and power, designed to cater to custom medical application requirements. It supports the latest 13th/12th gen Intel® Core™ and Celeron® processors and accommodates dual-channel DDR4 memory up to 64GB. With an extensive array of PCI Express lanes for expansion, high-speed storage capabilities, and comprehensive USB connectivity, the CEM561 facilitates seamless integration with a variety of medical devices and peripherals. The module’s support for TPM 2.0 underscores its commitment to securing sensitive patient data. Its adaptability and robust performance make the CEM561 an unparalleled choice for developing bespoke, next-generation medical devices.

Click here to find out more

Addressing the Future of Medical Equipment Design

The mBOX602 and CEM561 from Axiomtek embody the advanced features required to meet the evolving demands of medical equipment design, including unparalleled performance, stringent security, and unmatched flexibility. For design electronic engineers dedicated to forging new paths in healthcare technology, these embedded systems offer the reliability, efficiency, and cutting-edge capabilities necessary to redefine the boundaries of medical care.

As we continue to witness advancements in the medical sector, the integration of sophisticated embedded systems like the mBOX602 and CEM561 will be pivotal in crafting medical devices that are not only more effective and efficient but also capable of delivering superior patient care.

For any embedded system requirements for your upcoming medical project, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Farnell has announced that it now stocks NI’s LabVIEW+ Suite, a software bundle comprised of LabVIEW plus, TestStand, DIAdem, and FlexLogger™, purpose-built tools for measurement, analysis, and test designed to enable engineers to build better automated test systems, faster.

LabVIEW has been NI’s benchmark software programme for 30 years, embraced by multiple generations of engineers as their go-to problem solving tool by virtue of its ability to accelerate development with graphical programming. This makes building a user interface as easy as drag and drop, coupled with an ability to connect to any instrument.

The LabVIEW+ Suite incorporates NI’s acclaimed TestStand, which accelerates system development and deployment for engineers in validation and production; DIAdem application software designed to process, visualise, and streamline root-cause determination and FlexLogger, the no-code data acquisition software engineers use to plan and implement system testing criteria faster and more efficiently.

The new LabVIEW+ Suite now available from Farnell can save purchasers up to 60% by purchasing the bundle rather than the individual software applications as standalone tools.

Farnell Vice President, Global Product & Supplier Management, Lee Turner, said, “LabVIEW has long been a powerful development tool for engineers. The LabVIEW+ Suite uses the power of the LabVIEW with additional software tools for engineers to quickly design and validate products. The significant savings by purchasing the LabVIEW+ Suite instead of buying each tool ad-hoc is an attractive option.

“The LabVIEW+ Suite can help development engineers make faster decisions, prototype more efficiently, and validate their work with greater ease. With its ability to deliver a wealth of usable data, this suite is a valuable asset for any engineer looking to streamline their workflow.”

The LabVIEW+ Suite can be ordered online from Farnell in EMEA, element14 in APAC and Newark in North America.

From February 21 to 22, 2024, maintenance in Dortmund, Germany’s leading trade show for industrial maintenance, will offer its audience an insight into the entire spectrum of industrial maintenance under the main motto “Predictive Maintenance: Next Generation”. Schaeffler is showcasing its comprehensive range of products, services and solutions in the fields of mounting, condition monitoring and bearing remanufacturing with its Lifetime Solutions portfolio at Booth 4-C30. The focus is on services for customers who wish to ensure the functional capability and increase the operating life of their bearings and machines.

“Maintenance teams face a variety of challenges in ensuring the smooth operation of their machines,” says Sebastian Mergler, Head of Product Marketing Schaeffler Lifetime Solutions, and adds: “Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence are important tools for modern maintenance, but our customers still want to have a ‘real’ partner at their side. At maintenance, we are therefore showing our wide-ranging service portfolio and focusing on a combination of digital solutions and personal consultation with, for example, our Virtual Fitter.”

New remote assembly service for maintenance work

Around 10 to 20 per cent of all bearing failures are caused by incorrect assembly and dismounting, so accurate maintenance work is essential. For this reason, Schaeffler added the Virtual Fitter to its Mounting Service portfolio at the end of 2023. With the aid of Augmented Reality (AR) glasses, Schaeffler’s global experts can provide assistance in the mounting of rolling bearings in real time without the need to be on site. If necessary, customers can decide whether they want to use the remote mounting service instead of on-site services and immediately receive AR glasses on loan, which they can wear during the inspection of their machine.

