Tag: axiomtek

The New Intel® Atom™ Processors for the Internet of Things

Posted on by Mark Scantlebury

In October 2016, Intel introduced its first 14 nm chips designed specifically for IoT and embedded applications. These processors—collectively known as the Intel®Atom™ processor E3900 series—offer a long list of new features for industrial, video, and other apps (Figure 1). Intel also offers an automotive-specific processor called the Intel® Atom™ processor A3900 series.

Figure 1. The Intel® Atom™ processor E3900 series delivers excellent performance and new features for IoT edge devices.

In this blog, we look at how the new features of this processor family—which includes Intel® Atom™, Intel ® Pentium®, and Intel® Celeron® processors—address the demands of IoT and embedded design. We also examine three early products from members of the Intel® Internet of Things Solutions Alliance using this new platform.

Meeting Edge Needs for Tomorrow’s IoT

With its 14 nm fabrication and embedded/IoT-specific design, the Intel Atom processor E3900 series offers a number of important advancements:

Better performance and I/O. The Intel Atom processor E3900 series delivers 1.7 times more computing power than the previous generation. Available in dual- and quad-core designs, the new processors run at up to 2.0 GHz (even higher with Intel Celeron and Intel Pentium processor SKUs).

Memory speeds and bandwidth are also improved, with support for up to LPDDR4 2400. Six USB 3.0 ports and four PCI Express* (PCIe*) ports (six lanes) expand high-speed connectivity and reduce the need for external hubs.

Upgraded graphics. A new graphics engine improves 3-D graphics performance by 2.9 times compared to the previous generation. The processors also feature enhanced image processing with low-light color processing and multi-frame technology.

Intel® Time Coordinated Computing Technology (Intel® TCC Technology). For applications requiring determinism, this new feature synchronizes peripherals and networks of connected devices. It also resolves latency issues in applications, such as robotics manufacturing, by enabling one microsecond (1 μs) timing accuracy across the network.

Improved security. A new Intel® Trusted Execution Engine (Intel® TXE) provides enhanced data and operations protection, keeping data away from hackers even if the OS is compromised. Secure boot is strengthened with features like Intel® Boot Guard 2.0, and new cryptographic instructions like Intel® SHA-NI Extensions are among the many security upgrades.

Enhanced reliability. Dual-channel ECC memory is now available when using DDR3L, helping protect against single-bit memory errors. A junction temperature range of -40°C to 110°C expands industrial use cases, and specific SKUs are qualified for automotive applications.

Fast, Strong Processing and Sensor Integration at the Edge

Three new products from Alliance members that use the Intel Atom processor E3900 series provide excellent examples of their utility and versatility in enabling more intelligent edge and fog devices.

Axiomtek ICO100 DIN-Rail Fanless Industrial System

This DIN-rail fanless embedded system uses the Intel® Atom™ processor x5-E3930 and a DDR3L SO-DIMM slot holding up to 8 GB RAM to offer a powerful solution for smart factory automation and smart energy (see Figure 2).

Figure 2. The Axiomtek ICO100 employs the Intel® Atom™ processor x5-E3930 to offer a powerful solution for smart factory automation and smart energy.

Measuring only 31 x 100 x 125 mm, the ICO100 provides a compact solution for an industrial IoT gateway. It includes 2x RS-232/422/485 ports, 2x USB 2.0 ports, 1x Gigabit Ethernet, 1x VGA, and 1x DIO. Furthermore, the unit includes 2x PCIe Mini Card slots, one for an mSATA storage card and another for 3G/GPRS/Wi-Fi connections.

The unit’s rugged construction includes an extended temperature range of -20°C to 70°C and anti-vibration up to 2G to ensure reliable operation in harsh environments. Its wide range 12V-24V DC power input includes a lockable terminal block-type connector for industrial automation application. Overvoltage and reverse protection lowers the risk of crucial data loss.

Supermicro SuperServer 5029AP-TN2 Mini-Tower

Targeted for communications, print imaging, retail, and industrial applications, this mini-tower uses an Intel® Atom™ processor E3940 to pack a lot of power and I/O in a compact design (see Figure 3). The unit features up to 8GM unbuffered non-ECC DDR3, 4x 3.5″ hot-swap drive bays, and 2x 2.5″ fixed drive bays.

