Mini-ITX board uses "netbook" Atom

Axiomtek has introduced a mini-ITX motherboard using the "mobile" versions of Intel's Atom processor. With its low power consumption and impressive list of I/O, the SBC86836 targets "extremely slim" embedded applications such as in-vehicle infotainment, POS, lottery machines, and kiosks.

The SBC86836's complement of I/O includes dual gigabit Ethernet ports, both VGA and LVDS display support, eight USB ports, six serial ports, and dual SATA ports. The company does not actually quantify the SBC86836's power usage, leaving us to turn to power usage ratings for Atom chips in general.

Since the Intels Atom was first announced in May, the family of 45nm processors has become remarkably popular. In a November report on third quarter 2008 processor sales, the research firm IDC said that Atom single-handedly boosted the market by an additional eight percent, out of an overall 15.8 increase.

The first Atoms were the Z5xx series, ranging in speed from 800MHz to 1.86GHz, with TDPs from 0.65 to 2.4 Watts. The 1.6GHz Z530, for example, has a TDP of 2 Watts. These 13 x 13mm chips, generally associated with MIDs (mobile internet devices) and other highly mobile products, are invariably paired with Intel's relatively large SCH US15W, an integrated northbridge/southbridge.

The chipmaker's second wave of Atoms came in June, in the form of the N270 and 230, architecturally the same as the Z5xx series but using 22mm x 22mm packages, and different supporting chipsets -- the "mobile" 945GCSE and 82801GBM for the N270, the 82945GC and 82801GB for the 230. At 1.6GHz, the N270 and 230 have TDPs of 2.5 and 4 Watts, respectively.

As history will record, the N270 has now found a home in innumerable netbooks (Intel's name for mini-laptops). Back on the mini-ITX farm, though, the first motherboard to sport an Atom was Intel's own D945GCLF. Employing the 230 "nettop" CPU, the D945GCLF uses from 40 to 60 Watts overall, according to third party tests. Most companies creating mini-ITX motherboards have apparently followed in Intel's footsteps by choosing the 230, though Kontron used the Z5xx Atoms in its KTUS15/miTX.

The SBC86836 adheres to Via's seven-year-old mini-ITX format, measuring 6.7 x 6.7 inches (170 x 170mm). However it does comply fully with Via's Mini-ITX version 2.0 spec, announced earlier this year, since it lacks a PCI Express x16 expansion slot.

Lacking any specifics from Axiomtek, we'd have to guess that the company's selection of the 1.6GHz N270 for the SBC86836 has subtracted as much as ten Watts from the device's power budget. That said, there appears to be a lot more to the SBC86836 than just its low-power characteristics. For example, it has substantially more I/O than the Intel board already mentioned. It boasts a VGA port, two gigabit Ethernet ports, three serial ports, and four USB ports on its edge. Also on the edge are dual PS/2 ports, for keyboard and mouse, plus audio I/O, according to Axiomtek.

Axiomtek's SBC86836

Internally, headers supply an additional three serial ports, four more USB ports, dual SATA ports, and an LVDS interface, Axiomtek adds. Expansion potential includes up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM, a PCI slot, and a Type II CompactFlash slot.

Features and specifications listed by Axiomtek for the SBC86838 include:

* Processor -- 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270
* Memory -- Up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM, via single 240-pin slot
* Displays -- Supports CRTs up to 2048 x 1536 pixels, or LVDS LCDs up to 1600 x 1200
* Networking -- 2 x gigabit Ethernet ports
* Other I/O:

• 2 x PS/2 (for keyboard and mouse) o 8 x USB 2.0 (4 external, 4 internal)
• 1 x RS232/422/485 (external)
• 5 x RS232 (2 external, 3 internal)
• 2 x SATA-150
• VGA
• LVDS
• Audio I/O
• 8 channels of digital I/O (4 in, 4 out)
  

* Expansion:

• PCI slot
• Type II CompactFlash slot

* Operating temperature -- 0 to 60 deg. C (32 to 140 deg. F)
* Dimensions -- 6.7 x 6.7 inches (170 x 170mm)

Further information

Axiomtek did not announce pricing, but said the SBC86836 will be available during January 2009. Operating system support was not specified, but the Intel CPU and chipset have run Windows XP, Windows XP Embedded, Windows Vista, Linux, and other OSes on a wide variety of previous devices.

More information may be found on the company's website, here.

For further information about IDC's report regarding Intel Atom sales, see our sister site eWEEK.com, here.