A Schaeffler mounting technician receives a comprehensive picture of the machine’s condition via a live stream and can give specific instructions and display important information in the customer’s field of view. The remote mounting service saves up to 50 per cent of the costs compared to an on-site service and enables faster knowledge transfer to the customer.

ECO-Adapt solutions supplement OPTIME range

At its booth, Schaeffler is also presenting the ECO-Adapt product range, which allows customers to monitor their electric powertrain and its energy consumption. In addition to OPTIME condition monitoring, which enables predictive maintenance based on the signal analysis of vibration and temperature data, the product PredictAdapt provides condition-related information based on the analysis of electrical signals. In this way, Schaeffler has expanded its range of monitoring services to include electrical condition monitoring and minimised the risk of failure of electric components. PowerAdapt also provides information about energy consumption, not only on rotating electrical machinery.

Sustainable and cost-effective maintenance through remanufacturing

The condition of rolling bearings has a significant influence on the entire production process. Condition monitoring solutions therefore play a central role. At the trade show booth, interested parties can learn all about the services provided by Schaeffler experts in the field of condition monitoring, from remote diagnosis to determining the cause of machine problems using various measurement methods directly on the machine and using endoscopes. Visitors to the booth can also find out about the numerous advantages of bearing reconditioning through remanufacturing services. The remanufacturing of existing bearings allows CO₂ emissions to be reduced by up to 95 per cent compared to new bearings, as well as savings in terms of material and energy and enables a high degree of flexibility to be achieved through short delivery times. Andreas Krieg, Product Manager Schaeffler Remanufacturing Services, will be discussing these and further advantages in a presentation on the remanufacturing of rolling bearings on Thursday, February 22 (SolutionCenter, Hall 4, 02:00 – 02:30 p.m.).

The embedded industry is seeing an increased demand for open-source RISC-V^®-based processor architectures, but there are still limited options when it comes to commercially available silicon or hardware. To fill this gap and help empower innovation, Microchip Technology has launched the PolarFire^® SoC Discovery Kit. By offering a user-friendly, feature-rich development kit for embedded processing and compute acceleration, Microchip is making emerging technology more accessible to engineers at all levels. The open-source development kit features a quad-core, RISC-V application-class processor that supports Linux^® and real-time applications, a rich set of peripherals and 95K of low-power, high-performance FPGA logic elements. This full-featured, yet low-cost kit allows rapid testing of application concepts, developing firmware applications, programming and debugging user code.

“We are dedicated to helping support the growth of embedded systems that require low-power, high-performance FPGA fabrics. The PolarFire SoC Discovery Kit is a pivotal step in our journey towards creating more accessible, smart, secure and high-performing computing solutions for a wide range of applications,” said Shakeel Peera, vice president of marketing for Microchip’s FPGA business unit. “With the new Discovery Kit, experienced and new design engineers, as well as university students, will have access to a low-cost RISC-V and FPGA development platform for learning and rapid innovation.”

In addition to traditional sales channels, PolarFire SoC Discovery Kits are being made available through a pilot project as part of the Microchip Academic Program in the second half of 2024. By offering the Discovery Kit at a reduced price to universities, Microchip is ensuring that the future generation of engineers have direct access to state-of-the-art technology. This approach not only enhances the practical learning experience for students but also aligns academic studies with the latest industry trends. Microchip’s academic program offers resources for educators, researchers, and students worldwide and helps universities incorporate advanced technology into their curriculum.

“Preparing students for the work world, a capstone project is a unique opportunity for students to develop practical applications. Several ASU students are using the PolarFire SoC Discovery Kit in their projects this year and it’s been an invaluable experience for them to have access not only to development boards, but also the amazing mentorship provided through Microchip’s academic program,” said Steven Osburn, professor at the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. “The students are getting hands-on experience working with new technology to complete real world engineering projects, finding innovative solutions to real-world problems.”