Figure 3. The Super Micro SuperServer 5029AP-TN2 uses an Intel® Atom™ processor E3940 to pack serious power and I/O in a compact design.

USB ports include 4x USB 3.0 (rear), 1x USB 2.0 (Type A), plus 2x USB 2.0 via headers. A dual GbE LAN Intel i210-AT controller provides network connection options up to 1000BASE-T. PCIe options include 1x PCI-E 3.0 x16 slot, M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 (M-key 2242/80), and 1x Mini-PCIe with mSATA.

The mini-tower offers a VGA, DP (Display Port), HDMI, and eDP display port. For extra security, there’s a TPM 1.2 aboard.

IBASE IB811 Single Board Computer (SBC)

To meet a range of power and performance needs, the IB811 SBC includes a selection of the new processors (see Figure 4). No bigger than a 3.5-inch disk, you can order it with the Intel® Atom™ processor x7-E3950, x5-E3930, Intel® Pentium processor N4200, or Intel® Celeron® processor N3350. The SBC also includes two memory sockets supporting up to 8GB of DDR3L-1866/1600 SO-DIMM modules.

Figure 4. The IBASE IB811 is a power single board computer (SBC) no bigger than a 3.5-inch disk.

The IB811 supports a wide-range operating temperature (-40°C to 85°C). A 9V~36V wide-voltage input makes it suitable for rugged industrial and in-vehicle applications with varying voltage input requirements. To comply with EuP/ErP standards, IB811 supports the iSMART green technology for power failure detection, power on/off scheduling, and low-temperature monitoring.

The IB811 supports three simultaneous displays up to 4K. Interfaces include 1.4b HDMI, DPI, and eDP/24-bit dual channel LVDS.

At the rear edge I/O are 1x COM, 1x DisplayPort, 1x HDMI, 2x GbE, and 4x USB 3.0. The board also supports 2x USB 2.0 ports via pin headers and a total of four serial ports. Other I/O includes a full-size Mini PCIe slot and an M.2 (B-key) connector.

Just the Beginning

These three examples are just a small sampling of the solutions available with the new processor. Discover more systems and boards using these processors in the Alliance’s Solutions Directory.

A Single Board Computer for Speeding up DNA Sequencing

Posted on by Mark Scantlebury

In healthcare and biotechnology, DNA sequencing – the process of determining the precise order of nucleotides within a DNA molecule – is accelerating diagnostic advances, medical and biological research, virology, and forensic science. While the possible uses of DNA sequencing appear endless, any organization looking to perform DNA sequencing needs to be prepared for massive amounts of data. They need a system that that can provide massive computing throughput, speed, scalability, and resolution.

This is particularly true with next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology. NGS enables scientists and researchers to conveniently maximize the potential of data sequencing by searching and comparing billions of DNA fragments (Figure 1). In performing this analysis, NGS produces massive amounts of data that pose challenges in terms of data storage, analysis, management, and sharing. That said, a NGS system equipped with powerful Intel® processors can enable a complete DNA sequence (more than three billion DNA strands) to be mapped out in a week or less. That’s far less than the original 13 years required by the Human Genome Project!

Figure 1. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology enables scientists and researchers to maximize the potential of data sequencing by searching and comparing billions of DNA fragments.

Dealing with all this data is well worth the effort, of course. Genetic information is already helping to prolong lives, provide options to prevent life-threatening diseases from developing or progressing, and enable new preventive medicine solutions. Medical professionals are already using specific patient DNA information to offer treatment that minimizes risks and maximizes recovery rates.

In evaluating the major benefits NGS will have on healthcare – particularly infectious diseases, prenatal testing, idiopathic diseases, oncology, and matching organ and tissue donors – Grand View Research, Inc. estimates that the global market for next generation sequencing could reach $27.8 billion [USD] in annual revenue by 2022 (up from USD $2 billion in 2014). This makes it a lucrative field for system integrators. The key is getting finding a board that can handle this kind of data.