The Discovery Kit is built around the PolarFire MPFS095T SoC FPGA that features an embedded microprocessor subsystem consisting of a quad-core, 64-bit CPU cluster based on the RISC-V Instruction Set Architecture (ISA).  A large L2 memory subsystem can be configured for performance or deterministic operation and supports an asymmetric multi-processing (AMP) mode. The board includes support for Microchip’s Mi-V ecosystem, a MikroBUS^™ expansion header for Click Boards^™ and a 40-pin Raspberry Pi^® connector, as well as a MIPI video connector. The expansion boards can be controlled using protocols like I2C and SPI. An embedded FP5 programmer is included for FPGA fabric programming and debugging, and firmware applications development. Visit the PolarFire SoC FPGA webpage for additional details.

Mobile World Congress 2024 (Barcelona, Spain; February 26 – 29, 2024) will bring together industry leaders in the communications space, offering an ideal opportunity for collaboration, discussion, and education across every market, from automotive to consumer, industrial, and beyond.

Visit Analog Devices at Hall 2, Booth #2B18 to find out more about our unique approach to challenges and opportunities within the industry. With the largest portfolio of innovative wireless technology, ADI works closely with our customers, partners, and industry leaders to improve overall performance and energy efficiency for the Intelligent Edge, connectivity, and 5G.

By collaborating together, we create innovation across the ecosystem by delivering advanced connectivity solutions for the Intelligent Edge, enabling more sustainable networks, and taming complexity in the RAN.

ADI’s presence at MWC2024 will consist of an impressive speaking program in the MWC24 Partner Program as well as an attractive demo program on the company’s stand.

Hear from ADI’s Leaders and Industry Experts:

Experience ADI’s demos at Hall 2, Booth #2B18:

• gNode B Integrated Small Cell: Analog Devices and Edge Q present an integrated gNode B small cell (split zero!) solution for indoor and outdoor use cases. This power efficient device includes radio and L1, L2, and L3 stack for simplified plug and play connectivity.
• On-Premise Fixed Wireless Access Station: Learn how ADI’s mmW solutions enable this 2T2R mmW on-premise terminal. Designed for cost sensitive markets, it delivers high speed, high capacity fixed wireless access for urban and suburban deployment.
• Across the Spectrum: A Showcase of Advanced Radios: See the latest in radio development using ADI solutions. A diverse range of radios highlighting small cell, macro, massive MIMO, mmW, backhaul, and non-terrestrial networks.
• 5G Open RU with Commercial Grade O-RAN IP: Winner of the U.S. NTIA 5G Challenge Open RAN Mobility award, this demonstration highlights the capabilities of this 5G macro and small cell radio platform. This demonstration includes a small form factor, production ready solution with interoperability tested, commercial grade O-RAN IP for rapid market deployment.

For more information, visit ADI’s MWC24 webpage.

To make a personal appointment with ADI at MWC24, click here.

Farnell has announced that it is now stocking a wide range of Murata Power Solutions products for a multitude of industrial, energy and healthcare applications.

Murata Power Solutions is known worldwide as the leading manufacturer of DC-DC converters as well as compact, high-efficiency power products designed to address power application requirements of all sizes.

The new products added to the range carried by Farnell include the MGN1 series of DC-DC converters, which are designed for powering ‘high side’ and ‘low side’ gate drive circuits for GaN in bridge circuits. A choice of output voltages allows optimum drive levels for best system efficiency. The MGN1 series is characterised for high dv/dt requirements commonly seen in high switching speed GaN applications, with ultra low isolation capacitance and 250V reinforced insulation.

Similarly, the MGJ2B and MGJ1 SIP series of DC-DC converters are ideal for IGBT/SiC and MOSFET gate drives in bridge circuits, the MGJ1 SIP also supports GaN voltages of +12V, +8V & +6V/-3V. Both series are characterised for high isolation, continuous non safety rating 2.4kV, UL62368 reinforced insulation 300Vrms. and dv/dt requirements commonly seen in bridge circuits used in motor drives and inverters CMTI >200kV/µs.

Also from Murata, the NME1, NMR1 and NMV1 are cost-effective 1W 5V to 5V isolated DC-DC converters that boast an extended operating temperature range that guarantees startup from–40°C up to 115°C. The series’ galvanic isolation is well-suited to isolating and/or converting DC power rails, enabling the device to be configured to provide an isolated negative rail in systems where only positive rails exist.

Farnell Product Segment Leader for Murata Power products, Stephen Marsh, said, “We are delighted to significantly expand our range of Murata Power products and make them available for rapid delivery to our customers. Their pedigree as a global leader of breakthrough, high-efficiency power processing and power management products not only accelerates the development of exciting new applications but contributes toward greater energy conservation throughout society irrespective of their ultimate application because of their energy efficiency.”

Ann-Marie Bayliss, Murata Product Manager, added, “Farnell has been a stalwart partner for many years and this substantial addition of Murata Power products to their range is ample evidence of not only their ongoing support, but their dedication to power management applications that will make the best use of power resources well into the future.

“Our customers know that both companies are totally dedicated to providing the very best in ongoing service and customer care, which is a significant benefit in a fast-moving migration to more energy efficient applications worldwide.”

The new range of Murata Power Products are available from Farnell in EMEA, element14 in APAC and Newark in North America.

Endress+Hauser plans to take over Swiss Angenstein ESTECH AG, including the company’s production site in Cernay, France, ESTECH Industries Angenstein SA, succursale de Cernay. Representatives of both companies have signed a memorandum of understanding. All workplaces at the metal processing company are to be retained.

Angenstein ESTECH AG with its French branch has been a key supplier of measuring tubes for Endress+Hauser flowmeters for more than 25 years. The Cernay site and its roughly 50 employees are already incorporated into Endress+Hauser’s operation. “The acquisition of Angenstein ESTECH AG will allow us to retain the employees’ knowledge and integrate important work stages even deeper into our production processes,” said Christophe Stoos, managing director of the Endress+Hauser Flow France plant in Cernay.

Sale is part of succession planning

The owner families Wiese and Helfenstein view the sale of Angenstein ESTECH AG as an ideal succession arrangement for their company. “Our focus was on preserving jobs and securing the future of the company. We believe the acquisition by Endress+Hauser represents the best possible solution,” said Martin Helfenstein, chairman of the board of directors of Switzerland-based Angenstein ESTECH AG. 

As outlined in the memorandum of understanding, both sides want to draw up and sign a purchase agreement by the end of September. The business transfer is to take effect on 1 January 2025. The main operation in Aesch, Switzerland, which also supplies Endress+Hauser Flow in Reinach, will not be affected by the acquisition and will remain part of the ESTECH Group under the name ESTECH Industries Angenstein AG. 

Cernay campus continues to grow

Endress+Hauser has been producing flow measurement technology in Cernay for more than 30 years. The site, which has been repeatedly expanded over the years, employs more than 500 people and primarily supplies the European market with electromagnetic, ultrasonic and vortex flowmeters. By 2026, the French sales center, which is currently based in Huningue, will also move into a new building on the company campus in Cernay.

Saki Corporation, an innovator in the field of automated optical and X-ray inspection equipment, is pleased to announce that it has supplied inline optical inspection systems to Smart Modular Technologies, a Newark California based manufacturer of high-performance DRAM modules and solid-state disk drives (SSDs). The investment enables the company to deliver advanced products and assure customers of the highest quality and value, and to prepare for next-generation smart manufacturing.

Smart Modular provides standard, ruggedized and custom memory and storage solutions for computing applications such as IoT, big data analytics, cloud AI, financial trading, and networking and telecom. Like any manufacturing business, Smart Modular strives to maximize productivity by continuously improving cycle time, production quality, and end-of-line yield. At the same time, maintaining the company’s reputation for quality depends on identifying any defective units to prevent them from leaving the factory.

To ensure production reaches these ideals, Smart Modular invested in advanced inline inspection solution consisting of a solder-paste inspection (SPI) station and two automated optical inspection (AOI) systems from Saki. 

Inline SPI provides a fast way to check for any problems with the printer, stencil, or cleaning regime, which can be seen in defects such as bridging, insufficient solder paste, and paste-on-pad errors before the boards are populated and reflowed. While many printers contain built-in paste-on-pad inspection, Saki’s dedicated 3D SPI system offers advantages such as a mechanical structure shared in common with high-end inline AOI machines and also the software platform for unified machine operation and programming. The system can provide simultaneous 2D and 3D inspection of the entire PCB surface and there are additional features such as warpage management, coplanarity inspection, and SPC support.

Good boards, as checked by the Saki 3Si SPI system, are then passed forwards for components to be placed. To detect any placement errors and pinpoint the causes, the production team at Smart Modular chose Saki’s 3Di series inline AOI platform. They worked with technical and sales staff to configure an optimal solution that would meet their needs.