One company found its answer through the industrial PC design and manufacturing firm Axiomtek. This customer sought a single board computer (SBC) unlike any motherboard available at the time. Axiomtek’s design-in services designed a high-performance SBC that could support two high performance Intel® Xeon® processor E5-2400 product family CPUs.

From initial planning and design through testing and validation and the ready-to-ship phase, Axiomtek’s design-in services offered key assistance in the customization process to ensure that the final product worked reliably. Key elements such as processing speed, storage needs, and operating system (OS) driver integration were carefully thought out. The resulting motherboard met the customer’s complex and specific requirements, including multiple LAN ports, SATA ports for extensive storage of DNA sequence information, numerous USB ports, PCIe lanes, VGA connector, and LVDS interface.

To ensure that the solution was able to operate reliably in a variety of applications, the customer selected Axiomtek’s thermal solution service. Axiomtek’s design-in services also provided software services, including embedded OS development, software API utility and driver support, and BIOS customization. In particular, the NGS company used Axiomtek’s BIOS customization service to personalize the product’s boot-up screen and requested that each board come pre-installed with an embedded version of Windows OS in order to provide users with a familiar, easy-to-use interface.

While it was not necessary for this particular DNA-sequencing machine, many of Axiomtek’s embedded motherboards pass important certifications. These include UL60601-1/EN60601-1, CE, and FCC class B for use in medical facilities.

Built with Powerful Intel® Xeon® Processors

A key selling feature was Axiomtek’s ability to build a board supporting two Intel® Xeon® processor E5-2400 SKUs, each with eight cores. These processors include Intel® Turbo Boost Technology which, depending on thermal headroom, effectively “overclocks” individual cores to handle heavy workloads (Figure 2). The Intel® Xeon® processor E5-2400 series also supports Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology which doubles the number of threads per core, enabling each core to accomplish more in the same amount of time.

Figure 2. Intel® Turbo Boost Technology dynamically increases the processor’s frequency as needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom.

The latest Intel Xeon processor E5-2400 v3 product family is even more impressive. With up to 10 cores and support for up to 384 GB of DDR3 unbuffered memory, these processors make efficient powerhouses for NGS solutions, providing increased computing performance for faster answers to the DNA sequencing questions. Yet another step open in performance is available through the Intel® Xeon® processor E5-2600 v3 product family. Its embedded SKUs include up to 12 cores and support up to 768 GB of faster DDR4 memory.

The above discussion points to a particular advantage of Intel processors – the ability to scale a solution to meet the price point and performance needs of a solution. In the case of a NGS solution, time can be more valuable than money. When lives are at stake and treatment choice and speed depend on a fast result, the last thing you want is for the computing solution to be the bottleneck.

All-in-One Medical Touch-Panel Computers

Another advantage for medical equipment manufacturers in working with Axiomtek is the company also makes medical-grade, fanless touch-panel computers for displaying NGS and other test results. A good example is their MPC153-834 computer with a 15.6″ WXGA TFT LCD display with a high brightness of 300nits. Specifically designed for the medical environment, this medical panel PC has a IPX1-compliant chassis and an IP65/NEMA 4-rated spill- and dust-resistant front panel (Figure 3). Moreover, the wide-screen medical touch panel PC is equipped with an isolated COM port to protect equipment from electrical surges and transient voltage spike. Powered by quad-core Intel® Celeron® processor J1900, the powerful 15.6-inch MPC153-834 provides the built-in graphics capability to provide sharp, accurate display of medical images and other results.

Figure 3. Axiomtek’s MPC153-834 medical panel PC is specifically designed for the medical environment with an IPX1-compliant chassis and an IP65/NEMA 4-rated spill- and dust-resistant front panel.

Be Part of the Next Major Medical Advance

Members of the Intel® Internet of Things Solutions Alliance like Axiomtek are a great place for medical equipment manufacturers to start in developing new products for the healthcare and biotechnology industries. Many offer custom design services, plus there are approximately 2500 boards from these members in our Solutions Directory.