The 3D AOI series has great expandability and flexibility with the advanced optical head with Z-axis and quad side-camera options with full and deeper inspection coverage. This, combined with advanced inspection algorithms permits both high accuracy and a fast cycle time. While the cameras permit capturing fine details, the 3Di platform’s state-of-the-art image processing can capture a 25mm field of view in one scan which can be extended up to 40mm with Z-axis options. This helps inspect assemblies that contain tall components such as capacitors placed alongside lower-profile components such as leadless ICs and SMD passives. In addition, by also incorporating multi-angle lighting and a side-view camera, Saki’s 3Di machines are well equipped to inspect assemblies that contain densely spaced components of widely varying sizes.

Memory Module Inspection Challenges

Working with Saki to determine the ideal setup to meet their quality and productivity goals, Smart Modular added a second Saki 3Di AOI system to the line to inspect 100% of the boards emerging from the reflow oven. In addition to encountering typical soldering issues such as tombstoning, head-in-pillow, and solder spattering, which the 3Di detects using state-of-the-art algorithms, assemblies such as memory modules and peripheral cards can suffer from problems such as solder spots on gold contacts. These types of defects can compromise the durability of the low-ohmic gold finish, while also spoiling the appearance and so compromising the perception of product quality. In addition, thicker solder deposits can also impair insertion of the module during use.

These solder spots are known to be difficult to detect against a gold finish when using older AOI equipment. The lighting subsystems and detection algorithms can be relatively insensitive to the low contrast between the color and surface characteristics of the reflowed solder and the gold plating. Saki’s engineers have overcome this, enabling unwanted solder spots to be detected automatically so that affected units can be repaired before leaving the factory.

Now that the equipment is up and running in Smart Modular’s factory, operators have been able to assess its overall performance and contribution to enhancing the company’s output. They particularly appreciate the overall accuracy, detecting defects with a high level of certainty while also maintaining a very low number of incorrect no-go results. 

“We have experienced very low numbers of “false positives”, which is a strength of the Saki 3Di systems that we strongly appreciate,” said Smart Modular’s Vejay Kumar, VP of WW Specialty Memory Manufacturing. “By creating a stable parts database, and with the flexibility of the repair station, we can run the line for extended periods without stoppages and without needing operators to intervene. The AOI supports the work of our trained inspectors and lets them perform their own assessments on the boards, carefully, at the end of the line without slowing down production.”

Future-Proof Flexibility

Saki also offers many flexible options and upgrades that help transition inspection capabilities as the company seeks to adopt smart manufacturing principles in its activities. “This is important to us as we are now bringing Industry 4.0 technologies into our production lines to achieve further increases in productivity and quality, and benefit from data-driven improvements to our products and processes,” explained Vejay.

Vejay also commented on the support and training Saki has provided, which helped the manufacturing team to get productive very quickly after the equipment had been installed in the line. “All the machines, including our 3Si SPI system and two 3Di AOI systems are very easy to use. We required only minimal support to get up and running and start using all the features effectively. The customer service from Saki has been attentive whenever we called. This assures us of the best and fastest return on our investment. All our training has been on-site, and their team customized the sessions to ensure all the aspects we need were covered optimally.” 

“Saki’s 3D SPI and AOI systems provide a sound and durable hardware base while also giving us flexibility to scale and improve our capabilities by applying regular software updates,” concluded Vejay “We are now equipped to inspect our most advanced products with high accuracy, at high speed, and to detect even small cosmetic issues, without incorrectly failing good units. This has helped us to increase productivity and continue delivering the best possible quality and value for customers, and thereby uphold our great reputation in the marketplace.”

For more information about Saki visit www.sakicorp.com/en/.

Precision sensor manufacturer Micro-Epsilon has extended its surfaceCONTROL range of high precision 3D snapshot measurement sensors for automated, inline measurement of geometry, shape and surface quality of objects. The surfaceCONTROL 3xx0-240 offers a larger measuring range of 240 mm and a measurement area of up to 245 x 180 mm. The sensor delivers the best measurement results at a z-axis distance of between 340 and 540mm.

The surfaceCONTROL 3xx0-240 is a 3D snapshot sensor with a compact design and extremely high resolution in the z-axis. With its high repeatability combined with the larger measuring area and measuring range, the sensor sets a new benchmark in high precision 3D measurement technology.

The surfaceCONTROL 3xx0-240 is available in all classes and models of the surfaceCONTROL 3xx0 series, i.e. the surfaceCONTROL 3D 3200 and surfaceCONTROL 3D 3500 ranges, with each offering a different measuring area and depth of field. Both models are fully integrated industrial sensors that are protected to IP67 with passive cooling (active cooling is available for higher operating temperatures).

The surfaceCONTROL 3D 3500 offers the highest z-axis repeatability of up to 0.4 µm and best z-axis resolution of 1.0 µm. A high data processing speed of up to 2.2 million 3D points per second enables the sensor to increase productivity in the respective application.

The surfaceCONTROL 3D 3200 is a more affordable version of the surfaceCONTROL 3D 3500, but still offers many similar technical performance benefits. The surfaceCONTROL 3D 3200-240 offers a high z-axis repeatability of up to 0.6 µm and a high z-axis resolution of 1.5 µm. With data acquisition times from 0.3 s, the sensor is suitable for many industrial applications.

The surfaceCONTROL 3xx0-240 is suitable for a wide range of flatness measurement, coplanarity measurement and surface defect detection applications, including flatness inspection of circuit boards; planarity inspection of unpopulated PCB substrates; completeness check of electronic components on fitted PCBs; 3D measurement of high precision mechanical parts; width, tilt angle and position measurement of rivets; detection and evaluation of breaks on clutch discs; 3D text recognition of embossments that cannot be solved using 2D image processing due to lack of contrast; inspection of height and thickness of adhesive beading on smartphone shells; and determination of shape deviation defects on injection moulded parts.

All surfaceCONTROL 3D systems support the very latest GigE Vision and GenICam standards for easy integration into third-party image processing software. A comprehensive software development kit (SDK) is also provided that allows customers to develop their own analysis software. Also included in the scope of supply is Micro-Epsilon’s 3D View software, which offers a convenient user interface for surfaceCONTROL sensors. The software allows fast commissioning, evaluation of the sensor, set up and optimisation of parameters, and ensures the correct positioning of the measuring object.

For more information on the surfaceCONTROL series, please visit
www.micro-epsilon.co.uk or call the Micro-Epsilon sales department on +44 (0)151 355 6070 or email info@micro-epsilon.co.uk

Embedded systems and display solutions provider, Review Display Systems (RDS) has announced the introduction of two new mini-STX format motherboards from Kontron, a global leader in embedded computing technology. The Kontron K3921-N and K3921-H support the powerful Intel Core i3 and Intel Alder Lake-N series processors with the latest UHD Gen12 graphics based on the Intel Xe architecture.

The K3921-N industrial motherboard is equipped with two DisplayPort v1.4, one DisplayPort via front USB type-C, an embedded DisplayPort and a dual-channel 24-bit LVDS interface which enables support for up to three independent displays with 4K resolution (2 x 4K UHD and 1 x FHD).

The K3921-H mini-STX offers a cost-optimised version of the K3921-N with slightly reduced functionality. The K3921-H is available with an Intel N100 processor from the Alder Lake-N series and also offers two DisplayPort v1.4, one embedded DisplayPort and one USB Type-C (Alt mode). As with the K3921-N, the K3921-H can support three independent displays with up to 4K resolution.

Both motherboards share common features including support for up to 32GB of the latest DDR5 4800 memory technology, 2 x GbE LAN (1 x 1GbE, 1 x 2.5GbE), 2 x COM ports and adjustable CPU TDP make the board ideally suited for a wide range of industrial applications. The boards also feature two M.2 connectors, for storage and Wi-Fi, as well as other interfaces such as GPIO and USB 3.2 Gen2. In addition, both boards feature up to nine USB ports (USB 3.2 Gen1/2, USB 2.0) and offer a dual power input (12v and 19-28v). 

Designed and manufactured in Germany, the compact and reliable motherboards offer outstanding performance, functionality and cost-of-ownership in a compact mini-STX format. They are ideally suited for applications in industrial automation, medical equipment, digital signage, point of information and gaming. The Kontron mini-STX boards are designed and developed for continuous 24-hour operation.

The Kontron K3921-N and K3921-H mini-STX motherboards are now available from Review Display Systems.